Confused

Welcome to the forum. Sounds like you are doing well with your diabetes so far. It's helpful to provide what tests you are referring to when you post your numbers, although we can usually figure it out. Going from an HbA1c of 100 mmol/mol to 53 mmol/mol is fantastic.

With regards to testing with a personal home blood glucose meter, it can be very useful to see what's going on with your body's blood glucose (BG) control. For example, if your morning fasting BG is high, normal, changing over time for the better or worse. It can be helpful to know what foods spike your BG. Some people can eat porridge without problems and for other people (like me) it causes a huge spike in BG. You can figure out what foods are ok and what foods are to be avoided.

Unfortunately, the NHS likely will not provide a prescription of testing strips and you'd have to self finance. In my opinion it is well worth doing that. The reason the NHS uses is that for type 2s only on metformin, the chance of hypoglycaemia is very low, so there is no need to test, unlike people on insulin or insulin stimulation drugs. Type 2 diabetics are more concerned with avoiding high BG levels, but these don't cause acute problems, just chronic complications.

This web site gives really good advice on how to use a BG monitor to get control of your BG levels:

http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045524.php

Hi @Woodywood and a warm welcom to the forum.

@daisy1 will be along soon to give you some basic information which will help you.

Hi and welcome,

No need to feel anxious - buy a meter. The meters themselves don't cost much but the testing strips can be expensive. The cheapest strips are the Codefree. Have a look here http://www.homehealth-uk.com/medical/blood_glucose_monitor_testing.htm

You can test as often or as little as you wish, but at least you will know how you are doing. If you buy one (and I strongly advise this) we can help you.
The first thing you need to test is your porridge!! Most of us can't manage this without a big rise in levels, particularly if made with milk.

If there is anything we can help you with all you have to do is ask. Meanwhile, I'll tag @daisy1 who will arrive with some advice for newly diagnosed.

@Woodywood

Hello and welcome to the forum

Glad to see you are already receiving useful advice from members. Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it helpful. Ask as many questions as you like and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 130,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake
• Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

• structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
• self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.

hello and welcome
i,m type 2 and was told not to test but with the advice from here, was to buy a meter and thats the best thing i have done
when i went for my review, my nurse said on,y type 2,s get a meter if they drive, so i told a white lie and said i was learning, so now my gp prescribes me 50 test strips a month and i buy the rest

ally1 said:

hello and welcome
i,m type 2 and was told not to test but with the advice from here, was to buy a meter and thats the best thing i have done
when i went for my review, my nurse said on,y type 2,s get a meter if they drive, so i told a white lie and said i was learning, so now my gp prescribes me 50 test strips a month and i buy the rest

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Ally, are those Codefree ones on prescription?

Welcome to the forum Woodywood

Woodywood said:

Hi

Thank you all for such a warm welcome.

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Woodywood said:

Hi

Thank you all for such a warm welcome.

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Hi Woodywood, This lot on the forum are fantastic. Very helpful and supportive if you ever need propping up. I live on my own and don't really have anyone to talk to, but here, I have a huge new family who always listen and are happy to help if I ask.

Hey Woodywood,

I was diagnosed only 1 month ago, this forum and the people on it helped me accept it pretty quick. In just one month I feel so much better, I have adopted the LCHF diet and have my own monitor despite being told I didn't need one. The advice here is second to none, you have arrived at the right place.

@Bluetit1802 no its the accu chec that i get on prescription

Woodywood said:

Hi all
Had my review and my results are fantastic. My HbAic is 39 which I think is about 5.7% and my cholesterol is now down to 3.1. I have lost 21lbs in weight and am feeling on top of the world. I hope I can continue to do well. I hope you are all doing well and many thanks for all your advice.

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Congratulations on the fantastic results. I had good results yesterday, but not as good as yours

Woodywood said:

Hi all
Had my review and my results are fantastic. My HbAic is 39 which I think is about 5.7% and my cholesterol is now down to 3.1. I have lost 21lbs in weight and am feeling on top of the world. I hope I can continue to do well. I hope you are all doing well and many thanks for all your advice.

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Hi Woody wood, well done you , it's a great feeling when you get the results you want and long may it continue. My HbA1c is also 39, I am still on the Low carbs and generally eating Fat going for the next 1.5 stone I would like to lose have plateaued for at least 6 weeks but it has started to move once again

Are you testing yet?

Neil