Have you been told not to test your blood sugars?

derry60

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,196
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Rudeness,people being unkind
I am currently classed as heart failure and recently my doctor old me i was 44 on the pre diabetes chart so i started to look into it william davis wheat belly was my source so when i asked the doctor for his recommendations on which kit to use and which monitor would qualify for free strips he said but your not diabetic so you dont qualify for anything Er ok so we just wait for me to turn diabetic and then well monitor???? I mentioned this to my heart nurse and she said well we want you to live youre life as normal as possible and not to get too hung up on health issues!!!! like youre knackered anyway so dont worry about the diabetes!! i have just bought the kit you guys have recommend and i am waiting for it ill be asking questions when i get it keep on keeping on
paul holly
I had a Heart Attack 14 years ago. I have had no problems since, but getting a BG meter can only be a good thing for your heart, as why would you want to complicate matters with your health by not preventing Diabetes? Sometimes I think some doctors (Not all) cannot see the wood for the trees, certainly not looking at the bigger picture. I like you am Pre-diabetic and like you went out and bought a BG meter on the recommendation of peeps on here. I am glad that I did as my BG has gone down by watching what foods affect me and what foods do not.
 

Illusio

Newbie
Messages
2
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
So, I *do* test regularly and, while hypothetically you can't have a hypo on metformin, i dropped to 2.6 bg when I started eating low carb. Had I not been testing, I would have been clueless. I find it baffling that GPs wouldn't give people to tools to help themselves
 
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Daphne917

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,320
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
So, I *do* test regularly and, while hypothetically you can't have a hypo on metformin, i dropped to 2.6 bg when I started eating low carb. Had I not been testing, I would have been clueless. I find it baffling that GPs wouldn't give people to tools to help themselves
Because of the costs. However as usual costs are looked at in the short term which is the cost of the meter and strips to enable us to know what to eat to keep our BS down thus avoiding/minimising complications rather than the long term costs of drugs to keep it down or treatment of complications by way of operations, hospital and appointments with practice nurses, GPs, Consultants and Surgeons etc.
 
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Peadair O Brionn

Well-Known Member
Messages
445
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
having diabetes...... people who wear backpacks on the tube
newly diagnosed about 2 weeks ago. Asked the doc if i should test my blood he replied . No need to test come back and see me in 4 weeks and take one of these tablets once a day for 4 weeks and then come back and see me Metformin 500mg . No information about the tabs nothing about avoid alcohol so much so i went out on Patricks day had a few pint of Guinness and had a serious hypo in the middle of the night only for this site i wouldn't of had a clue what was happening or what to do . Doctors need to start informing you about all the aspects of this ailment . I actually didn't know how serious it was
 

Peadair O Brionn

Well-Known Member
Messages
445
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
having diabetes...... people who wear backpacks on the tube
So, I *do* test regularly and, while hypothetically you can't have a hypo on metformin, i dropped to 2.6 bg when I started eating low carb. Had I not been testing, I would have been clueless. I find it baffling that GPs wouldn't give people to tools to help themselves
I had a bad hypo last night on Metformin . But I did have some alcohol yesterday but kept eating . I’m terrified I’ll have another tonight . Should I eat something before bed
 

Peadair O Brionn

Well-Known Member
Messages
445
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
having diabetes...... people who wear backpacks on the tube
What is a good meter to buy and what are the cheapest strips
 

Alison Campbell

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,443
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi @Peadair O Brionn

Copied from @Bluetit1802
The most popular meters for self funding T2's are the Codefree and the Tee2 because the strips are much cheaper than other meters, and you need a lot of strips. You can't buy them in pharmacies.

Try here for the Codefree meter
http://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/blood-glucose-monitor/

and here for the extra strips
http://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/sd-codefree-test-strips-to-be-used-only-with-the-sd-monitor/

There are discount codes if you buy in bulk.
5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833

The Tee2 is here and the meter is free.
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/

Don’t forget to check the box that you have diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for either meter)
 

dbr10

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,237
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
newly diagnosed about 2 weeks ago. Asked the doc if i should test my blood he replied . No need to test come back and see me in 4 weeks and take one of these tablets once a day for 4 weeks and then come back and see me Metformin 500mg . No information about the tabs nothing about avoid alcohol so much so i went out on Patricks day had a few pint of Guinness and had a serious hypo in the middle of the night only for this site i wouldn't of had a clue what was happening or what to do . Doctors need to start informing you about all the aspects of this ailment . I actually didn't know how serious it was
This is NHS diabetes care
 

DCUKMod

Master
Staff Member
Messages
14,298
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I had a bad hypo last night on Metformin . But I did have some alcohol yesterday but kept eating . I’m terrified I’ll have another tonight . Should I eat something before bed
What is a good meter to buy and what are the cheapest strips

Peadair - Those questions might be better answered on a thread of their own.


If you'd like me to move the posts to make them threads, just tag me (or any other Mod) by putting the @ symbol directly beforeo our user name.
 

trytobegood

Member
Messages
9
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Yes I was told only to test if I felt uncomfortable/unwell - really weird when you are struggling to work out what makes you spike.
My big problem is the morning as with lots of others. I have tried all sorts of evening tricks even 4am in morning too.
Eating a snack etc etc. None of them seem to get me that low. Is part of it what you eat the previous evening or how about waking up in the night and starting off the morning insulin dump earlier??
Thanks for any ideas in advance.
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Yes I was told only to test if I felt uncomfortable/unwell - really weird when you are struggling to work out what makes you spike.
My big problem is the morning as with lots of others. I have tried all sorts of evening tricks even 4am in morning too.
Eating a snack etc etc. None of them seem to get me that low. Is part of it what you eat the previous evening or how about waking up in the night and starting off the morning insulin dump earlier??
Thanks for any ideas in advance.

There isn't very much you can do about morning liver dumps. They are natural and normal. The problem we have as Type 2s is that when the liver dumps, as it always will, our insulin doesn't work properly so it can't clear the dumped glucose into our cells as quickly as it should, and it can't enter the liver to tell it to stop dumping (as it should be doing). So the liver continues to dump.

This is down to insulin resistance and a fatty liver, and the more severe our insulin resistance is the longer it will take to clear this dumped glucose. All you can reasonably do is to avoid eating carbs in the morning. What you don't need is all that extra glucose from the carbs adding to the dumped glucose. This is why eggs are so useful as a breakfast.

Once insulin resistance has improved the morning dumps will be much less noticeable as our insulin will be able to work better.
 
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trytobegood

Member
Messages
9
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
There isn't very much you can do about morning liver dumps. They are natural and normal. The problem we have as Type 2s is that when the liver dumps, as it always will, our insulin doesn't work properly so it can't clear the dumped glucose into our cells as quickly as it should, and it can't enter the liver to tell it to stop dumping (as it should be doing). So the liver continues to dump.

This is down to insulin resistance and a fatty liver, and the more severe our insulin resistance is the longer it will take to clear this dumped glucose. All you can reasonably do is to avoid eating carbs in the morning. What you don't need is all that extra glucose from the carbs adding to the dumped glucose. This is why eggs are so useful as a breakfast.

Once insulin resistance has improved the morning dumps will be much less noticeable as our insulin will be able to work better.
 

trytobegood

Member
Messages
9
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
It is perplexing and downright annoying - sends me into a spin when I have tried certain tactics and they fail.
But I was appalled to see a fellow member not knowing what their BS levels and was eating many of the foods we try to avoid!! And the advice given to them was NOT to test!!! I mean what sort of advice is that.? Is there something wrong with professional advice these days.
After seeing the spuds, rice, pasta recommendations as part of your diet for a diabetic and the 'non testing' I really do wonder.
Do excuse me!!!
all the best and thanks for the advice.
 

oldnevada

Well-Known Member
Messages
328
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Sugar, in all it's iterations.
Yes, my MD took me off glyburide because of the bad hypos I would get and put me on Onyglyza (along side my regular metformin) and she told me I don't need to test my BG any more. She actually instructed me to stop testing.
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Yes, my MD took me off glyburide because of the bad hypos I would get and put me on Onyglyza (along side my regular metformin) and she told me I don't need to test my BG any more. She actually instructed me to stop testing.


I hope you have ignored her!
 
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