hba1c and self testing

Hi all, I`ve followed this forum for a few years now but this is my first post. I am type 2 with normally good bg control which got even better when I went lchf after reading about it on here, in fact after losing weight my GP took me off gliclazide because of a favourable hba1c ! Since then I have been testing before my evening meal and two hours after and have been a little dismayed to see readings of between 8 and 10 most of the time. However I have just had my latest hba1c result of 49 or 6.6 in old money! and to say I`m chuffed to little mint balls would be an understatement. My question (eventually) is how can there be such a discrepancy between daily test readings and hba1c? Thanking you in anticipation.

cyclist said:

Remember that your hba1c is an average - you are not eating all day every day

Well done on this achievement

Are you on any other meds (eg Metformin SR?)

Are your pre-meal BG 8 or just the post-meal BG?

What is a standard meal?

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Hi cyclist, I am on metformin 500g x 4 , the bg readings are often almost the same both pre and post meal. My meals usually consist of meat and veg, no white carbs, no starch and no sugar.

cyclist said:

That sounds natural
Mine are often similar (with the post-meal BG reading often lower than pre after 2 hours)

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Oh right, not so weird after all then! cheers.

sanguine said:

Make sure your fingers are spotlessly clean when testing - the slightest bit of dirt (or food) will affect the result. I usually scrub mine.

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Yes, I always wash my hands before testing but I admit I don`t always use a fresh lancet.

sanguine said:

Not really necessary, I change mine every couple of weeks.

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I don`t leave it too long either as new lancets are sharper and therefore less painful.