Help!!

Aldorka

Newbie
Messages
2
Type of diabetes
Type 2
I'm a newbie to this forum but also to insulin injections. I live in France but I'm having what I can only describe as language problems in that my French isn't great and my doctor doesn't speak English! My query is this: I have just gone on insulin. My last three-monthly blood test showed a blood sugar level of 9.3. I have done a test every morning for a couple of weeks now and the readings are variable from 1.37 to 2.25 mg/dl. How do these figures compare with my old blood test of 9.3? And by the way, my apologies if this seems like a stupid question but I just don't have a clue!
 

ziggy_w

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,019
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi @Aldorka,

Could provide a bit more information?

Is 9.3 the result of your HbA1c? Was it also done in France, thus presumably in percent? Or is 9.3 your fasting blood sugar at the GP in mmol?

Also, your other numbers were probably meter readings in mg/dl as you say you are in France? Is this correct? Then, it was probably between 137 mg/dl and 225 mg/dl (so no decimal points)? Does this sound reasonable to you?

A reading of 137 mg/dl would translate into 7.6 mmol and a reading of 225 mmol would translate into 12.5 mmol.

Hope this helps. Please feel free to ask further questions if this wasn't what you are looking for.
 

Aldorka

Newbie
Messages
2
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi ziggy_w

Good to hear from you. If I understand things correctly, the 9.3 figure is the result of my HbA1c, or in other words, the result from my last three-monthly test. The other readings are indeed meter readings taken here in France over the last two weeks.

The two readings I mentioned of 137 and 225 are the two extremes in my readings over that period but it varies tremendously from day to day, which worried me somewhat. For example, my meter reading yesterday morning was 137 and this morning it was 188. At the moment one of my local practice nurses is coming to mine each day to determine what dosage I should inject for that day. He says the variation in readings is not that unusual when starting insulin. To me, it seems like a big difference.
 

Dark Horse

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,840
Hi @Aldorka,

Could provide a bit more information?

Is 9.3 the result of your HbA1c? Was it also done in France, thus presumably in percent? Or is 9.3 your fasting blood sugar at the GP in mmol?

Also, your other numbers were probably meter readings in mg/dl as you say you are in France? Is this correct? Then, it was probably between 137 mg/dl and 225 mg/dl (so no decimal points)? Does this sound reasonable to you?

A reading of 137 mg/dl would translate into 7.6 mmol and a reading of 225 mmol would translate into 12.5 mmol.

Hope this helps. Please feel free to ask further questions if this wasn't what you are looking for.
Sorry to nitpick as you're being so helpful but the UK units for blood glucose are mmol/l i.e. mmol per litre. In theory blood glucose could be quoted in, for example, mg/dl, mg/l, mmol/dl or mmol/l so it's best to use the full unit to avoid any possible confusion. HbA1c, on the other hand, is measured in mmol/mol in the UK.
 

ziggy_w

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,019
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I agree with you, @Dark Horse. Was just a bit lazy to look it up, also since this seems to be standardized as either mg/dl or mmol/l.
 
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ziggy_w

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,019
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only