BG self-testing

[oggierite]

Just curious, is it recommended that type 2 diagnosed use a blood glucose monitor routinely? I've been diagnosed over a year now controlled with diet and meds but I've not been instructed or recommended by physician to check BG levels myself. Instead I've just been using HbA1C results at 3-6 month intervals. Personally, I don't think that for me, knowing "at the moment" BG levels would be helpful, the HbA1C results are sufficient to let me know how well I'm keeping control. Can anyone who self-monitors let me know what the benefits of close monitoring are? Would it be worthwhile purchasing a monitor?

 

[Rachox]

I monitor my blood sugars. When I was diagnosed I tested around eight times a day to learn what affected my levels. Now a days I test around 4 times to enter into the MySugr app which estimates an HbA1c reading all the time, so I can watch for trends. I can also test new foods/meals to check they are good for me.
If you are happy to continue the way you are there is nothing wrong with that at all.

 

[xfieldok]

It depends upon what your last HbA1c was. Too high? A monitor lets you know whether the meal you just ate contained tolerable carbs. Most of us use the monitor for that purpose. Testing isn't forever. There is no point testing your breakfast of eggs and bacon that hasn't spiked you in months.

 

[JimPD]

I tested regularly for the first 15 months from diagnosis. Used the MySugr app to estimate HBA results & got fairly good correlation with actual HBA tests. Also logged carb estimates for each meal to learn what does / doesn't affect BG levels.
Stopped testing around New Year, 2 x 6monthly HBA1C results since have been good (36 & 39).

You don't say what your HBA1c results have been?

 

[HSSS]

The main benefit is to test foods for suitability for ME. Testing before and after eating shows how well my body copes with that item/meal.

if I’m seeing higher trends (usually due to not maintaining diet/exercise as well) then I can take action earlier than the hb1ac would allow for.

Drs rarely recommend it. Partly cost of supply testing equipment if they admit its useful. Partly many just don’t realise how useful it is for non insulin dependent diabetes. They don’t know about food testing and just see it as for hypo avoidance and dosage calculations

 

[JohnEGreen]

Yes I agree there is no reason to self test after all look at me I check the speedometer in my car at least once a fortnight and so far I have always been within the speed limit.

Seriously I test every day I could never rely solely on a three or six monthly test done by some one else and their opinion on whether the result is ok.

The HbA1c is an average and tells you nothing of the spikes and troughs only what they average out to or how specific foods effect you.

 

[Deleted member 308541]

Yes I agree there is no reason to self test after all look at me I check the speedometer in my car at least once a fortnight and so far I have always been within the speed limit.

Well done @JohnEGreen sarcasm at it's best.

@oggierite I test six times a day, and I keep to lchf food that I eat.

My results over nearly three years have proven the worth of testing...

 

[Resurgam]

Testing showed me that anything likely to make me spike does make me spike - that low GI is of no benefit, smoothies, I might as well drink sugar water - freezing and reheating, no reduction.
Hba1c is by way of an average of blood glucose levels, and just as 49 and 51 have an average of 50 as do 30 and 70, Hba1c alone cannot tell you if you are avoiding spikes or not.

 

[ianf0ster]

@oggierite,
I too tested before then 2 hrs after every meal at first. I don't need to test so often these days but do so when I am about to eat something outside from my normal meals.
I'm controlling my Blood Glucose using a LCHF 'way of eating' plus some Intermittent Fasting alone. What I do is to 'eat to my meter' - if my BG is high (near 7.8mmol/mol) then I tend to skip breakfast, or make sure that it is a zero Carb breakfast.

The looser guidelines are that if possible it is ideal to keep the BG from spiking to more than 8.0 since it is thought that no damage is cause to the body below 7.8 - though naturally many people use 7.8 as the max instead!. The other criteria used is to try to keep the spike from each meal to below 2.0 i.e. if BG is 5.5 before a meal then 2hrs after it should be no more than 7.5

To expand on what Resurgam said, there is no way that an HbA1c test can tell you about the Blood Glucose spikes since the number itself is measured from the exposure of your blood cells to Glucose over 3 months or so.

Of course there is cost and slight pain involved in finger prick' testing, though the cheapest test strips (the main cost) work out at about £8 for 50 for the SD Code Free or the Spirit TEE2+ meters. But the advantages are :-
1. Being almost completely certain that you will not suffer and of the Diabetic Complications (Neuropathy and Retinopathy).
2. For me and many, and perhaps most other testers, being able to stay off Diabetes medications or being able to minimise the Diabetes medications required.

 

[oggierite]

Thank you all for your responses, I read so many posts and threads detailing people's self-test results that I started to think maybe I had missed something at one of my appointments All of your responses are much appreciated.

My HbA1C when first tested, started off at over 100, I forget the actual number (possibly 105) and I know that in my group at the DESMOND course I was by far the highest!! With a starting dose of metformin and diet/exercise I went down to 94 in 7 weeks (test to make sure kidneys/liver were ok on meds). Then with max dose metformin I dropped to 62 in a further 3 months (again, re-check on meds). Three months after that with added empagliflozin I was down to 47 (back in May 2019). I've just had bloods done and waiting for results but I know they will have increased as my diet went to **** while I gave up smoking. Am now an ex-smoker (since June) and I've got my head back in the game, cleaned up the diet and increased activity levels.

I think I will look into starting self-testing to see how well (or poorly) I'm controlling on a daily basis and can make adjustments from there and use the HbA1C results to double check.

Thank you all again for your experience and information!

 

[New Haven Neil]

As a relative newbie, (diagnosed May 19) and having achieved a reduction in HbA1c from 51 to 36, I could not have done this without a meter. I tested 3 times a day at first, and quickly learned to avoid rice, pasta and potatoes!

Yes, low carb high fat works for me, (10kg weight reduction also - portion control, no cakes or biscuits any more) and I learned very quickly that a pizza took my BG to 13, and bacon and eggs leaves me at 6.

So, yes, get a meter if you can afford it, it is invaluable for our condition. The NHS is mad not to fund them, due to control of BG avoiding all the expensive later complications of the disease.

 

[poemagraphic]

A meter costs less than a tenner!
Every T2 should have and use one.
Stay informed
Stay low
Stay healthy
Be alert (Your Country needs lerts!)

 

[Bluetit1802]

One of the benefits of testing out your food (testing before and after eating) is you can tweak your diet accordingly. This will lead to better HbA1c results - and a strong possibility of reducing or discarding your meds if you maintain a non-diabetic HbA1c. That is a good enough motivation in my opinion.

 

[bigjim19]

I’ve been testing since I was diagnosed and It works to help you get eating the correct foods BUT I stopped testing as my figures where fluctuating a bit and on top of everything else was making me a bit depressed so I would recommend testing but once you find what you can and can’t eat cut it down to a fasting figure in the morning and only a couple of other times during the week

I’ve only restarted testing again but will stop if I get the same way again

 

[Mike Sixx]

Not many people know this...
(which I believe is American for: "I just learned this")
I just learned a lot about HbA1c ot measured the some (I forgot) excretion of red blood cells. This value does not change for the duration of the red blood cells life. Which is about 2 months, this is why HbA1c is not tested more often than 3 months apart. Or the measurement would give same value.

Also I think there is a some formula to calculate the estimate of HbA1c based on you last 3 months Blood Glucose measurements average.

 

[HSSS]

Almost. It measures the glycation (?) of the red blood cells. (How much sugar bombarded them). Each cell lives an average 12 weeks (hence the 3 month test should have all new cells since the last test). So a test at 6 weeks will have rough half the old cells (heavily sugared from old habits) and half the newer ones (shiny and clean from better habits!) . So an improvement, can be still seen in that time. Obviously not the most scientific explanation but you get the point

 

[VashtiB]

Hi,

I'm an other who tests regularly. I've brought down my HbA1c to well within normal levels by taking this approach. For me there are two reasons. The first is to see what effect the food/stress/everything else is having on me. The food is important but it keeps me reminded of the need for exercise /stress relief etc. The second reason is so I don't become complacent and carb creep. The meter keeps me with what my body can tolerate. Hopefully one day that will be more carbs but until then very low carbs for me.

Most type 2s are not encouraged to test- the reason- the doctors think the disease is progressive and so there is no point. Here we believe that we can change our diet so the disease has a possible/probable way of not progressing and you may achieve remission.

For me every three months is too far apart and if it goes up I won't know why.

Also the diet most doctors recommend may not be the one that works for you- how will you know if you don't test.

 

[ianf0ster]

The meter keeps me with what my body can tolerate. Hopefully one day that will be more carbs but until then very low carbs for me.

Most type 2s are not encouraged to test- the reason- the doctors think the disease is progressive and so there is no point. Here we believe that we can change our diet so the disease has a possible/probable way of not progressing and you may achieve remission.

For me every three months is too far apart and if it goes up I won't know why.

Also the diet most doctors recommend may not be the one that works for you- how will you know if you don't test.

I only want to be realistic - no pessimistic. These are only my opinions, so make up your own mind from evidence.

1. Low Carb will almost certainly be a lifestyle way of eating for the rest of our lives unless we want to risk going back down the orthodox T2D route. After all, unless some researcher finds an unlinked cause of 'Insulin Resistance' we are stuck with the fact that our bodies are sensitive to Carbs and in general better without them.

2. Yes 3 months, is far too long to know how you are doing - even after your have achieved the weight loss and lower HbA1C. Though once or twice a month may be OK at that stage.

3. On diet advice from GPs I think you are hopelessly over-optimistic. It cannot be said too strongly that the current dietary advice from a GP, DN or dietitian is more likely to harm a T2D than to do them any good!
Out of the various method that have been proven to work, they only work if the person can stick with them. Everybody is at least slightly different.

I'm more different than most : TOFI, very low tolerance to Carbs, Allergic to medical stickers and to penicillin. No/inactive Opioid receptors so Morphine and other opioids do nothing to ease my pain - made for very painful time in hospital after 3x bypass. I don't get euphoric feeling from exercise (no 'runner's high'). etc , etc.

 

[poemagraphic]

I’ve been testing since I was diagnosed and It works to help you get eating the correct foods BUT I stopped testing as my figures where fluctuating a bit and on top of everything else was making me a bit depressed so I would recommend testing but once you find what you can and can’t eat cut it down to a fasting figure in the morning and only a couple of other times during the week

I’ve only restarted testing again but will stop if I get the same way again

I found it would get me down testing first thing in the morning. For me that was often my highest number of the whole day.
I decided to make my first test around 12 mid-day (I have dinner at 18:00 hrs and eat nothing until lunchtime the next day.) so that worked for me.
Po