Have you been told not to test your blood sugars?

[Angela64]

It is not common for healthcare professionals to tell individuals not to test their blood sugars, as regular blood glucose monitoring is a crucial part of managing diabetes. It helps individuals keep track of their blood glucose levels and make informed decisions about their insulin dosing, diet, and physical activity. However, in some cases, a healthcare professional may advise against testing due to specific medical conditions or treatment plans.

If you don’t have diabetes in what capacity is your comment?

 

[les matthews]

Dia-betes advice is dire and hit or miss. My dia-betes nurse needs a good di-et to follow herself.

My dn told me to stay away from the chippy.......was walking past one near clinic and guess who was at the front of the queue lolol

 

[HSSS]

If you don’t have diabetes in what capacity is your comment?

User deleted by mods apparently.

 

[Friarygirl74]

I have been told not to test, and after 15 years have had my one pot of testing strips a month removed. I pay for a libre myself. It costs a lot but is the way I have managed to keep my hba1c below 7.00. it also shows that I should not be eating carbs in the form of anything with flour in it, or grains and cereals. I have never had any decent advice from health professionals.

 

[Angela64]

My dn told me to stay away from the chippy.......was walking past one near clinic and guess who was at the front of the queue lolol

 

[Antje77]

Can we please stop making comments on our HCP's eating habits or weight?

Their job is to advise us.
This doesn't mean they cannot make their own choices when it comes to food, it doesn't mean they always have to make the healthy choice, being overweight does not make for a bad health care professional.

They are human beings with the same issues as the rest of us.
Shaming people for being human has no place on this forum.

 

[Kiwigal]

Last year I meet endocrinologist for first time appointment at Diabetes Clinic (public hospital).

He said I should test only 1 in morning and 1 in night.

(I still kept going on testing 6 to 8 times a day.. esp been thru covid, chest infection, rebound covid.. my glucose levels was yo yoing and also very very high 20.1 mmol and ketones of 0.6 from taking prednisone tablets couple of times when unwell - pretty close to get to early DKA. Esp I had to keep drinking water to flush out ketones.)

Esp sometimes I don't feel Hypoglycemia ie I was asleep at night and woke up 6am with headache - checked my glucose.. 3.5 mmol so had to get up and start treating hypo. (had couple of heading down below 4.5 mmol other times with no early symptoms warning, esp Australia driving laws in states - must be above 5.0 mmol to drive.)

Meet Dietician at Diabetes clinic at the public hospital - she mention keep on regular test glucose before and after meals.

Lucky my GP told me keep on doing regular glucose checks.

 

[ravensmitten]

After 10-15 mins I started to feel dreadful/wiped out/poisoned/could go to bed right now for some reason?. (still am)

would be good to see what my blood sugar was doing while feeling like this.

Feels odd quoting myself, had something today that made me feel like this momentarily.

Seemed to happen quickly after over indulging on some yoghurt mixed with a fair bit of creamed coconut

Felt slightly wiped within 20-30 mins, checked bg, it was 8.5, waited it out and could see that that was coming back down, and by 2 hours it was back down 5.1.

I know that doesn't sound that high taken on it's own, and it resolved.

Does make me wonder how high it was going before I started low carbing, and I'd been not told to test.

Don't want to go back to how I was eating before to know though.

 

[WaveyDavey123]

Well I for one have just found this an interesting thread.

Just newly diagnosed with an HbA1c reading of 49 yesterday. I have to wait nearly a month even for my first appointment to see our practice nurse about it. Guess I'll be getting a testing kit from Boots this lunchtime then as this was my first question. I saw a website that said don't test blood glucose without talking to your medical practice first yesterday (was a US site that came high on google). This long thread of actual people says very much otherwise! Useful.

 

[Robo42]

Well I for one have just found this an interesting thread.

Just newly diagnosed with an HbA1c reading of 49 yesterday. I have to wait nearly a month even for my first appointment to see our practice nurse about it. Guess I'll be getting a testing kit from Boots this lunchtime then as this was my first question. I saw a website that said don't test blood glucose without talking to your medical practice first yesterday (was a US site that came high on google). This long thread of actual people says very much otherwise! Useful.

You will find that many people have been told not to test themselves. Funny, for me it was also the time that test strips on free prescription stopped. Well I found that testing myself regularly before & 2 hrs after meals when first diagnosed was good. I logged what I ate & readings & was able to gauge what was good & what affected me more. This helped me be diet controlled for 8-9 years, on a small dose of meds at the moment. My GP did review my HbA1c twice a year untill Covid, had blood test twice in last 4 years. My original GP was great & agreed about my initial testing, even used me as an example in the Medical Journal. I only do a home test if I feel low or eating something different now. My guide is try to have 4% & less sugar on food items & lowish carb.
I was similar to you about 49 reading to start & float about 42-44 now, looking to lower when I get the call for an Hba1c test.
Noting down what I ate & readings helped identify what affected me, everyone is different. I found I could handle carbs better in the evening than lunch time, Oats better than wheat. What was important for me was changing my eating habits but still be pratical & enjoy. Sample of one of my early days logs:

1040	5.8​
1055		shredded wheat goat milk
1130		coffee, barista oat milk
1335	6.3​
1345		chick on graz bread,tom,slaw
1415		tea goat milk
1746	6​
1820		tea goat milk cheese/ging biscuit
2030		Kirsty's lasagne,toms
2200		Wonderful almonds
0017	4.8​

 

[WaveyDavey123]

Hi, well let's see what they tell me in July.

Yes, I can see that the idea is to get a picture of what various foods do. I hope I don't have to give up basmati rice lol.

 

[Robo42]

Hi, well let's see what they tell me in July.

Yes, I can see that the idea is to get a picture of what various foods do. I hope I don't have to give up basmati rice lol.

Basmati is best, thats what I have. The old in moderation always comes to mind. Do you want help with a tester? Just that often there are free ones on offer but test strips vary greatly in price.

 

[WaveyDavey123]

Well you could critique the one I've already bought Impetuous moi? There were only really two on the shelves I could see in the chemist I went to.
True Metrix Air. I fancied the bluetooth capability, so naturally my phone won't detect it (yet)

A kind offer though, thank you.

 

[Antje77]

Well you could critique the one I've already bought Impetuous moi? There were only really two on the shelves I could see in the chemist I went to.
True Metrix Air. I fancied the bluetooth capability, so naturally my phone won't detect it (yet)

A kind offer though, thank you.

All meters sold in the UK work well, but the cost is going to be in the test strips. Meters are cheap, so if you find that your current strips are much more expensive than other ones, you might want to consider getting a different one after you used up your current batch of strips.
@Rachox knows all about the costs of teststrips in the UK, she'll post it so you can compare with your own.

 

[WaveyDavey123]

Excellent thanks. And thanks for the links in your sig. Will go have a read.

 

[Junius]

I worked hard to get my own Blood Glucose levels down and under control only to be told that I needn't bother to test anymore and that the test strips would not be available to me (I'm Type 2) on the NHS.
Unfortunately they are far to expensive to buy outright so I'm simply forced by the NHS to give up testing altogether.
The irony of this policy is that careful B/G monitoring saves the NHS money in the long term and if I were to let thing go out of control I would get my FREE B/G test strips and cost the NHS much more.
Seems to me like the lunatics have finally taken over the Asylum.

Likewise in Ireland.

 

[Robo42]

Well you could critique the one I've already bought Impetuous moi? There were only really two on the shelves I could see in the chemist I went to.
True Metrix Air. I fancied the bluetooth capability, so naturally my phone won't detect it (yet)

A kind offer though, thank you.

Hi,
Exactly what I would have said from ANTje77. Testers have changed a lot since my first ones years ago. I have found a number of free offers over the years but seem to be the ones with costly test strips. Just for info, my current one is quite simple Gluco Navii GDH, test strips fair price.

 

[Rachox]

Thanks for the tag @Antje77 I’m away from home this week but hopefully my info will copy and paste ok on my phone!

@WaveyDavey123
Here’s some info on UK meters, and to be clear I have no commercial connections with any of the companies mentioned.



HOME HEALTH have the Gluco Navii, which is a fairly new model and seems to be getting good reviews.

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-produ...ose-meter-test-strips-choose-mmol-l-or-mg-dl/



Links to the strips for future orders:

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/glucose-navii-blood-glucose-test-strips-50-strip-pack/



Then they sell the older SD Code Free, details to be found here!

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/





SPIRIT HEALTHCARE have a meter called the Tee2 + which is quite popular:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...e2-blood-glucose-meter?variant=19264017268793



The strips are to be found here:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...py-of-tee2-test-strips?variant=19264017367097



If there is a choice of units of measurement then ‘mmol/L’ are the standard units in the UK, ‘mg/dl’ in the US, other countries may vary.



Don’t forget to check the box if you have pre diabetes or diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for all meters and strips)

 

[WaveyDavey123]

Thanks both!
I shall keep those in mind.

Initial testing is a little .... terrifying. 7.2 mmol/L before lunch. Still 9.7 mM 2 hours later. What did I have? 3 falafel balls, some mixed salad (cucumber, lettuce, a smallish tomato, couple of sticks of celery and about 4 olives. I did use a drizzle of dressing and some houmous too. I thought that would be quite good! Perhaps I'll leave out the apple and banana I had after next time. Wow. I wonder what it would have made of the Chinese takeaway we had for tea over the weekend...

Anyway, glad I started testing. Very illuminating.

 

[Antje77]

Thanks both!
I shall keep those in mind.

Initial testing is a little .... terrifying. 7.2 mmol/L before lunch. Still 9.7 mM 2 hours later. What did I have? 3 falafel balls, some mixed salad (cucumber, lettuce, a smallish tomato, couple of sticks of celery and about 4 olives. I did use a drizzle of dressing and some houmous too. I thought that would be quite good! Perhaps I'll leave out the apple and banana I had after next time. Wow. I wonder what it would have made of the Chinese takeaway we had for tea over the weekend...

Anyway, glad I started testing. Very illuminating.

It may be worth starting another thread on food to keep this thread more or less on track. ("Have you been told not to test your blood sugars?" is the subject of the thread.)
Your lunch sounds very good, both taste wise and blood glucose wise and I'm jealous, I had a sorry cracker for lunch.
The apple and banana sounds like the likely culprits here. Fruits are very high in carbs in general, and if two pieces at once didn't raise you over 9.7, things look pretty good.

Thanks for the tag @Antje77 I’m away from home this week but hopefully my info will copy and paste ok on my phone!

Every day is a school day, and now we know it works even on your phone so we'll keep tagging you no matter where you are!
I hope it's an enjoyable week away from home!