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Have you been told not to test your blood sugars?

My husband phoned the nurse last week and she said type 2 no longer get a meter and there is no need to test . He sent off for a free meter I have one already and the test strips and lancets cost £11 .
I have mixed feelings about testing and its mainly because of my mental illness and phobias. For instance , a few days back i went for a walk and when i came home i tested and it was 19.3 it make me panic and anxiety set in and I couldn't sleep at all. I tested an hour later and it came down a few , the next morning I tried to test about six times and my meter didn't work and neither did my husbands it kept coming up with err 1. so I gave up as my finger was sore form the pricking .
I haven't tested since as its causing me anxiety , most would say this is a bad idea but unless you suffer phobias like me you probably wouldn't understand .

So maybe its right that they don't want us to test . I also think it can make us paranoid and take over our lives , Just my thoughts .
 
I have mixed feelings about testing and its mainly because of my mental illness and phobias. For instance , a few days back i went for a walk and when i came home i tested and it was 19.3 it make me panic and anxiety set in and I couldn't sleep at all. I tested an hour later and it came down a few , the next morning I tried to test about six times and my meter didn't work and neither did my husbands it kept coming up with err 1. so I gave up as my finger was sore form the pricking .
I haven't tested since as its causing me anxiety , most would say this is a bad idea but unless you suffer phobias like me you probably wouldn't understand .

So maybe its right that they don't want us to test . I also think it can make us paranoid and take over our lives , Just my thoughts .[/QUOTE]

I read with interest your posting and it may be that there is actually nothing wrong with either your husband's or your own test meter. Some Blood/Glucose test meters are designed to display 'Err' if the Blood/Glucose level being tested ixceeds or is below the specified range that the Bllod/Glucose meter is calibrated to.
I sugest that this might be the case anfd you B/G levels might well be TOO high. I would suggest that you consider doing one or more of the following things.

Firstly - Chjeck the Obvious - Battery & Date of Test Strips and that they haven't been contaminated.

1. Check your Blood/Glucose meter test strips are in 'Date' and if you have a Glucose control solution check that the B/G meter gives the correct responce to the 'Standard' Glmanufacturers Glucose solution.

2/ Ifyou can't do this, check someone who you know is not diabetic with your own B/G meter it should show they are 'Normal' in which case you will know the B/Gmeter /Test Stirips are fine.

3. Go to a local chemist/Pharmacy and ask if they can do an 'On The Spot' check - Many will do this if you care to ask.

Please let us know how you get on and where the problem lies. As for the test strips and costs that I have mentioned befor, this might indeed proove to show why test strips and a means of measuring B/G levels should bstill be readily available to ALL diabetics including us Type 2's
 
Once we have figured out how specific food affects our glucose response...there's no need for intensive testing. Just the occasion test to ensure we have not veered off course.
 

I read with interest your posting and it may be that there is actually nothing wrong with either your husband's or your own test meter. Some Blood/Glucose test meters are designed to display 'Err' if the Blood/Glucose level being tested ixceeds or is below the specified range that the Bllod/Glucose meter is calibrated to.
I sugest that this might be the case anfd you B/G levels might well be TOO high. I would suggest that you consider doing one or more of the following things.

Firstly - Chjeck the Obvious - Battery & Date of Test Strips and that they haven't been contaminated.

1. Check your Blood/Glucose meter test strips are in 'Date' and if you have a Glucose control solution check that the B/G meter gives the correct responce to the 'Standard' Glmanufacturers Glucose solution.

2/ Ifyou can't do this, check someone who you know is not diabetic with your own B/G meter it should show they are 'Normal' in which case you will know the B/Gmeter /Test Stirips are fine.

3. Go to a local chemist/Pharmacy and ask if they can do an 'On The Spot' check - Many will do this if you care to ask.

Please let us know how you get on and where the problem lies. As for the test strips and costs that I have mentioned befor, this might indeed proove to show why test strips and a means of measuring B/G levels should bstill be readily available to ALL diabetics including us Type 2's[/QUOTE]


So are you saying it said er 1 becasuse my blood sugar was not able to register because it was too high even for the meter . That's scary .

I just read the booklet on troubleshooting and it said er 1 means i used a used test strip even though i didn't , but I am wondering if it might have been contaminated as i put it on the table .

I'm not going to fret over this I am at the doctors again in a few weeks and I will get her to test me there with her meter .

But I am doing low carb and so I hope that lowers my numbers by the time i get tested by the nurse . Surly low carb reduces numbers ?
 
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Check your manual. On mine, err 1 is insufficient blood sample, err 3 is when I accidentally try to use a pre-used strip.
 
xfieldok said:
Check your manual. On mine, err 1 is insufficient blood sample, err 3 is when I accidentally try to use a pre-used strip.
Click to expand...
I don't use much of a sample as i hate the finger prick lol, I'm not scared of blood I just hate the feeling of the snap and sudden sting when the lancet pierces my finger . But the booklet did say er 1 is because of used strip , but I am thinking you're right as i don't use much blood .

I am going to wait to let the nurse test with her meter as I am going back to have my blood pressure tested again as it was a little high but not anything of concern she said .

Thanks so much for replying and taking the time to check this out for me I appreciate it so much .
 
@Charis1213 My fingerprick very rarely hurts. I re-use my lancets and when they get blunt, then it can hurt. Also, where are you pricking your finger? Don't prick the actual tip, lots of nerve endings there. I use the side of the finger, just beneath the nail. Earplugs?
 
I was told by my GP not to test. “If you test and you get a higher reading what are you going to do about it?” Erm...more than you are, obviously! Thinking back now it was the most dangerous piece of advice anyone has ever given me. From a doctor! It’s almost as though certain influential organisations don’t want diabetic patients to buy less grain products and use less medications...

Criminal. I bought my own kit the very next day.
 
Hi all, I was recently diagnosed as type two, and on diagnosis day I showed the doctor the meter and test strips I had bought previously and was already using to try to get a head start on what was going on inside me, the doctor told me it was not required of me to self test my blood glucose levels, however I must admit I have ignored that advice, and will still carry on testing so that I know what foods do what to me, and in what quantities, I found her reply of "it will be skewed on the results" as you are taking medication as being a bit too easy a brush off.
 
Good for you.
 
When I was at my GP's on Wednesday getting my blood test results, and getting a NDSS subsidised strip request form signed. He said to me why do I want to keep testing my bgl as I have it under control with good a hba1c in the latest test.

I just said I have got it under control by testing, and if I do not test and my diabetes goes pear shape you will be the first person to rip me a new one. He signed the strip form for another six months of strips.
 
Doctors need to start minding their own business on this subject

Advising diabetics not to monitor their own blood glucose should carry a prison sentence

Whatever happened to “first do no harm” ? Not advising them to test, or being indifferent is one thing, but telling them not to test is potentially harmful. Good news for the fake food and pharmaceutical industries, though.
 
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Yeap! The nurse at the surgery told me not to bother checking the BG levels any more. It's not necessary she said! She told me this when I went back to see her after my blood test which I had 6 weeks after my initial diagnoses with T2. Because of the new BG levels went down to 40 (from being at level 50 6 weeks prior when diagnosed) she told me not to bother testing and return for another blood test May 2019! In fact she asked me how did I achieve this, to which I replied, as low as humanly possible Carb Diet and certainly no sugar in any shape or form! What amazes me, is the fact that they sound surprised? Should they not be educated of the benefits of this dietary program and its obvious benefits to BG?? The initial advise given to me in how to combat the condition, was for me to reduce my portions, but continue to eat a low fat balance diet, which I can tell you now, there would be no way, and no how, that their advise would have delivered the results! Furthermore to add insult to the injury, she told (at the point of diagnoses) that the condition will only deteriorate, I will have to take medication ,and later on, more than likely, the use of Insulin! I can tell you with certainty, by that point I was that windup and ready for Battle! I shall NOT quote here my response to the nurse! Anyway, as I mention earlier, when I went back to see her with my new results, she had change her tune about the doom and glum! In fact she was quite pleased with my work! Still though, no further advise at all, or willing to listen what actually works, they still keep to their curriculum! Best wishes to all. Theo
 

They’re confused because when their patients get sicker they asume that they ignored their advice, and when they get better and tell them they ignored their advice, it doesn’t compute. They must be lying, and actually they did follow their advice. Cognitive dissonance. Who knows more about diabetes than the good doctor?
 

Yes I was told it was unnecessary and when I asked why I did not get a satisfactory answer.
 
 
I was told that home testing wasn’t necessary as I had a Hba1c every six months so the strips were stopped.I believe it’s the NHS cutting back on unnecessary prescriptions
 
I have been T2 for around 15 years I have always tested and continue to do so. Various nurses have told me I do not need to test or I test too much. I just ignored them. I try as much as possible to low carb difficult living with people who don't fully grasp the way the body handles all sugars. I have been up and down over the years. 2 years ago I was told I would be on insulin if I could not lower my blood sugars. Still not on insulin tho' I do take 3 meds. Have done Newcastle diet, can only last 2 weeks but I have lost weight. My biggest prob is early morning highs and BS not going down till mid afternoon. Found a thread which talked about Berberine which looked interesting. Bought some and took 500mg am and pm with apple cider vinegar caps 400mg and after 2 months my morning BS is between 5.5 and 7.00 which has been incredible after years of early morning highs. If I did not test at least 6 times a day I would be in a real mess. Don't let ignorant docs and nurses tell you different they do not have the disease or done the reading or experimenting that we who have the condition.
 

I can only second that @Roulis .

Lovely doctor, BUT the attitude was i wouldn't listen to the advise, well non of US, do..so meds away, Is i beleive the preferred option.

weight loss and health improvement noted on next visit, but still no real interest in WHAT i did to achieve that result.

i think @Jim Lahey thesis is probably bang on the money...

what we DO, doesn't tally with the things they were taught at Medical school 5/10/20 years ago, so can NOT be happening.

I think in some ways we are like cars going to a workshop for service & repairs.

We USED to be all petrol engined (aka High Carbs/ High Sugar fueled)..we then found a better fuel source, one that didn't make us constantly stall or misfire., ( Low Carb)....to whit ELECTRIC....

so all those years of training that those poor mechanics have IS on the Older I/C Engined Models .
So they scratch their heads and wonder ***, when the cars rolls in all smooth and throbbing with energy
WITHOUT the petrol system that those mechanics know...( It must seem like witchcraft )

So perhaps it's understandable if all they know to do, is to suck theit teeth tradesman stylee..
ask "What cowboy fitted THAT,!! "

and explain why THAT CAN'T possibly work.
and then suggest we rip out the NEW Power Unit and Pop the old Internal Combustion engine back in...<rolls eyes>


I guess when you do as your TOLD..they win..= Good doctor
When you don't ..they win = Good doctor....
because they ignore that YOU ignored their advise..
so their advise MUST have been Good..Right.

It really is an alice in wonderland affair..
i'm just glad the people on this site grabbed my hand before i to, disappeared down the Rabbit Hole.

Best wishes all.
 
Wanderer101 said:
I was told that home testing wasn’t necessary as I had a Hba1c every six months so the strips were stopped.I believe it’s the NHS cutting back on unnecessary prescriptions
Click to expand...
I also believe it is a cost issue but discouraging people from testing will, in the long term, cost the NHS more because, unless patients have the money or inclination to fund themselves they will not be able to determine which foods are affecting their BS levels which, if they have increased, may ultimately result in the prescribing of drugs far more expensive than the provision of a meter and strips. Like most members of the forum I ignored the “you’ll get sore fingers” or “there’s no need to test as you’re only T2” mantra and self funded a meter and strips which, whilst initially fairly costly, has meant that I now know what foods I can, can in moderation or cannot , eat to properly control my T2 thru diet. As I have become more knowledgable I have also been able to down on testing so the cost is minimal.
 
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