What should blood sugars be on metformin and gliclazide

[sandysan]

Hi

I'm taking metformin and gliclazide my bloods are up and down .I've been asked by nurse to check blood before break,lunch.eve meal.before bed ,,
They range from highest 8.4 to lowest 4.4
Before meds my blood a1c was high 13.5.....they have come down a lot .but I'm not sure what I need to aim for .I'm eating low carbs I feel like a rabbit lol

Thanks

 

[sno0opy]

There is not a "should be" im afraid. Those medicines help reduce your blood sugars. For some they will be enough, for some too much for others not enough. Largely this will depend on your condition and diet.

The target is general stated to be:

For people with diabetes, blood sugar level targets are as follows:

• Before meals : 4 to 7 mmol/L
• After meals : 8.5mmol/L for people with type 2 diabetes

If they are higher then this then your either consuming too many carbs, or the medication is not enough to bring them down. In most cases its the diet not the medication though.

So if your lows are 4.4 are fasting and your highs are 8.4 2 hours after a meal they are not that bad although some people do state you should aim for no more then a 2mmol/l rise after a meal from what ever your pre meal level was.

 

[xfieldok]

What are you eating in a typical day?

 

[sandysan]

Hello

I have only recently started meds so
Breakfast I have to have porridge
Lunch chicken small salad
Eve meal . Chops onions cauliflower broccoli.

That's is it really .sometimes eve meal 2 egg omelette 4 rasher bacon small beans

 

[xfieldok]

Some people can tolerate porridge better than others. Taste and test. I have to be wary of onion. I wouldn't eat baked beans.

 

[HSSS]

Why do you have to have porridge?

I’d test before AND 2hrs after meals so you can see which foods keep the levels stable and which provoke a bigger spike. this will teach you a great deal done consistently to cover the foods you typically eat. Make a note of your readings and what you ate.
Do remember other things will effect readings. Sleep, illness, exercise, hormones, medications are just a few

 

[Tophat1900]

Hello

I have only recently started meds so
Breakfast I have to have porridge
Lunch chicken small salad
Eve meal . Chops onions cauliflower broccoli.

That's is it really .sometimes eve meal 2 egg omelette 4 rasher bacon small beans

You have to have porridge? Or is that just an error?

I also agree with what @HSSS has said in regards to testing and keeping a record. A lot of valuable info can be collected.

 

[DavidGrahamJones]

Breakfast I have to have porridge

60% of your portion is carbs. Personally I can't even tolerate a slice of bread (17gms per slice, depending on what bread).

 

[Member496333]

I expect the "have to" comes from HCP insistence that we must eat carbs/fibre. Wouldn't be the first time.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi

I'm taking metformin and gliclazide my bloods are up and down .I've been asked by nurse to check blood before break,lunch.eve meal.before bed ,,
They range from highest 8.4 to lowest 4.4
Before meds my blood a1c was high 13.5.....they have come down a lot .but I'm not sure what I need to aim for .I'm eating low carbs I feel like a rabbit lol

Thanks

You HbA1c and your finger pricks are different measurements. At 13,5, you were running an average of 10 mmol/l all the time. (sometimes lower, sometimes higher, obviously). So it looks like there is some improvement, but please, please, do not count on medication to get your diabetes sorted. T2 is progressive by nature, so you'll just need higher dosages as time goes by.

Have a read here, and don't change your diet without adjusting your medication accordingly. The glic'll make you hypo if you go low carb alongside it. https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html Most important thing to know: If you cut carbs, you'll stop the progression of T2. It's a progressive condition. If you let it be.

Good luck,
Jo