Have you been told not to test your blood sugars?

[Susiespearish]

Sounds like you have a lot going on there. My only comment would be that not all carbs are equal, and many people find they can eat x, but not y, whereas someone else will be able to eat y, but not x. If it all shot up after your bread, I'd try kicking that into touch, before I embraced insulin.

Of course, insulin may be inevitable, but, personally, I'd be trying everything to avoid it for as long as possible.

Here here ....I'd do anything to avoid insulin ! It was five hours after I'd eaten and I've tested with that bread a while back but as you say ,anythings worth a try .

 

[cold ethyl]

Can they do anything about the tumour if that is what it is? Obviously you can go on insulin but that isn't really addressing the underlying issue which is what seems to be pushing your levels out of control.

 

[Susiespearish]

Can they do anything about the tumour if that is what it is? Obviously you can go on insulin but that isn't really addressing the underlying issue which is what seems to be pushing your levels out of control.

I've no idea Cold Ethyl .I see him again at the end of this months so hopefully I'll have more answers .I know they wont operate due to my BP .guess i left it all too late to lose weight and take myself in hand .I don't think taking endless meds helps either .It has to effect your liver .I'm now on 13 tabs a day for heart,BP ect .Fed up of it all .

 

[AndBreathe]

I've no idea Cold Ethyl .I see him again at the end of this months so hopefully I'll have more answers .I know they wont operate due to my BP .guess i left it all too late to lose weight and take myself in hand .I don't think taking endless meds helps either .It has to effect your liver .I'm now on 13 tabs a day for heart,BP ect .Fed up of it all .

How much weight have you lost? There does appear to be a percentage 15-20% which is considered life-changing (probably in more than one way!!). And, has your weight loss helped your hypertension at all?

 

[Susiespearish]

How much weight have you lost? There does appear to be a percentage 15-20% which is considered life-changing (probably in more than one way!!). And, has your weight loss helped your hypertension at all?

I've lost just under three stones Andbreathe .i was 18st 2 and now down to 15st 7 ....still more to go but I am 5ft 9" .i thought that would make a huge difference to my BG but it hasn't which is why the doc is looking for a cause.

 

[AndBreathe]

I've lost just under three stones Andbreathe .i was 18st 2 and now down to 15st 7 ....still more to go but I am 5ft 9" .i thought that would make a huge difference to my BG but it hasn't which is why the doc is looking for a cause.

Well, we can be certain it can't be doing it any harm! Well done.

 

[cold ethyl]

I've no idea Cold Ethyl .I see him again at the end of this months so hopefully I'll have more answers .I know they wont operate due to my BP .guess i left it all too late to lose weight and take myself in hand .I don't think taking endless meds helps either .It has to effect your liver .I'm now on 13 tabs a day for heart,BP ect .Fed up of it all .

I can well I imagine.fingers crossed they can do something. The weight loss should help your BP though I don't imagine an adrenal tumour will be doing that any favours either.

 

[this is too difficult two]

I was given 50 strips a month until I have it controlled but was told NOT to overuse them as testing once or twice a day was adequate .When I questioned my GP on this he pointed out that every time we use a lancet we risk infection just the same as an injection and whilst clearly the danger to Type 1's outweigh the risk .this is not the case for type 2's .He mentioned some people who were testing 10 times a day ! If you have your numbers controlled then surely testing at most once a day is adequate.Even non diabetics throw up one off high numbers .Isn't this why they require a whole picture before diagnosis?

Interesting. We have thousands of people who test often here. Have any of you had an infection through it?

 

[billiegoat]

I was put on treatment metformin yesterday and told by the nurse I do not need to test. It was because of the lack of testing that my sugars crept up and I am now on treatment, if I could have afforded tests I would have been able to control better. disgraceful decision

 

[Susiespearish]

Interesting. We have thousands of people who test often here. Have any of you had an infection through it?

I personally feel this is just the latest bandwagon they are jumping on.I see the FDA is trying to reclassify lancets at the moment too but no one can deny there is a risk every time we prick our skin .Clearly the risk should be minimal .Probably some office bod has "risk assessed " it due the huge rise in Hep B and C lately .

 

[phoenix]

I personally feel this is just the latest bandwagon they are jumping on.I see the FDA is trying to reclassify lancets at the moment too but no one can deny there is a risk every time we prick our skin .Clearly the risk should be minimal .Probably some office bod has "risk assessed " it due the huge rise in Hep B and C lately .

There's no risk though from normal home use. You don't or shouldn't share your finger pricker (people who 'offer; to test friends and colleagues blood for them should though be aware of the risks)
There have been several cases of Hep B caused by bad practice in glucose monitoring but this is in hospitals and in care homes (mainly in the US)
It has been transmitted by the use of finger pricking devices that are designed to be used by one person being used for all patients ie they load a new lancet but there is still some blood on the device. (here's one such case :http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3530571/ )
And here is a case where they were using the wrong lancet device at a 'screening ' event just this year.
http://kstp.com/article/stories/s3455571.shtml
.
There is certainly MHRA guidance on this going back to 2006 in the UK so it shouldn't happen in the UK but who knows what goes on in care homes? I know my hospital in France uses horribly fierce gadgets but they are single use so I'll forgive them that!

There occasional infections from self monitoring but they are rare enough for case study papers to be written about them.(and all of the 4 I found involved people with either very poor control or another condition that made them susceptible to infection)
If there were frequent infections they would surely be mentioned on forums like this . Not only do many people test quite a lot but lots admit to changing lancets infrequently. ( on some forums they make a joke about it being World diabetes day or Groundhog day or St Swithun's and time to do the annual lancet change!)

 

[Susiespearish]

There's no risk though from normal home use. You don't or shouldn't share your finger pricker (people who 'offer; to test friends and colleagues blood for them should though be aware of the risks)
There have been several cases of Hep B caused by bad practice in glucose monitoring but this is in hospitals and in care homes (mainly in the US)
It has been transmitted by the use of finger pricking devices that are designed to be used by one person being used for all patients ie they load a new lancet but there is still some blood on the device. (here's one such case :http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3530571/ )
And here is a case where they were using the wrong lancet device at a 'screening ' event just this year.
http://kstp.com/article/stories/s3455571.shtml
.
There is certainly MHRA guidance on this going back to 2006 in the UK so it shouldn't happen in the UK but who knows what goes on in care homes? I know my hospital in France uses horribly fierce gadgets but they are single use so I'll forgive them that!

There occasional infections from self monitoring but they are rare enough for case study papers to be written about them.(and all of the 4 I found involved people with either very poor control or another condition that made them susceptible to infection)
If there were frequent infections they would surely be mentioned on forums like this . Not only do many people test quite a lot but lots admit to changing lancets infrequently. ( on some forums they make a joke about it being World diabetes day or Groundhog day or St Swithun's and time to do the annual lancet change!)

I'm wouldn't disagree with you on any of those points but felt the doctor had a point when suggesting that endless testing wasn't the answer whatever excuse he used to refuse more strips .I couldn't argue with him at the time as I hadn't done more research and to be honest I'm managing with the strips they give me and if I run out some months It really doesn't change my BG .I did all my food testing months ago so know what spikes me .I was given Ketostix so I can check that if I'm worried.

 

[pavlovsdog]

I was put on treatment metformin yesterday and told by the nurse I do not need to test. It was because of the lack of testing that my sugars crept up and I am now on treatment, if I could have afforded tests I would have been able to control better. disgraceful decision

@billiegoat same happened to me, and it was increased to 2 grams/day, despite me having terrible side effects from them. When that didn't work, my GP just kept adding medication so I also ended up on Gliclizide and Sitagliptin. I was only referred to the Specialist Diabetes Team when I was admitted to hospital for surgery - apparently, they had asked my GP on two previous occasions to refer me. In a way, being on insulin has worked in my favour, as they stopped the Gliclizide straight away, and when I told them the problems I was having with Metformin, they stopped that too. It has also helped me comes to terms with having diabetes, as I have been in denial for the last few years. Also, I am now prescribed a blood testing kit, which my GP denied me, and I have found Diabetes UK forum and learned about LCHF diet, which has worked wonders!

 

[alicemason]

I was told testing was unnecessary until I told her I wanted to see what foods sent ny sugar levels high. She then said in that case she could give me a monitor and I can have strips and lancets on repeat prescription . If I hadn't pushed for it I wouldnt have got it

 

[alicemason]

Can I just ask . It may sound silly but is it normal to have pains in my feet and legs. The pains in my feet feel like iv got broken bones in them and I get lije electric shocks in my feet and legs.

 

[Brunneria]

Can I just ask . It may sound silly but is it normal to have pains in my feet and legs. The pains in my feet feel like iv got broken bones in them and I get lije electric shocks in my feet and legs.

You've just described how some people feel when they have diabetic neuropathy.

But there are other reasons for this sensations too, including vit B12 deficiency.

None of us can diagnose on here, of course, so I suggest you read up online about both conditions and then consult your doctor for treatment or referral.

If you do get diagnosed with either condition then there are members on this forum who are in the same boat, so you won't be alone!

 

[alicemason]

Thankyou so much

 

[Susiespearish]

I was told testing was unnecessary until I told her I wanted to see what foods sent ny sugar levels high. She then said in that case she could give me a monitor and I can have strips and lancets on repeat prescription . If I hadn't pushed for it I wouldnt have got it

That was exactly what happened to me .I even got extra for a couple of months so i could test my food .

 

[Yorksman]

examples of Healthcare Professionals who have told people that it is either unnecessary or just plain wrong to test their blood sugars. It is a scandal that needs highlighting.

I was told by my GP on diagnosis that it would make my fingers hurt and by my DN that I would only confuse myself. Eventually she relented and gave me a prescription for 25 strips per month and told me not to eat to my meter. She and the GP were moved out of the practice and my new GP said 25 was not enough and doubled my prescription to 50 per month. The new DN said I didn't need to test at all.

Clearly they are not all singing from the same hymn sheet.

 

[desidiabulum]

Thank you to everyone who responded to this thread, and to Ian for making it a sticky thread.
I'm using some of the examples in an email to the appropriate people and will report back on how I get on.
In the meantime, do please continue to post here if you have been told not to test, and whatever variant of 'it will make you depressed/it will hurt your fingers/you will get an infection/it doesn't work/etc' you were told by HCPs.