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Erratic Glucose Readings

R

Roddy12

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Hi - Am Type 2 and using Metformin and Saxaglipin (5mg) to aid glucose control. I have been testing my blood glucose levels for just over a year and until 2 months back was getting readings that you could accept and an average, fasting, reading of 6.5 based on 3 to 4 tests per day. In recent weeks my average has jumped to 7.5 and readings are very erratic. For example todays "Before Lunch" reading, which I would expect to be around 6 to 6.5 following a brisk walk, read 11.6. I re-tested a minute or so later and got a reading of 7.5???. Is this sort of deviation normal and what could be causing my average level to jump?

Rod
 
A lot of things can affect the reading that are unrelated to your actual BG level.
dirty finger, error rate of +/-20% with strips and meter, just a bad strip. different fingers can read differently. if you get a test you are not expecting, wash and dry properly your hands and try again.
 
Thanks jack412 but with such widely differing readings being the norm it rather questions the validity of finger pricking 3/4 times a day. Until recently I have had total faith in the readings I have been getting and it's really helped me but now am not at all happy.
Rod
 
Have you changed your diet at all? Been under more stress? Unwell? There seem to be two issues in your post- one that the readings have wide variation which Jack has covered. And two that your readings seem higher than they were which might require a different answer such as reducing carbs, losing weight, adjusting meds and so on.
 
Hi Ethyl - No change in diet, no change in stress level, not unwell. Am 68, do Taichi twice a week and go to the Gym twice a week but would agree that I could do with loosing some weight (That said my weight is the same as it was a year back).
Will monitor things for a few more weeks and if it does not get back to "Normal" will give my nurse a call.
Thanks
Rod
 
Have you started a new batch of strips, or damaged your meter?
 
they normally aren't as bad as that, I allow a 0.5 mm on the meter variation and that seems ok
A new set of batteries may help too, to get the most out of strips, you average your readings over a few days and look for patterns
 
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