Have you been told not to test your blood sugars?

Daphne917 said:

You were probably also told that you can still eat wholemeal bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, fruit and low fat/low sugar yogs etc! By testing you can what effect these, and other foods, will have on your sugar levels and you can change your diet accordingly.

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I was told not to test. After two months of testing it was obvious that the diet advice and Metformin were not working to reduce my BG levels.

Daphne917 said:

You were probably also told that you can still eat wholemeal bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, fruit and low fat/low sugar yogs etc! By testing you can what effect these, and other foods, will have on your sugar levels and you can change your diet accordingly.

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Lol. I was told, I needed to reduce my BMI by 5% to begin with. This was the GP. I haven’t yet had an appointment with the diabetic nurse.

I’ve been told not to test my blood sugars because it’ll hurt my fingers if I test too much

I was told by my diabetic nurse I didn't need to test because I would become fanatical about my blood glucose levels ...they have been in space sometimes ..money saving exercise me thinks

Ziggy2017 said:

I’ve been told not to test my blood sugars because it’ll hurt my fingers if I test too much

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That is complete rubbish of course. You need to know what is happening to your BG levels. I was told not to test. When I did, I realised that the Metformin and diet advice I was given were obviously not working.

leigh4003 said:

I was told by my diabetic nurse I didn't need to test because I would become fanatical about my blood glucose levels ...they have been in space sometimes ..money saving exercise me thinks

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The only reason. At my last X-Pert course update another of the patients had been told the same. This year's had been cancelled because of lack of staff. Impressive.

It seems like healthcare professionals seem to think all diabetics should all be rounded up and put in a field to eat grass and drink water

leigh4003 said:

It seems like healthcare professionals seem to think all diabetics should all be rounded up and put in a field to eat grass and drink water

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Probably more healthy than eating what they actually tell you to eat lol

Ziggy2017 said:

I’ve been told not to test my blood sugars because it’ll hurt my fingers if I test too much

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I was told that as well - I just smiled and continued testing. Rather have sore fingers (which I don’t) than some of the other diabetes complications.

leigh4003 said:

It seems like healthcare professionals seem to think all diabetics should all be rounded up and put in a field to eat grass and drink water

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No mate you have to run around the field and absorb the grass.

noblehead said:

There was, but it failed to get the required amount of signatures to be presented to Downing Street.

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And Teresa May is T1 diabetic...what a joke!

Petaluk said:

And Teresa May is T1 diabetic...what a joke!

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No joke. We're talking about our illustrious politicians. Same deal down under.

desidiabulum said:

This is not about whether the NHS should, or can afford to, provide test strips on a permanent or temporary basis to non-T1 diabetics. Having read #EveryCloud ’s post, and so many more like it over the years on this forum, I wonder whether we could gather together 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.

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Yes I have been told testing is not necessary as I am type 2.

Wow.. really interesting discussion. I feel like putting on my tin foil hat and suggesting they're intentionally keeping us sick, but not sick enough to kill us, for as long as possible - because: profit. There's no law anywhere that says medical people have to care.. they can be just making a quid like everyone else. More sick people = more money. How else can they justify telling people with diabetes not to test their BG? How can they not know how important it is? If you're not testing, their prognosis is going to be correct. Every time you go for an HBA1C on the "healthy plate" diet advice thingo, you will very likely have a higher result and need more drugs. win/win for pharmaceutical companies and the cash flow for the doctor, right? Thank goodness for the internet - it's probably added quality years of life to many of us.

desidiabulum said:

This is not about whether the NHS should, or can afford to, provide test strips on a permanent or temporary basis to non-T1 diabetics. Having read #EveryCloud ’s post, and so many more like it over the years on this forum, I wonder whether we could gather together 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.

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yes, I was informed not necessary to test real blood finger testing here in spain under diabetic 2 diagnosis, informed, instead,
the main test is A1C its the gold standard and best of all, however there are conflicting reports on this area, specially when there seems are flaws in A1C, percentages can be either side, although its as I am informed JUST A PREDICTION test anyway to give a guide how ones candy has stuck on the red cells over 3 months, some docs here in spain recommend fasting and random blood tests finger, along with A1C, if all are normal fine, if there is discordation majoring both finger blood tests area normal range, A1C is indicating pre or diabetic, 2nd test required for A1C.

I think it depends on your doctors recommendation and individual circumstances, but can confirm to answer the question here in spain, it seems like my own case, Doctors feel A1C is god golden test, but I have my reservations about this, as I have experienced one lab error test A1C and only found it out by demanding a 2nd test due to doubt, so humans machines can have errors, surely it seems only good medical sense, three tests are taken, fasting and random or fasting and 2 hr after eat alongside an A1C for surety purposes?

Hope this helps, I point out I am refering to Diabetes 2 in comments within.

Tracey1963 said:

Yes I have been told testing is not necessary as I am type 2.

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Me too .

desidiabulum said:

This is not about whether the NHS should, or can afford to, provide test strips on a permanent or temporary basis to non-T1 diabetics. Having read #EveryCloud ’s post, and so many more like it over the years on this forum, I wonder whether we could gather together 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.

Click to expand...

I was told that as I am going to be on Metformin I couldn't get strips etc on the NHS, will need to buy them myself though because how else will I know which foods are making me spike?

I went to my GP expecting to be told I was T2 in June with a Hb1Ac in March of 61 and then one in May 52 which GP wanted repeating once more as the one in March had been done for the local hospital and not requested by him?? does it matter who asks for it .... perhaps it does? So repeat Hb1AC in June was 47 and was told I was in the "pre-diabetic range" so no T2 diagnosis. I suspect that because I had been following a LCHF diet rigorously for 1 month. I told GP that in addition to the LCHF diet I was monitoring my BGs as part of the diet. His response was self monitoring is excessive and not required "your pre-diabetic, go away and loose some weight, take more exercise etc ..... not helpful and I still cant get my morning levels below the normal non-diabetic fasting level of 4.5nmol/l, day night and evening levels highest have been 8.0nmol/l on LCHF diet regime. I do feel better on the diet but I have not lost the weight I was expecting... I suspect that is because I am Insulin Resistant and my blood glusose levels are not going sufficiently low enough? I am in UK

desidiabulum said:

This is not about whether the NHS should, or can afford to, provide test strips on a permanent or temporary basis to non-T1 diabetics. Having read #EveryCloud ’s post, and so many more like it over the years on this forum, I wonder whether we could gather together 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.

Click to expand...

I was told many years ago to not test more than once a day. After my A1c went up to 9.2 I changed to another doctor. Being on Insulin a/r, I adjust my dosage according to the reading, Testing 5x a day, within 6 months, I was down to 7.9 and then 3 months later, 6.3 was my reading.

Ellbee said:

I went to my GP expecting to be told I was T2 in June with a Hb1Ac in March of 61 and then one in May 52 which GP wanted repeating once more as the one in March had been done for the local hospital and not requested by him?? does it matter who asks for it .... perhaps it does? So repeat Hb1AC in June was 47 and was told I was in the "pre-diabetic range" so no T2 diagnosis. I suspect that because I had been following a LCHF diet rigorously for 1 month. I told GP that in addition to the LCHF diet I was monitoring my BGs as part of the diet. His response was self monitoring is excessive and not required "your pre-diabetic, go away and loose some weight, take more exercise etc ..... not helpful and I still cant get my morning levels below the normal non-diabetic fasting level of 4.5nmol/l, day night and evening levels highest have been 8.0nmol/l on LCHF diet regime. I do feel better on the diet but I have not lost the weight I was expecting... I suspect that is because I am Insulin Resistant and my blood glusose levels are not going sufficiently low enough? I am in UK

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Yes. Just after first diagnosed T2 Jan 2016. I was put on 500x3 times a day Metformin. After reading posts on this forum I bought a meter and test strips and after 6 months a weaned myself off Metformin and I had an HbA1c of 5.0

At my next GP appointment to discuss my HBA1c, still 5.0 he agreed to 100 every 2 months, I bought the remainder myself.

Three weeks ago I had an appointment with the senior GP in the practice to discuss treatment for Peripheral Neurology Pains. I showed him a copy of my records for the last month from my mySugr app. Thought he was going to have a heart attack because I was testing 3 times a day I was costing the NHS unnecessary expense. His idea was that HbA1c once a year was enough. So I politely put him in the picture. As a result I get the HbA1c every 12 weeks. Self fund strips via the internet.