Have you been told not to test your blood sugars?

[Melgar]

100% agree. When you dish out bad advise and quite frankly dangerous advice like that they need reporting. In any other job, giving out incorrect advice would get you reprimanded. When patients well-being is at stake, too right report them. I walked out of my diabetes intro session, the session was full of incorrect dietry advice and they were somewhat condescending towards everybody, like we were 5 years old. I left and did not return.

 

[ATB123]

Was told by the GP practice nurse on receiving the holy CGM, that I didn't need to do finger pricks anymore. - since which time I've done just as many as before to control the CGM or to get a more rapid BG result. She needs offing and I've reported her to the GP.

It's odd advice. Even on the libre training they tell you you still need to check if there's a difference between how you feel and what the libre is telling you. My surgery is pretty good overall, I've been given a GlucoFix and new strips now as well as the Libre, had glucorx before but now I need to be able to check ketones too. I wonder why your surgery has said that, I would have thought it dangerous advice to rely solely on a cgm. Also for driving, you do have to take a meter in the car with you even if wearing a cgm. Sounds like your nurse needs a bit more education and you did the right thing.

 

[Jasmin2000]

It's odd advice. Even on the libre training they tell you you still need to check if there's a difference between how you feel and what the libre is telling you. My surgery is pretty good overall, I've been given a GlucoFix and new strips now as well as the Libre, had glucorx before but now I need to be able to check ketones too. I wonder why your surgery has said that, I would have thought it dangerous advice to rely solely on a cgm. Also for driving, you do have to take a meter in the car with you even if wearing a cgm. Sounds like your nurse needs a bit more education and you did the right thing.

It's one practice nurse who is stealing a living. She was my intro to Libre - she never mentioned the lag or interstitial fluid or checking the CGM against BG ans she write in my notes that I had agreed to "change to freestyle Libre from testing strips" - and that's before I had even tried out the Libre! Even now she still refers to the Libreview data as "blood glucose".

I suggested she get some more education on the Libre. She declined and went back to being an oxygen thief.

 

[Lainie71]

As I am a type 2 I have been told I don't need to test! However, I ignore what I am told generally. If I am told not to do something, I will do it! I test and self fund

 

[Jasmin2000]

As I am a type 2 I have been told I don't need to test! However, I ignore what I am told generally. If I am told not to do something, I will do it! I test and self fund

It's a sad refection of the quality of UK GP practices in general. Fortunately, the majority of DSNs at the hospital level are competent and helpful.

 

[Lainie71]

It's a sad refection of the quality of UK GP practices in general. Fortunately, the majority of DSNs at the hospital level are competent and helpful.

Yes my DN knows not to rattle me know lol

 

[ATB123]

It's one practice nurse who is stealing a living. She was my intro to Libre - she never mentioned the lag or interstitial fluid or checking the CGM against BG ans she write in my notes that I had agreed to "change to freestyle Libre from testing strips" - and that's before I had even tried out the Libre! Even now she still refers to the Libreview data as "blood glucose".

I suggested she get some more education on the Libre and even offered to give (I'm a jr. clinician in a gestational diabetes ward at the Hospital where we use Libre's a lot). She declined and went back to being an oxygen thief.

It's so variable isn't it. At our surgery we have one diabetes nurse who is pretty good. Then we have one who is the exact opposite and is bad, very bad, in that she doesn't seem to have any knowledge at all. I've now been told by the good nurse, that if I have any problems with my insulin or diabetes, I'm to ring the surgery and request to speak with either her or my Gp, who happens to have specialised in diabetes. They must know how bad she is to have said that!

 

[cornylady]

By the time I actually got to see the DN I had made the decision to self fund a libre2 (T2) and had over a weeks data. During our appointment she never mentioned testing till I brought it up at the end and said I had a CGM and offered to show her the data. Her response was she had never seen one except in her training. I found the whole experience very frustrating - including the poor advice on diet. I was scheduled to see the GP a few days later. I did tell them it was not a positive experience but I don't think they wanted to listen, although the GP was much better and supported my approach of wanting to manage the T2 with diet rather than medication. I have been unendingly grateful to find this forum. It has helped me so much. I am currently 2 months in and predicted HbA1c on CGM is now 38 compared to my starting point of 55. I know that is only a guide but I've seen my numbers improve over the weeks and feeling much more confident in what I am doing, thanks to this group.
Also to add - the DN was not new and actually had a student in with her, so she was training someone else!

 

[Pandemonium]

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.

I was diagnosed last week and told not to test.
The nurse basically told me I have type 2 diabetes, go for 50g of carbs per meal, and see her again in 3 months for more blood tests.
I came away feeling totally confused and wondering how I'm going to manage this disease. Then I messaged my surgery and insisted on needing a monitor as I'm feeling so awful, I need to learn what is making me feel so ill. I've been given a monitor but been told I need to supply my own strips and needles etc.

 

[jjraak]

I was diagnosed last week and told not to test.
The nurse basically told me I have type 2 diabetes, go for 50g of carbs per meal, and see her again in 3 months for more blood tests.
I came away feeling totally confused and wondering how I'm going to manage this disease. Then I messaged my surgery and insisted on needing a monitor as I'm feeling so awful, I need to learn what is making me feel so ill. I've been given a monitor but been told I need to supply my own strips and needles etc.

Par for the course it seems in far too many surgeries.

If I had my way, the "Come back later" part of those conversations would include an overview of Ways to manage T2D, that INCLUDED a link to this site & a recommendation to read up on the success many have on a more informed LCHF diet.

Be interesting to see how the lchf adoptees faired against those who follow the more traditional Eatwell die-t.

Either way, a welcome to the forum from a fellow survivor of that first skirmish with indifference of the system to T2D .

And a Gold star for finding the forum so quickly.


Best wishes on your journey back to better BG levels.

 

[Taighnamona]

By the time I actually got to see the DN I had made the decision to self fund a libre2 (T2) and had over a weeks data. During our appointment she never mentioned testing till I brought it up at the end and said I had a CGM and offered to show her the data. Her response was she had never seen one except in her training. I found the whole experience very frustrating - including the poor advice on diet. I was scheduled to see the GP a few days later. I did tell them it was not a positive experience but I don't think they wanted to listen, although the GP was much better and supported my approach of wanting to manage the T2 with diet rather than medication. I have been unendingly grateful to find this forum. It has helped me so much. I am currently 2 months in and predicted HbA1c on CGM is now 38 compared to my starting point of 55. I know that is only a guide but I've seen my numbers improve over the weeks and feeling much more confident in what I am doing, thanks to this group.
Also to add - the DN was not new and actually had a student in with her, so she was training someone else!

Re your predicted A1c. My Libre also predicted 38 and my actual turned out to be 41. Very happy with that.

 

[Helen miller]

I have been told to test my bloods regularly now as they are getting higher and the nurse wants me to stabilise or go on further meds. But I wasn't encouraged to test for the first 10 years

 

[jjraak]

I have been told to test my bloods regularly now as they are getting higher and the nurse wants me to stabilise or go on further meds. But I wasn't encouraged to test for the first 10 years

Most of us weren't even aware a civil war had begun inside us.

1st line of defence..know your enemies weakness & strengths

2nd line of defence keep away from the pre diabetic zone

3rd line of defence once pre diabetic keep away from full diabetic zone

All of which eluded me, and many others I suspect

But that 4th line of defence once DX'd as Type 2, should be resolute & one we should be encouraged to begin immediately, imho.
Aka Testing on a daily basis.

Shameful it's scorned by too many who should know better.


Best wishes the road ahead is much clearer now the testing has illuminated it.

 

[Muddiford]

I was given testing strips on prescription at the practice where I was diagnosed with type 2 and after changing Drs and practice, they told me I wasn't allowed testing strips and had to buy them if I wanted them. They never said don't test though; when I complained, my doctor asked why do you need them and what will you do if you have a high reading? This is the same doctor that issued me with blood pressure tablets that came with a warning 'not to be taken with metformin'. I'm regularly around 16 to 18 when I use a friends BC meter and the surgery has just phoned this morning to say my last blood test was in the high 50's and asked what had I been eating lately. I do find it hard to be polite sometimes to these so called professionals but what course of action is open to this? My doctor doesn't seem to be bothered and my requests falls on deaf ears. An additional frustration is the friend who's blood meter I use, is on metformin but she gets given testing strips on prescription at the same practice I'm registered with.

 

[Antje77]

Hi @Muddiford , I think you'll find the answers to most of your questions on your own thread! https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/testing-strips-stopped-by-doctor.200736/
And I'm sorry, I'm afraid there is not much you can do if your doctor isn't willing to prescribe teststrips, they are following NHS guidelines.

If you choose to self fund it's worth getting a meter with teststrips from the cheaper end, which work just fine. On the thread I've linked you'll find information on which teststrips are most cost efficient in the UK.

 

[Swiggy]

I have been buying my own strips and following a low carb diet for more than five years. My hba1c was 143 when I was diagnosed and I got it down to 53 but it has never gone below this. I have not lost any weight since I was diagnosed but I have really tried. GP agreed to C-peptide test in 2020 which showed I was producing very high quantities of insulin. GP said that this would inhibit weight loss and told me to carry on restricting carbs and hope that it would work eventually.
My levels have gone through the roof, I have not had a reading below 16.9 since October and my hba1c is now 83. I had an appointment with the practice nurse today to discuss it and she told me that I should stop testing because that is causing me stress and this has probably caused the high glucose levels.
She's suggested that I start taking an SGLTZ and said that I should have three meals a day with starchy food, meat or fish and vegetables but I'm not sure about it.
I'm feeling very confused and I don't know what to do next.

 

[Antje77]

I have been buying my own strips and following a low carb diet for more than five years. My hba1c was 143 when I was diagnosed and I got it down to 53 but it has never gone below this. I have not lost any weight since I was diagnosed but I have really tried. GP agreed to C-peptide test in 2020 which showed I was producing very high quantities of insulin. GP said that this would inhibit weight loss and told me to carry on restricting carbs and hope that it would work eventually.
My levels have gone through the roof, I have not had a reading below 16.9 since October and my hba1c is now 83. I had an appointment with the practice nurse today to discuss it and she told me that I should stop testing because that is causing me stress and this has probably caused the high glucose levels.
She's suggested that I start taking an SGLTZ and said that I should have three meals a day with starchy food, meat or fish and vegetables but I'm not sure about it.
I'm feeling very confused and I don't know what to do next.

Hi @Swiggy , I'm sorry to hear you are struggling.
What about starting a new thread with your post and questions? It's much more about finding a way in your diabetes management than about having been told not to test, and I think you'll get more useful replies if you post your own thread.

All the best, and I hope things will improve soon for you!

 

[Robo42]

I was diagnosied type 2 over 20 years ago & only managed to be diet controlled because of originally testing pre/apres meals & logging what I ate. SO I could see what affected ME. Only last couple of years have I gone onto a small dose of Sitagliptin. At first I had test strips on prescription but soon stopped, most testers have been free but test strips can be costly. I now just test when I feel high/low or eat something I am not use to. My hba1c is tested mostly once a year used to be twice a year, fairly steady at 41. Gps still say don't test which is rubbish. My tester is a basic one but test strips are a fair price.
I would not have been able to be diet controlled for so long without knowing what affects me.

 

[kim#mimi]

My Dr told me I didn't need to test but could do if I wanted to, as I control my diabetes with diet.

 

[creamcat]

Yes, I was told testing is unnecessary for type 2's not on insulin by my nurse.