When do you test?

[Larissima]

I'm confused! Nurse told me once a year; dietitian every 3 months. I bought a meter and have started to check FBG and 2 hours after dinner (and other meals when possible). Dr Bernstein says before and 2 hrs after every meal, and I've read on here that some people check one hour after meals, as well as before bed.

How many strips will I have to go through, and will I have any fingertips left??

More seriously, what frequency of testing blood glucose would you recommend, and why?

 

[DeejayR]

To start with I tested 7 times a day -- on awaking, and before every meal, and two hours after, with 3 meals. That's what's basically recommended on here. Over three months I built up a broad picture of what's going on.
I used as many fingers as I could in rotation, although my left hand circulation isn't very good, or else the skin is thicker (guitar practice, probably). So that's 49 strips a week, using the "cheaper" Codefree ones. No residual pain or apparent damage -- my hands seemed to get used to it. I change the lancet when I remember, which isn't very often. I wash my hands with plain soap and dry them properly before each test and take the strips out of the tub with tweezers (bit OTT perhaps but it's my choice).
Atm I test occasionally for something specific, and plan soon to run another 7-a-day session for a couple of weeks.
*edit* For one-off experiments I might test after every hour for 5 or more hours depending on how long my BS was hanging high. Bit tedious but I get a complete result.

 

[Robbity]

When you test really depends on what you're wanting to find out.

Testing first thing in the morning tells you what your overnight fasting levels are, and bedtime checks give you a base line for what's happened overnight. Do a forum or Google search for "liver dumps" and/or "dawn phenomenon" if you'd like more information about this.

Testing immediately before a meal gives you a base line so that you can see how much (or little) you spike after your meal - the smaller spike the better. In general people test for this two hours after eating. These two mealtime tests are what most of us will be doing. Often when things have settled down people will choose to test less often.

Testing at half or one hour is normally used to check for faster rises - caused the more sugary/starchy foods, so wouldn't necessarily need to be done on a reduced carb diet. Some people test at longer intervals, e.g. 3 hours, to see how they may be reacting to specific. slower release carbs food. So neither of these would necessarily be regular tests.

I generally get through approx a pot of 50 strips a week, testing am, pm, and before & after meals.

Robbity

 

[Gezzabelle]

To start with I tested 7 times a day -- on awaking, and before every meal, and two hours after, with 3 meals. That's what's basically recommended on here. Over three months I built up a broad picture of what's going on.
I used as many fingers as I could in rotation, although my left hand circulation isn't very good, or else the skin is thicker (guitar practice, probably). So that's 49 strips a week, using the "cheaper" Codefree ones. No residual pain or apparent damage -- my hands seemed to get used to it. I change the lancet when I remember, which isn't very often. I wash my hands with plain soap and dry them properly before each test and take the strips out of the tub with tweezers (bit OTT perhaps but it's my choice).
Atm I test occasionally for something specific, and plan soon to run another 7-a-day session for a couple of weeks.
*edit* For one-off experiments I might test after every hour for 5 or more hours depending on how long my BS was hanging high. Bit tedious but I get a complete result.

So you don't test before sleeping? Also confused about the testing you do when you wake and then before each meal...I get the before and after each meal part but is it necessary to test on waking AND before breakfast as that follows soon after waking?

 

[Robbity]

It's a matter of personal choice - there's no set rules - you just need to think about why you're testing and what for, and then maybe apply a little common sense on occasion. So, someone may choose to do a fasting test immediately on waking and then test again before breakfast if they've, perhaps, got up and had a bath, got the children up, washed and dressed, cooked a family breakfast, etc, before they can eat. I know for example if there's a reasonable time lag after I wake and before I eat I may well get a liver dump, and any rise due to that could make a difference to how big any perceived after meal spike may appear - so I prefer to test immediately before a meal. Therefore sometimes I'll test twice and sometimes just the once depending on circumstances

Robbity

 

[Gezzabelle]

It's a matter of personal choice - there's no set rules - you just need to think about why you're testing and what for, and then maybe apply a little common sense on occasion. So, someone may choose to do a fasting test immediately on waking and then test again before breakfast if they've, perhaps, got up and had a bath, got the children up, washed and dressed, cooked a family breakfast, etc, before they can eat. I know for example if there's a reasonable time lag after I wake and before I eat I may well get a liver dump, and any rise due to that could make a difference to how big any perceived after meal spike may appear - so I prefer to test immediately before a meal. Therefore sometimes I'll test twice and sometimes just the once depending on circumstances

Robbity[Thanks for explaining. I am about to buy a tester and am a little dubious and also in the dark as to when I need to test. I now need to look on google re 'liver dump' lol....thanks for you help

 

[Daphne917]

The only test that I do regularly is in the morning just after I've got up. If I'm eating something new or that I haven't had much I will test 1, 2 and 3 hours after eating. However, whilst you're still learning what affect certain foods have on your BS I should test more frequently.

 

[DeejayR]

So you don't test before sleeping? Also confused about the testing you do when you wake and then before each meal...I get the before and after each meal part but is it necessary to test on waking AND before breakfast as that follows soon after waking?

Not before sleeping, no; I test on awaking before any "dawn dump" can occur; and regard the awaking test as the before breakfast test since I usually have brekky within half an hour of waking. It's all approximate and during a period of regular testing I'm looking to build a picture of trends over weeks. With individual meal or food item tests I'm looking for nasty surprises not to be repeated (hopefully)

 

[mikej1973]

I test occasionally first thing in the morning (well after a shower and getting dressed etc), I don't on waking, and don't before meals. After building a good idea of what I can eat I only test 2 hours after a new meal and occasionally after a carby meal or treat to make sure everything is still OK. 10 or 15 tests a week for me. Like @DeejayR I plan a thorough few days of testing just to make sure nothings changed I'm missing out on.

 

[Gezzabelle]

Not before sleeping, no; I test on awaking before any "dawn dump" can occur; and regard the awaking test as the before breakfast test since I usually have brekky within half an hour of waking. It's all approximate and during a period of regular testing I'm looking to build a picture of trends over weeks. With individual meal or food item tests I'm looking for nasty surprises not to be repeated (hopefully)

Is this 'dawn dump' thing a common one that happens to everyone?

 

[Robbity]

Is this 'dawn dump' thing a common one that happens to everyone?

Not always necessarily (or perhaps even noticeably) so, see here for info; the best way to find out if it happens to you is to do a fasting/wake up test to see if or how much your glucose levels have risen overnight. I find my liver's usually more enthusiastic in dispensing glucose if I'm active for a while between waking and eating. But sometimes I can have higher morning levels if I'm not feeling well.

Robbity

 

[Robbity]

I I don't on waking, and don't before meals. After building a good idea of what I can eat I only test 2 hours after a new meal and occasionally after a carby meal or treat to make sure everything is still OK. 10 or 15 tests a week for me.

I can be high before meals and have a minimal spike. So how are you determining what food spikes you,. and by how much, if you don't have a pre meal reading to compare with?

Robbity

 

[Gezzabelle]

Not always necessarily (or perhaps even noticeably) so, see here for info; the best way to find out if it happens to you is to do a fasting/wake up test to see if or how much your glucose levels have risen overnight. I find my liver's usually more enthusiastic in dispensing glucose if I'm active for a while between waking and eating. But sometimes I can have higher morning levels if I'm not feeling well.

Robbity

Thanks for that ....I know most of my questions are probably answered on the forum but there is so much information on there it is easy to miss or harder to find. There is so much to take on board. I am ordering a tester today. I am type 2 newly diagnosed and getting no help from my gp until a further test in 3 months. I have chosen to test myself to see if I am getting it right with the changes I am making....those being reducing carbs to less than 30...exercising and eating more fat and protein. I have no clue when to test to start off with. Any suggestions please?

 

[Larissima]

Thanks for that ....I know most of my questions are probably answered on the forum but there is so much information on there it is easy to miss or harder to find. There is so much to take on board.

That's exactly how I feel! Thanks everybody for responding!

As I have only recently started to test my BG, I think I will continue to check first thing in the morning and 2 hours after each meal, for about a month or so, until I manage to recognise some kind of a pattern. After that, probably just FBG and after a new meal recipe... plus occasional full-on testing for 5-7 days as control.

Unless I change my mind when I think about it a bit more...

 

[mikej1973]

I can be high before meals and have a minimal spike. So how are you determining what food spikes you,. and by how much, if you don't have a pre meal reading to compare with?

Robbity

Hi. I'm not interested in spikes. My targets are less than 7.8 two hours after the vast majority of the time and always less than 8.5. I've learned that lots of white bread on a sedantary day is the only way I can get a two hour reading over 9. So if I'm not out and about I stay away from bread. After testing I know I spike within an hour (unless I eat Chinese!) so my 2 hour reading is all I do now.

When I did test pre meal it was always between 3.5 and 5.5 so I'm happy it's between that range now

 

[mikej1973]

That's exactly how I feel! Thanks everybody for responding!

As I have only recently started to test my BG, I think I will continue to check first thing in the morning and 2 hours after each meal, for about a month or so, until I manage to recognise some kind of a pattern. After that, probably just FBG and after a new meal recipe... plus occasional full-on testing for 5-7 days as control.

Unless I change my mind when I think about it a bit more...

Although I don't usually test pre meal now. I probably would if I were new to it. Just to get an idea of your pre meal range.

 

[Larissima]

I can be high before meals and have a minimal spike. So how are you determining what food spikes you,. and by how much, if you don't have a pre meal reading to compare with?

My FBG is a pre-breakfast reading, as I eat immediately after. With lunch and dinner I have the 2-hour post-postprandial readings of the previous meal - is it likely that BG would rise after 2 hours, when the curve from 1 hour is supposed to be downwards? What I mean is, if 2 hours after lunch my BG is 5.0, would it not go even lower (or stay the same) if I don't eat until dinner, and only then go up again?

 

[BooJewels]

I have chosen to test myself to see if I am getting it right with the changes I am making....those being reducing carbs to less than 30...exercising and eating more fat and protein. I have no clue when to test to start off with. Any suggestions please?

Everyone has their own preference for testing routines, but perhaps initially, it is a good idea to try and get a pattern covering of all times of the day - some tests before and some after eating. So work out a routine that means over the course of a few days that you'll cover every possible testing time.

So - for example - if there are 8 or 9 core times in the day to test, do three each on three consecutive days, so that over a three day period, you do a test at each potential time once. As you form a pattern and can maybe see times that need greater attention, you can then do tests in pairs before and after eating for example, especially if wanting to learn about specific foods and their affect on you. I know whenever I change meds or something, the DN likes to see a regular pattern of that nature as an overview for trends. We've changed the timing of meds etc. on this basis.

Your 8 basic times might be on waking, before breakfast, after breakfast, before lunch, after lunch, before dinner, after dinner and at bedtime. I also consider a regular pair to be before and after exercise, depending on how much you do. If you put your readings in a spreadsheet or use an app to record them, you can easily see patterns and trends. I bet I'm like others, in that it's always easier to remember to do tests at some times than others. I find between breakfast and lunch to be the hardest to time and remember as I get my head down working.

Maybe the current thinking differs from this, but this was how I was taught to do it - many years ago now - and my DN still asks questions like "what was the range of your readings after breakfast?" and "what was the average difference between bedtime and the following morning readings?"

Others will no doubt have suggestions too.

 

[Robbity]

My FBG is a pre-breakfast reading, as I eat immediately after. With lunch and dinner I have the 2-hour post-postprandial readings of the previous meal - is it likely that BG would rise after 2 hours, when the curve from 1 hour is supposed to be downwards? What I mean is, if 2 hours after lunch my BG is 5.0, would it not go even lower (or stay the same) if I don't eat until dinner, and only then go up again?

It should eventually level out, which is why I always test pre meal. So: e.g. 2 hrs post lunch is 7.6, and pre next meal is 6.2 and 2 hrs post is 7.8. So your post meal only tests would suggest it's spiking you by just 7.8-7.6 = 0.2 and my pre and post ones suggest a larger spike of 7.8-6.2= 1.5 - there's a difference and that spike size is what I'm interested in. But when you test obviously depends on what information you're attempting to gather.

Robbity

 

[Gezzabelle]

It should eventually level out, which is why I always test pre meal. So: e.g. 2 hrs post lunch is 7.6, and pre next meal is 6.2 and 2 hrs post is 7.8. So your post meal only tests would suggest it's spiking you by just 7.8-7.6 = 0.2 and my pre and post ones suggest a larger spike of 7.8-6.2= 1.5 - there's a difference and that spike size is what I'm interested in. But when you test obviously depends on what information you're attempting to gather.

Robbity

Heck I'm just plain confused and have no clue really what information I need to know. If eating makes a spike as I would expect it to and the food is all low carb and as it should be, what exactly am I supposed to do if it shows a spike after eating when I test? I will have my tester tomorrow and am unsure when to test and also what to do about spikes should they occur. If I'm eating as I should how can I change a spike?