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Erratic BG meter readings

Zaphod

Zaphod

Member
T2 since last millennium 20 glyclazide 1000 metformin 10 dapagliflozin

I have decided to buy my own test strips as the doctor will only prescribe 50 per year. I Am trying to improve my diet so have been measuring my BG regularly recently.

My early morning reading has gone from 7.5 average to 6.5. Before meals around 4.5 and 2 hours afterwards around 8.

Today I am looking carefully at things I eat. So porridge +toast at breakfast lead to 10.1 2 hours later.so I tested again 1 hour later 9.9. Then just before lunch I tested again giving 5.4. I had tuna salad with couscous (60g) and two crumpets. After 2 hours BG 10.1 so I waited and hour, it read 11.1.

Now just before dinner the reading is 8.2. 5 hours since lunch.

I know it's a lot of testing but I am trying to understand about eating and BGs. It appears that the more carefully I eat the higher the glucose gets.

Any comments
 
You are eating a lot of carbohydrates (which turn into sugar in your body), so it's not surprising that your BG's are going up so high. Porridge, toast, couscous and crumpets are all carbohydrates and, as you can see from your results, are not giving you the readings you want. Are you keeping a food diary so that you can learn from successes and mistakes?
Try eggs / fish / meat / full fat plain yoghurt and berries for breakfast. (no toast!)
For lunch, stick with the tuna or other protein with salad, but have nuts or seeds to fill up on, not couscous and crumpets.
The important thing is to keep testing and find what really works for you - and do write it all down, it will become a valuable resource and gradually you will need to do less testing.
Sally
 
Hi,

Well done on the testing. Its the only way to learn. Your average readings are not at all bad.

Porridge and toast (especially if porridge made with milk) is not good, hence your high spikes after breakfast. Good drop before lunch though.
Two crumpets not at all good, hence your high spikes and extended high levels. I'm not sure how couscous reacts as I don't eat it.

I think you must realise these foods are not good for you personally, so try to avoid them or at the very least reduce the portions and test again.
 
Good on you for taking control - you won't regret it.

A book (kindle version) I found invaluable in trying to understand all this low carb stuff was Diet101 by Jenny Ruhl. She is brilliant at explaining how it all works. It's a touch expensive and uses the American figures (I made a little conversion chart - divide US by 18), but you can't fault her exposition. Try a sample if available.
 
Thanks for all your comments. I thought I had a good diet reducing my carbs significantly. Interestingly I had spag bol for tea resulting in a bg of 7.4 after 2 hours.

People are suggesting effectively to eliminate carbs from my diet and replace with fats. I have v. High triglycerides which have been lowered by porridge. My present diet is as a result of dieticians telling me what to eat. have I misunderstood their advice?

How much carbohydrate can I have each day? my alcohol consumption is down to 10 units p.w.

I have lacto-free milk, does that help?

I am going to look through all the advice carefully to see if I can come up with a plan.
Thanke again
 
BG this morning 7. had poached egg and walnuts for breakfast. Next snack 11:00, fingers crossed I don't get a hypo which happened last week after 6 hour break between porridge and next meal.
 
Zapod. Testing has shown you that the spag bol looks to be ok for you
You won't need to cut your carbs right back


When you are testing a new meal. A fast acting carb is 1 and 2 hr
With a fat and carb meal, this can delay digestion and a 3 hr reading is taken as well as the 2
It's called the pizza effect
 
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Thanks for that info. Gives food for thought. I will try out your 1 2 and 3 hour testing.
Interesting 2 hours after poached egg and nuts the reading is 6.9
 
Most of the reading I've done on cholesterol seems to indicate that triglyceride levels are governed by the amount of carbohydrate in the diet, not the amount of fat.
 
Zaphod said:
T2 since last millennium 20 glyclazide 1000 metformin 10 dapagliflozin

I have decided to buy my own test strips as the doctor will only prescribe 50 per year. I Am trying to improve my diet so have been measuring my BG regularly recently.

My early morning reading has gone from 7.5 average to 6.5. Before meals around 4.5 and 2 hours afterwards around 8.

Today I am looking carefully at things I eat. So porridge +toast at breakfast lead to 10.1 2 hours later.so I tested again 1 hour later 9.9. Then just before lunch I tested again giving 5.4. I had tuna salad with couscous (60g) and two crumpets. After 2 hours BG 10.1 so I waited and hour, it read 11.1.

Now just before dinner the reading is 8.2. 5 hours since lunch.

I know it's a lot of testing but I am trying to understand about eating and BGs. It appears that the more carefully I eat the higher the glucose gets.

Any comments
Click to expand...


Hi zaphod,

I see from your first post that you are doubling up on your carbohydrates.
Porridge and toast = two carbohydrate items as does couscous and crumpets.
You may get away with one item but I doubt you will with two.

Make sure your meal incorporates protein as well as fibre and fat. Try a smaller portion of porridge and add nuts and seeds to see if you can tolerate it or go for the toast, one slice, but add some protein, egg, cheese, fish and some grilled mushrooms or tomatoes.

Hope this helps.
 
Hi All,

Have read all advice and followed links.

Have had two days of low carb diet. having nuts, fruit, protein and just a few carbs around a quarter as much. bg readings improving. Having also 6 rivita during the day

early morning 6.6 but up this morning 7.2
2 hours after eating 6.6 and 6.9
before eating 4.4 4.4

Suprisingly I enjoyed the diet.

PS. get my new meter today with plenty of strips.
 
Well done. Just watch out for the nuts. Some nuts, e.g. cashews are surprisingly high in carbs, even brazils should be eaten with due care and attention. Similalry fruit is essentially pure sugar, even berries which are recommended have some carbs :)
 
Back again.

Have used the Nexus Gluco RX for 2 weeks now. I have cut out bread and cereals from my diet. Yet t, he readings are, I suspect, unsafe. No morning reading has been below 7, this morning it was 8.4 sky high for me. 5 minutes later I tested it again 9.7. Something wrong?

Can I trust the meter?
 
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As you are on gliclazide, you should make a case to your GP to give you more strips on prescription. Do you drive? If you do as gliclazide can cause hypos you need to be able to test before driving.

This is the reason I get strips on prescription, although I do supplement them with ones I buy to test more. Also a tub of strips once opened only last three months.
 
Hi Denise,

Thanks for the comments. My gliclazide has been reduced to 20mg and replaced with dapaglyflozin 10mg. As my diet has changed to yoghurt, nuts and fruit for breakfast I am wary of hypos. My Hba1c has been 53 for years except for a couple of blips in the last 3 years with readings around 60 mmol/mol.

Perhaps it is time to increase my metformin from 2 to 4 tablets?
 
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