High Fasting Bg Reading - Or Not?

[gardengnome42]

What do I make of this? I took a fasting test today and it read 8.3. Alarmed, as I have never known it to be over 7.6 and even then only occasionally, I took it a second time and it was 5.8. Is the meter at fault I wonder [it's a codefree]?
As I have an annual review for hypertension coming up very soon and they always ask for blood tests for that and include the HbA1c plus a cholesterol test, I feel somewhat apprehensive. Any ideas as to why I should have these totally different readings?

 

[bulkbiker]

I'm guessing something dodgy on the finger for the first test or maybe a dodgy strip.
You did exactly the right thing by re-testing.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Did you test a third time, to confirm which of the two readings might be correct? Either one of them could have been. A third test may have confirmed one or the other.

No meters are accurate and have a 15% plus or minus tolerance level, and that is for 95% of the time. The rest of the time they could be accurate or way out. We all get rogue readings, and this is down to either meter inaccuracy, a corrupted test strip, human error (a crumb on a finger, insufficient blood, damp finger etc), or just unlucky. One off high readings can be ignored - they won't affect your HbA1c unless they are regular. It is trends not numbers that you need to look for.

 

[Ann1982]

Oh how I wish my fasting blood readings were as low as that! This morning it was 15.3! Arg! Having some problems with it just now and I couldn’t get an appointment sooner than 16th October. I have eliminated a lot of things that it could be and have come to the conclusion that it is my levemir that is the problem. Humalog works fine during the day. Unfortunately the consultant is off sick and my appointment was July but was cancelled.

 

[gardengnome42]

Did you test a third time, to confirm which of the two readings might be correct? Either one of them could have been. A third test may have confirmed one or the other.

No meters are accurate and have a 15% plus or minus tolerance level, and that is for 95% of the time. The rest of the time they could be accurate or way out. We all get rogue readings, and this is down to either meter inaccuracy, a corrupted test strip, human error (a crumb on a finger, insufficient blood, damp finger etc), or just unlucky. One off high readings can be ignored - they won't affect your HbA1c unless they are regular. It is trends not numbers that you need to look for.[/QUOTE

No I didn't test a third time, I thought about it but only after I'd drunk a cup of tea and by then it would have been too late. To be honest I was scared as to what I might see! It was a different finger but the same hand, maybe there was something dodgy about the strip or even the finger.

 

[gardengnome42]

Did you test a third time, to confirm which of the two readings might be correct? Either one of them could have been. A third test may have confirmed one or the other.

No meters are accurate and have a 15% plus or minus tolerance level, and that is for 95% of the time. The rest of the time they could be accurate or way out. We all get rogue readings, and this is down to either meter inaccuracy, a corrupted test strip, human error (a crumb on a finger, insufficient blood, damp finger etc), or just unlucky. One off high readings can be ignored - they won't affect your HbA1c unless they are regular. It is trends not numbers that you need to look for.

Ha, my reply seems to have vanished! I didn't take it a third time as I thought about it too late and had drunk a cup of tea by then. Besides I was a little scared as to what I might see. I did use a different finger for the second test although I would have thought that the same blood was flowing through both of them! Perhaps as you say there was something on the finger?

 

[Bluetit1802]

Ha, my reply seems to have vanished! I didn't take it a third time as I thought about it too late and had drunk a cup of tea by then. Besides I was a little scared as to what I might see. I did use a different finger for the second test although I would have thought that the same blood was flowing through both of them! Perhaps as you say there was something on the finger?

Perhaps it was something on your finger - or something on the strip. You will never know, so all you can do is forget it, move on, and keep your eye on future trends. Good luck with your upcoming test, remember to fast for it in order to get a more accurate triglyceride result (part of your cholesterol stuff), and try to relax. Being apprehensive can increase blood glucose levels!

 

[gardengnome42]

Perhaps it was something on your finger - or something on the strip. You will never know, so all you can do is forget it, move on, and keep your eye on future trends. Good luck with your upcoming test, remember to fast for it in order to get a more accurate triglyceride result (part of your cholesterol stuff), and try to relax. Being apprehensive can increase blood glucose levels!

Thanks Bluetit!