Type 2 Dn Alarmed Me Over My Own Bg Readings...

micra21 said:

Visited the DN today, having been diagnosed with T2 April, 2018. She suggested that the results from my daily self-monitoring of bg might be substantially different from those offered by the Hospital's three monthly blood tests of Hbaic.
Have other members found great differences between their own monitoring and the official blood test results?

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Are you in the UK?
If so, they are different measurement units. Your meter measures in mmol/l. The HbA1c measures in mmol/mol (or a percentage figure) So they will bear no relation at all unless you convert them. There is a converter here: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/hba1c-to-blood-sugar-level-converter.html

Hello and welcome to the forum. Tagging @daisy1 for the info pack offered to all newcomers.

Your DN is comparing two very different methods of measurement. As you know, our glucometers tell us how we are doing like taking a photo of a day out at the beach, each reading is a snapshot in time. The HbA1c is an average measurment calculated over roughly three months, it doesn't record the highs and lows of that time but is a measurement of trend upwards/downwards. Both are valid and useful tests but in my opinion one would mostly reflect the other and if I had to choose one method I would take the glucometer because that tells me what is happening right now with the choices of diet I am making.

I am in the UK. I got a meter in November as soon as I was diagnosed.

I found the phone app mySugr and from 1 April started to enter my readings. After a few days it gives you an estimated HbA1c reading.

I requested a further HbA1c test for the end of June. However, I had an unexpected unexpected test in may.

mySugr estimated my HbA1c to be around 38, but that was based on less than 12 weeks data.

The HbA1c reading was 35. I expect the two numbers to be closer the next time I have my official HbA1c.

The meter is the most powerful tool we have. It shows how we react to carbohydrates, exercise etc.

Don't let them put you off. Diabetes can only be controlled by us. Unfortunately, the NHS has yet to catch up.

micra21 said:

Visited the DN today, having been diagnosed with T2 April, 2018. She suggested that the results from my daily self-monitoring of bg might be substantially different from those offered by the Hospital's three monthly blood tests of Hbaic.
Have other members found great differences between their own monitoring and the official blood test results?

Click to expand...

No. There may be the normal variance...but usually nothing to be alarm about...

The more you meter test the more it will reflect a more accurate result to a hba1c. That's mathematical but test what's important to you.
I test 7-8 times a day but I'm on insulin. However I recommend any newbie to do same until confidence grows and knowledge of how certain foods effect YOUR body. We are all different.
Experiment with certain foods or reheating them as it can change their molecular structure.
Enjoy finding out about your diabetes! You'll be blown away.
Its definitely worth the effort.

micra21 said:

Have other members found great differences between their own monitoring and the official blood test results?

Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum @micra21. If you are comparing fbg readings to your HbA1c results they might be higher because of 'Dawn Phenomenon' where your liver dumps stored glucose into your blood as you wake. Fasting bgs are often the highest readings of the day.
My fbg readings have in the last 2 years been lower than my actual HbA1c test results. But they have gone up a bit recently, they used to average 6.3, but over the last few weeks have averaged 6.7 and I think will be closer to my next HbA1c test result.

Hi @micra21 - whichever is "right" 38 and 35 are brilliant and no to tests will ever exactly match.
Finger picking is only ever a snapshot so can't be 100% accurate and a1c is an average so that isn't perfect either.

Hello The doctor told me i was diabetic in 2016 after over 6 years of not telling me i was diabetic regardless of having routine 6 monthly blood tests and blood pressure checks .I was told that i was diabetic in 2010 when i was in the Cagayan de Oro Polymedic Philippines .Having the tendons and muscles re-attached to my kneecap .The doctor told me i had been diabetic for 6 month It was a shock.I felt ok .I didn't believe them .In walks Dr.Patriana The diabetes doctor,more of a sales woman than a doctor .I was in hospital for 4 days .The nurses were coming into the room at 2 and 3 in the morning pricking my fingers and pumping insulin in me.I was totally p ssed off I couldn't wait to get out of the place.As soon as they took the drain pipe out of my knee,and the catheter out of my john thomas after 4 days i discharged myself.I was insured ,but seeing they told me i had been diabetic for 6 months i didn't bother claiming.So i paid the bill.There is no NHS in the Philippines.Everything has to be paid for.I didn't believe i had diabetes.i felt ok at the time .i thought they were tying to screw more money out of me.Fast forward to 2016 .I'd had the routine blood tests etc. A few days later the doctor phoned me .And said could i make an appointment to see the DN. [ what a dragon] then after 5 days to see her.which i did .When i saw her the first thing i mentioned was my very painful left hip .She immediately jumped down my throat .Oh come on first things first.I didn't know you could only see the doctor about one illness at a time .You have to make another appointment for anything else. I said i'll buy some test strips for glucose meter .She said There is no need to test your blood sugar you only a type 2 diabetic.I said if i don't test my blood sugar ,How will i know if i am eating the right food to control my diabetes.She said oh well i can't prescribe test trips.Then she was trying her hardest to get me to take statins .No chance .Then she got nasty . So i said i'll sort my diabetes myself .which i did I have now been free from diabetes for over a year now .I do check my b.g from time to time . I don't want it back biting me on my rear end.With all it's many complications ,as long as your arm .Which have cleared up thank goodness.after going on a 24 hour alternate fasting diet. recommended by Dr. Jason Fung.I bought a Free Style libre to test for B.G. spikes .Although not very accurate.was very useful.I haven't seen a so called doctor for about 3 years .If i'd taken her treatment I would be no doubt dead now.Like a lot of diabetic people i have known over the years.I have heard that HbA1c tests are not that accurate anyway.

david1241 said:

Hello The doctor told me i was diabetic in 2016 after over 6 years of not telling me i was diabetic regardless of having routine 6 monthly blood tests and blood pressure checks .I was told that i was diabetic in 2010 when i was in the Cagayan de Oro Polymedic Philippines .Having the tendons and muscles re-attached to my kneecap .The doctor told me i had been diabetic for 6 month It was a shock.I felt ok .I didn't believe them .In walks Dr.Patriana The diabetes doctor,more of a sales woman than a doctor .I was in hospital for 4 days .The nurses were coming into the room at 2 and 3 in the morning pricking my fingers and pumping insulin in me.I was totally p ssed off I couldn't wait to get out of the place.As soon as they took the drain pipe out of my knee,and the catheter out of my john thomas after 4 days i discharged myself.I was insured ,but seeing they told me i had been diabetic for 6 months i didn't bother claiming.So i paid the bill.There is no NHS in the Philippines.Everything has to be paid for.I didn't believe i had diabetes.i felt ok at the time .i thought they were tying to screw more money out of me.Fast forward to 2016 .I'd had the routine blood tests etc. A few days later the doctor phoned me .And said could i make an appointment to DN. [ what a dragon] then after 5 days to see her.which i did .When i saw her the first thing i mentioned was my very painful left hip .She immediately jumped down me throat .Oh come on first things first.I didn't know you could only see the doctor about one illness at a time .You have to make another appointment for anything else. I said i'll buy some test strips for glucose meter .She said There is no need to test your blood sugar you only a type 2 diabetic.I said if i don't test my blood sugar ,How will i know if i am eating the right food to control my diabetes.She said oh well i can't prescribe test trips.Then she was trying her hardest to get me to take statins .No chance .Then she got nasty . So i said i'll sort my diabetes myself .which i did I have now been free from diabetes for over a year now .I do check my b.g from time to time . I don't want it back biting me on my rear end.With all it's many complications ,as long as your arm .Which have cleared up thank goodness.after going on a 24 hour alternate fasting diet. recommended by Dr. Jason Fung.I bought a Free Style libre to test for B.G. spikes .Although not very accurate.was very useful.I haven't seen a so called doctor for about 3 years .If i'd taken her treatment I would be no doubt dead now.Like a lot of diabetic people i have known over the years.I have heard that HbA1c tests are not that accurate anyway.

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Hi @david1241
Well done on sorting it out yourself!
I must say your post rang a chord, as I keep away from the GP and DN as much as possible now. I certainly wouldn't contact them about my T2, and I think I have been misinformed on a number of issues that make me very sceptical about their competence.

micra21 said:

great differences between their own monitoring and the official blood test results?

Click to expand...

Depending on how, and when you self-test there shouldn't be great differences, but there is also unlikely to be an exact correlation as the HbA1c test and a random finger prick test are testing completely different things, in a different way using completely different equipment.

If your random finger pricks and HbA1c return exactly the same number it will be a fluke.

@micra21

Hello Micra21 and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful and interesting. Ask as many questions as you like and someone will be able to help.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

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 well over 235,000 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

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.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

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 blood glucose 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.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.

• Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
  
  
• Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
  

your meter will tell you which foods cause a spike and which don't. this information is vital in getting your BG levels under control.

Before I got mine I was still following the NHS guidelines - porridge made with water then I stared to test and quickly found a better way of eating