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Have you been told not to test your blood sugars?

To Fairy108_,
Firstly Hi and welcome to the Diabetes UK forum. Your inital experience with the NHS is unfortunately for us Type 2's something that has become very common in recent years, but all is not lost, for if you read through the various postings here on this site, in a short time you will know more about your Type 2 dianetes and how best to control it from real people's actual diabetic experiences and not what the NHS proclaims and openly preaches.
Diet and sencible exercise is the key to mastering Type 2 diabetes and following the LCHF diet is always a better start than the WRONG information on diet that the NHS preach.
Regretfully and with poor forward thinking, the NHS have decided to withdraw supplying FREE blood/glucose meters and strips to us Type 2's, but the test meter is the ideal indicatior for eash INDIVIDUAL.who can then ammend their own personal choice of items within their diet as some things will give a high reading in some individuals but not necessciarly so in another individual. Most Type 2's will take an initial blood/glucose reading just before a main meal and then repeat the blood/glucose test either 1 hour later, but it's more commonly taken again 2 hours later to see what efferc (if any) the meal that they had just eaten as had on their blood/glucose levels.

Please ask any question here on this site about diabetes and how best to control it, for you will find more practical information and sensible help here, than any that the NHS currently has to offer us.
Best wishes for the future now that you have started on the diabetic road.
 
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I was told I had no need to test (Type 2, metformin) and when I self-funded a Freestyle Libre and asked to be put on the slow release tablets, and asked my GP to sign a certificate to carry the Libre and spares on a flight, he told me I had “wasted my money”.

When I halved my A1C from 111-59 he was grudging and admitted that it had helped, but then followed it up with that it was OBVIOUSLY down to the meds.

I know someone else in the region who was also diagnosed last year, and they have been told the same, and duly take Metformin, complaining about the side effects yet won’t ask to try the slow release, and showed absolutely no interest in any type of testing, despite not bringing their BG down as much as their GP wanted.

At the end of the day it is down to the individual. If you can afford to self-fund to test then do. Friend can more than afford to test, and just won’t .. so that’s the choice.

Edited to add: I personally was not told I “cannot” test... just that there was no need for me to do so. I suspect people here saying the “cannot” test mean they are not being given the means to test as part of their treatment by their GP. I don’t see how they can STOP anyone from testing if they want to. You have to WANT to.
 
I was told I didn't need to test but I insisted I needed to and have reaped the rewards. Testing is a must to all you newbies and will help you take control of your condition.
 
I don't know about the UK but here in Aussie our illustrious leaders have decided in their most infinite holy wisdom that supply of test strips to T2 patients will no longer be subsidised. The new protocol is now 3 monthly HbA1c tests and eat the stuff on the chart that the dietician hands to you. Pretty awful really. I accepted this for a while until I developed neuropathy in my toes and fingers. My GP checked all my HbA1c and they weren't really bad. Mostly between 6 and 6.5 over about 3 readings. I questioned the lack of self testing with the GP and asked if short duration spikes may cause neuropathy but not show up on the HbA1c as it is only an average. He agreed it was possible and referred me to a neurologist. He also agreed that it was possible. I went back to the GP and pretty well demanded that he sign the form saying that I have to self test. He was happy to oblige. Since then I've taken full control of what I eat and analysed the reaction of what I'm eating. Today it is under control and with the help of r-ALA the neuropathy is improving quickly. There is a vast amount of learning to get to this point and I understand why some people find it difficult. I suspect the health system is just too short on resources to correctly fund a decent education for sufferers so they take the easy way out.

Glenn
 

Do you take strong anti oxidant food supplement for your neuropathy?
 
NewTD2 said:
Do you take strong anti oxidant food supplement for your neuropathy?
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Hi there,

The only anti-oxidant I take is R-ALA. Other than metformin they are the only pills. I hate pills. My diet is not really that radical and I eat what everyone else in the house eats but I just get fussed over the carbs and weigh them first. Top up with extra meat or non carbs so I don't starve.

Glenn
 

I heard from my doctor that Pomegranate (Capsules) is a strong antioxidant for diabetics.
 
I would like to applaud this thread i was diagnosed type 2 so tested etc and got under control went for more strips and was told not to test was wasting my time and their money and s didnt 2 years down the line ( that was the last time i saw the nurse and got " told off " ) i have had terrible probs with fingers / toes blood test showed high glucose then got the same nurse back tracking saying i should test and put on metformin if she hadnt made me feel neurotic i would of stayed on top of it as testing regulated me tin gods who like the power trip i think thank you for the thread worries me if other people stop going because of being made to feel stupid
 
Hi.. please tell me where I can get that R-ALA?
BR Perro.
 
The subject has never been brought up by me or by the diabetic nurse/GP about testing in the four years I've been back in the UK from living in the US.

I only knew about testing from having gestational diabetes in the US in 2006, I had a one-hour appointment with a nutrition specialist who explained everyhing - when and how to test, how to count carbs, what ranges to stay in, and what to eat and not to eat - three days after being diagnosed. I would be so lost now if I hadn't had that appointment.

The only thing that a GP has said about it, when I started vaguely carb counting, without a meter, and got HBAC1 numbers to drop from 89 to 76 in 3 months was "keep doing what you are doing". I don't think vaguely carb counting without a meter is a good way forward....
 
Perro, I purchased it online ( R-ALA ). Others have given the links. I took it mainly for neuropathy. It did improve but seems to have plateaued now. It isn't seriously bad and I can live with it. Just feels odd.

Glenn
 
I was prescribed Gliclazide and asked to test once every three days.

Now I am fully aware of how to manage my diabetes ( thanks everybody!) I buy my own blinking strips.
 
I'm another one, I walked away from being told I was diabetic and embarked on a 'healthy eating plan', the next blood test 6 months later said nothing had changed, so I got myself a meter and I've gone from 11's to 5-7's through having a visual aide. I just wouldn't have understood food/body impact without the meter. Even if the strips were funded for just one year so newly diagnosed T2's really understood what affects their personal bs levels that would help so much.
 
dbr10 said:
Did she give any reason for that, or was it just made up?
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Think it's because I very rarely feel hungry and have to make myself eat regularly and I was eating when my sugars were low and then because I don't feel hungry I don't know when I'm full either so I try and batch cook ready meals and freeze them into portions
 
I am currently classed as heart failure and recently my doctor old me i was 44 on the pre diabetes chart so i started to look into it william davis wheat belly was my source so when i asked the doctor for his recommendations on which kit to use and which monitor would qualify for free strips he said but your not diabetic so you dont qualify for anything Er ok so we just wait for me to turn diabetic and then well monitor???? I mentioned this to my heart nurse and she said well we want you to live youre life as normal as possible and not to get too hung up on health issues!!!! like youre knackered anyway so dont worry about the diabetes!! i have just bought the kit you guys have recommend and i am waiting for it ill be asking questions when i get it keep on keeping on
paul holly
 
I pity a nurse who tells me off lol...Now that you have got your sugars under control, go back to the nurse and gloat lol
 
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