Blood sugar tests

[Laurence 123]

Hi....I am newly diagnosed & currently have opted to try and reduce my numbers by diet. However my question is this:

I have bought a test machine etc but I am either doing something wrong or the machine has gone wonky. I did one test 30 mins after (purposely) eating a meal and a bar of chocolate...it was 11.1. Then I have now tried five times to test and each time the monitor isn't giving a reading. It's turning on, showing the drop of blood icon ...and that's it! Is there perhaps an obvious answer? How much blood needs to be on the strip? I know this probably isn't a black & white question but any thoughts would be appreciated.
Oh...Hi.

 

[Antje77]

How much blood needs to be on the strip?

Hi @Laurence 123 , welcome to the forum.

Where exactly are you feeding the drop of blood to the teststrip?
Almost all teststrips need to be fed at the end, it sucks the blood in. You do not apply blood on top of the teststrip.

Picture is a bit blurry (testing and making a picture at the same time isn't too easy) but I think it shows how it works.
You can see where the teststrip is red, that's where it sucked up my blood. The drop on my finger is what's left of my small blood drop after the strip had enough, you really need very little!

 

[Laurence 123]

Hi @Laurence 123 , welcome to the forum.

Where exactly are you feeding the drop of blood to the teststrip?
Almost all teststrips need to be fed at the end, it sucks the blood in. You do not apply blood on top of the teststrip.

Picture is a bit blurry (testing and making a picture at the same time isn't too easy) but I think it shows how it works.
You can see where the teststrip is red, that's where it sucked up my blood. The drop on my finger is what's left of my small blood drop after the strip had enough, you really need very little!

View attachment 63414

Hi & thanks for the reply. Firstly I think maybe I haven't fed it enough blood , and secondly I've probably been dripping/canning it on the strip flat on, if that makes sense. Next time I will try it from the end of the strip and hope that works. Cheers

 

[ianf0ster]

One tip: many of us find it less painful to prick the finger on the side of the pad rather than the way shown in the photo. Where she is doing it on the pad itself.
There are two reasons why it's less painful to prick the side of the finger pad:
1. You hardly ever use it - so don't make it more tender after pricking through daily activities (such as typing on a keyboard).
2. The skin is less tough on the sides so the needle goes in easier with less force.

I assume you know about making sure that the finger you are pricking is clean and dry and also the blood flows best when it is warm - either curl it around a mug of hot beverage or hold it in warm (nearly hot) water and then dry before pricking.

 

[MrsA2]

You need a dome of blood, then use the strip like a straw. If the strip touches the bottom the blood can't flow up... like when drinking if your straw hits an ice cube.
The drop doesn't need to be big, just domed.
It's just a knack. Stick at it, testing is so worth it and soon becomes second nature

 

[Antje77]

One tip: many of us find it less painful to prick the finger on the side of the pad rather than the way shown in the photo.

I usually prick on the side for that exact reason, and in fact I did so this time.
And then I found out I pricked on the wrong side for the picture so I pricked again.

 

[Laurence 123]

Cheers guys....it worked. Now I've got to sort out my sweet tooth, I exercise enough, my diet needs some change but logic dictates it's my sweet tooth that will be the key. I shall scan this site over the next few days to see if it's best to go cold turkey or find sugar free alternatives. Thanks again ):

 

[MissMuffett]

Hi @Laurence 123 and welcome.

I had a sweet tooth and sometimes even now the feeling is overwhelming. I started by using erythritol sweetener in my coffee and making biscuits etc from almond flour. There are loads of YouTube videos for alternatives if you search keto cookies, cake etc even keto ice cream! I use the sweetener less and less now and found my sweet tooth has diminished and I crave less. Good luck on your journey and I’m sure you’ll crack this

 

[Antje77]

Cheers guys....it worked. Now I've got to sort out my sweet tooth, I exercise enough, my diet needs some change but logic dictates it's my sweet tooth that will be the key. I shall scan this site over the next few days to see if it's best to go cold turkey or find sugar free alternatives. Thanks again ):

Glad to hear you got the testing sorted.

On the sweet tooth, it's not only the sweet stuff that makes your blood glucose go up, it's all carbs. So porridge, bread, potatoes, fruit are all likely to spike your BG.
By using your meter before and two hours after meals, you can see how your body deals with that particular food, so you can adjust the food next time.
It's highly individual how many carbs people can handle without going higher than they like. Some do well on up to 150 grams of carbs throughout the day, others need to go very low in carbs. Up to you to work out what it's like for yourself!

Going cold turkey or gradually changing diet is also depending on personal preference. Some do best by cutting everything out to prevent a slippery slope of 'carb creep', others do much better allowing themselves some small carby treats.

I think you'll like to have a read of this, written by one of our members:

The Nutritional Thingy

There’s a few things you should know. 1. Practically all carbs turn to glucose once ingested , so not just straight sugars, but starches...

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