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Do daily BG readings actually matter that much?

I joined this forum as soon as I was diagnosed and read all about LCHF and testing. I reduced my carbs and did all the right things as far as I thought but I didn't have a meter so didn't test. My reasoning then was I didn't want to become obsessed in the same way I did with my blood pressure monitor. I saw lots of threads where people (mostly newbies) were getting stressed because of their testing levels. After 2 months I had my first review HbA1c. It dropped from 53 to 50 and I was delighted.

However, my DN gave me a meter so off I went on the testing trail. I very quickly realised that what I thought was a reasonable level of carbs was, in fact, not. I was astounded at some of the post meal spikes and how long the spikes lasted. Using my meter I have been able to judge which carbs I can manage and in what portion sizes. Testing for me has shown me how to eat my favourite carb foods in correct portion sizes so I don't have to deny myself these foods altogether. My unacceptable spikes have gone. My next HbA1c is due next month and I expect to see a further drop.
 
If I didn't have a meter I wouldn't know that:
  • 20g of bread spikes me about 3 times more than 20g of potato
  • Cooked carrots spike me like potato
  • Peanut 9bars don't spike me at all
  • Snickers are 1/3 the spike of Mars bars
  • A walk up 3 flights of stairs after eating carbs drops me delightfully
  • Livlife bread works well, Burgen doesn't
  • 70% cocoa solid chocolate barely registers. Dairymilk is baaaad.
  • My dawn phenomenon is significant, and high enough to affect by HbA1c
  • Adrenalin/stress is a huge factor in my fasting levels and my hypos.
  • And many more!
Knowing all the above is allowing me to make significant changes in my eating and lifestyle.
I feel better
My BG averages are dropping
It is all good!
 
Wow nice list...

I will add to that if you don't mind
  • High levels of protein in the evening raises my fasting
  • ice cream produces its spike at 2 hours and not one
  • Roast potatoes also cause spike at 2 hours
  • Large amounts of peanuts cause a sustained raised level, but not excessive, for many hours
  • I can now eat 2 crumpets with lashings of butter and not have an issue but when I started just opening the pack was disastrous
  • Excessive amounts of exercise do not make my levels go high as my liver doesnt really dump large amounts
  • Pastry still worries me as it produces a large spike at 2 hours on top of the raised levels from other carbs (pie and chips is interesting to monitor)
 

I pretty much agree with the other posters on here. I tested at the outset and learned a lot. I'm now testing to discover new things, and still learning.

But, let me try to put this into another context. You have a shiny motorcycle, and I bet you just love it and all the things it can do, and how nice it looks, and how great it feels to use it to its full potential. Yes? So, if you took your motorcycle for service and the technician advised you there was a thingamyjig wrong in the motorcycle's what's it; would you:

A). Smile. Pay the bill, and look forward to an update at the next service, and maybe not quite hit the ton as often as normal on back roads?

B). Ask lots of questions. Pay the bill, then, as you rode your lovely bike, check all the relevant parts (oil levels, etc.) very regularly, then go nervously to the next service, hoping there would be no worsening. In fact, you would be hoping you caught something in the bud.

You see, I reckon you would actually go for B. But with your diabetes, I see you going for option A, and that's with your human body, where a new thingamajig may not be available, or at best be repairable, but not back to "as new".

Right now, you have options. The longer we wait to deal with our diabetes, the less chance there is of a truly excellent outcome. That's my belief anyway. I would urge you not to waste this golden period of opportunity. If you prefer the, frankly, lazy approach, you may not get the outcome you desire. Sometimes in this life we have to make an effort.
 
It appears that my reference to paranoia, which was solely how I would personally feel and not meant to be directed at anyone else, caused offence. I apologise. As for trolling, sorry I don't know what that is so if I am guilty of it once again I apologise.

Perhaps my musings on BG testing were better left in my head rather than on a forum, so perhaps the mods would remove this thread for me before anyone else is offended. Thanks.
 
Don't see the need for that. You asked a reasonable question/preposition and got some good responses. I feel we need a few more voices on the don't test side for a good debate.

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Nothing wrong with this thread Phil ! Your thoughts and opinions are fine ! I personally think it was a good post and I also believe that there is such a thing as over testing.

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mo1905 said:
Nothing wrong with this thread Phil ! Your thoughts and opinions are fine ! I personally think it was a good post and I also believe that there is such a thing as over testing.

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Click to expand...
I also agree with you Mo.

We all need to find our own balances. In my personal view, neither end of the spectrum is sensible.
 
A troll is a person who posts an inflammatory comment to get a rise out of another/other posters.
The problem with the written word is that there are no visual or audio clues. I have to admit, I thought your post came across as rude to a poster who is known for trying to help people. Obviously you realised from the responses that others had taken your post in that way and you did the honourable thing and apologised which makes you sound in my book! We're generally a friendly lot and if you ask a question we all come back with something. Even if it's a virtual hug!
 
I am a newly diagnosed type 2 who was told no need to test. I immediately went out and bought a meter! Of course one could get obsessed with testing but at the minute, I'm using it as a tool to guide me in my dietary choices and I suppose as a combination or reassurance and motivation that the changes I'm making are helping. I've a lot of weight to lose which in the long term will help lower my BS but at the minute it is down to me and my diet and the tablets( and I want as few of them as possible.) I've only been testing a few weeks but already can see when in the month my levels are likely to be higher and also what an effect just 10 minutes on the exercise bike or a short walk can have in lowering them. I think it's too long to wait between routine tests to pick up a problem especially when you get moved from three monthly, to biannually and so on and this way, you can perhaps head a problem off at the pass. I'm looking at it a bit like the fancy carbon monoxide detector I have for my woodburning cooker.. as an early warning that I'm not controlling things and need to investigate further.
Interesting debate and it all boils down to what you think is best for you.
 

I wasn't offended , to me there are no stupid questions and I know what you mean. Perhaps you meant obsessed rather than paranoid. I was obsessed with testing when I first was diagnosed. No need to remove.

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i haven't tested my BG in a year and im doing just fine,

when taking metformin it is a different situation as drugs can cause serious problems when not carefully monitored, that's the reason i stay off drugs aka meds having diabetes II and i'm doing just fine, no need to test as testing is like stepping on a scale when dieting, does that help? nope, nobody needs to measure anything when eating a proper diet and getting plenty exersize, nature will heal the body, drugs will not.
 
I'm sorry but I think you're in denial. How do you know you're fine if you don't test? You talk about weighing yourself when on a diet and state that it doesn't help. Of course it does. It helps you know if you're on track or not. As does measuring bs. Secondly, I think it's dangerous to not take your meds without some kind of discussion with a doc.
 
I am diet controlled and would like to stay there as long as possible. The advice on here has been immense in reducing my blood sugar and losing weight. I have been low carbing and was so lucky that I found this site when I was first diagnosed. I am on very low carb at the moment which is between 40g and 60g per day.
I do not test anywhere near as much now ...in fact I take random tests occasionally if I think something might have not agreed with me or I am feeling a bit off, which is not often now. I would not test every half hour after I have eaten unless I ate something that was extremely naughty which I have not done as of yet lol
I did not find @eastcoastphil comments offensive and actually enjoyed reading the tread which I thought was very relevant and made me think that testing does sometimes become a bit obsessive.
 
My meter is my compass guiding me through the rocky shoals of dietary control of my diabetes. I started to get acceptable readings, but have found that being unwell and being given a different brand of metformin which disagreed with me have upset my glucose levels and given me some (to my mind) unacceptably high readings; I've also found that at the moment my body can be temperamental and suddenly objects to something I've eaten which it's been quite happy with on previous occasions - none of which I would have discovered had I not bought a meter and test strips. At the moment I need to test to help met me back on course and keep me there.

I was also a "record keeper" of sorts for most of my working life and this has obviously carried over into my diabetic one , but the routine is reassuring, and helps me believe that I can be in control of a condition which is otherwise totally scary.

Robbity
 

of course it doesn't help to weigh yourself, i ditch the scale when dieting, will be much easier as im sure youre smart enough to know when you lost weight or gained, you have feelings right?

you think it's dangerous but i haven't taken any meds in a year and never consulted my doc about it, he gave me a mountain of meds and i never took any of them and you know what? i feel better than ever.

You take what you want, i won't tell anybody here what they should do as there is no freedom of speech on forums, but i know this for myself..meds are causing the body not to heal naturally, meds only control the symptons temporarily whilst damagin the body with side fx and what not..to eat the right diet and exersize on a regular basis is the best remedy to control and even reverse type II.

To say that it's dangerous is an established thought in the profitable medical world and it keeps the patients paying.

Once again not trying to convince anybody here as i have convinced myself a year ago that i will be healthy again within a year without medication and guess what..i dont have any symptons anymore all against the doctors advise to take 5 pills a day
 
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After reading this article, I don't really rate the A1c very highly as a tool for diabetes control, so I'll keep on with my meter readings. I don't need to test nearly as often as I did in the beginning, but still happy to have it when I need it:

http://chriskresser.com/why-hemoglobin-a1c-is-not-a-reliable-marker

The reason I went searching for this information in the first place was that my own A1c was much lower when I was having issues with low ferritin levels and didn't reflect at all the readings my meter was giving me.

It's a much cheaper option for doctors to use the A1c - it's economics and has nothing to do with how "reliable" the test is.
 
Actually it does help to weigh myself. As I have pointed out to you already, it helps me know that I'm on track and that I'm not eating the wrong things. Using my meter also helps confirm what I can or cannot eat. I have also reduced my meds as I have gradually lost weight (down from 3 metformin to 1) but bp meds still same. I have done this in consultation with my doc who is rational and sane and qualified! He believes I may be able to get rid of my diabetes meds altogether and probably reduce my bp meds. I understand that there are some docs out there who are too busy to update their approach (some work in my practice) but this doc is not one of them. I reiterate my response to your earlier post: not taking meds without consultation is dangerous. If you choose to do this, that is your choice. It is not advice which should be given to other forum members.
 
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I think testing is really important while working through your diet plan so you know what foods affect your levels. I don't see the point of continually testing the same foods loads of times but the first couple is sensible as our bodies all behave differently.

The docs are trying to save money by encouraging us not to test which I think is wrong.

If you're happy to not test then don't. It's your life.

Personally I would like to prolong mine as long and as healthy as possible and testing is part of that. Carbs are everywhere and protein also can contribute to BG but if you don't test then how can you say you're making informed decisions?

But each to their own as you say.


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Diagnosed prediabetic Easter 2014. Just left to get on with it, no guidance or help from GP. Every day I'm learning something new.
 
@Scandichic

I suspect that handing out 'ignore your doctor' advice was the reason he got banned last time. And I think the mods are probably poised to do the same again. I doubt he will be around long.
 
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