A statement on self testing from the Department of Health

fergus

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,439
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Any PCT which is automatically discouraging the prescription of blood glucose testing strips is not acting in according with NICE's advice that self-monitoring may prove useful to people in their overall approach to self-care.
Very hepful, tubs. I think that's a cut-out-and-keep for all the T2's who still struggle to persuade myopic hp's from doing the right thing by their patients. For your next trick, any chance the Govt. could lend me £8bn, just till the end of the month of course. Would be a big help with my cash-flow and I promise to pay it back when I'm good and ready? Please?

How anyone would think that self testing would help someone lose weight or reduce incidence of hypos is beyond me - but there you go.
I thought that was surprisingly enlightened actually! If you gain good control of your bs, particulary if you're T2, there's a good argument that both of these things ought to be true.
All the best,

fergus
 

IanD

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,429
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Carbohydrates
Ann Keen is wife of my MP, Alan Keen.

As I understand it, the "long term" test was the Irish one which lasted one year. That's not long term by diabetes standards - unless their diet system is worse than even we suspect. Long term testing should be at least 10 years.

Anyone newly diagnosed will be treated & move from the symptoms of undiagnosed to an improvement, whether they test or not, unless of course they are in denial.

Proper advice should be based on proper information, which brings us back to the need to set up a forum database to collate the experience of forum members.
 

hanadr

Expert
Messages
8,157
Dislikes
soaps on telly and people talking about the characters as if they were real.
In my PCT "may wish" equates to "May not wish".
I'm forever hearing of newly diagnosed T2s and even a few T1s, who are being discouraged from testing even because "It may make you obsessive". As far as I'm concerned, "obsessive" is heaps better then "with complications". And anyway how are these folks meant to learn what they can and can't eat safely?
As to helping in weight management and avoiding hypos. In my own case. Hypos are NOT an issue, but weight certainly is. I'm trying to keep BG on target ( below 6 ) whilst using minimum medication. for this I need to be able to monitor about once a day. I'm on Metformin AND Starlix, which I do vary. One of the published side effects of Starlix is weight gain, so If I'm keeping BG down without needing it, I don't take it.
I'm definitely classified as absessive, because I want to keep below 6. Several people have told me it's not necessary, but Bernstein's 85 -90 equates to 4.7 - 5 and that's where I would like to be. Iwant that annual HbA1c to be in the 5s or even the 4s.
 

fergus

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,439
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Hi tubs,

I really really really don't need it. When can I have it then? Wednesday would be good for me. :wink:

In my darker moments, I think you might have figured out the hp logic there. i.e our dietary advice sucks and only makes you sicker. So no point in testing, it'll only upset you and you'll feel a failure. Just keep eating the starch and it'll all be over soon enough.

Right then, I'm off to spend our way out of recession. Toodleoo!

fergus
 

Trinkwasser

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,468
fergus said:
Hi tubs,

I really really really don't need it. When can I have it then? Wednesday would be good for me. :wink:

In my darker moments, I think you might have figured out the hp logic there. i.e our dietary advice sucks and only makes you sicker. So no point in testing, it'll only upset you and you'll feel a failure. Just keep eating the starch and it'll all be over soon enough.

Right then, I'm off to spend our way out of recession. Toodleoo!

fergus

Ah, so you read this paper too did you? (Check out the responses, if you've been around much you'll recognise some of the names)

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/335/7611/132
 

fergus

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,439
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Precisely.
Conclusions In patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes self monitoring of blood glucose concentration has no effect on glycaemic control but is associated with higher scores on a depression subscale.
As prophecies go, that's a self-fulfilling one right there.

All the best,

fergus