Prediabetes How accurate are these devices

Grandpa2390

Newbie
Messages
2
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Other
I don't consume a whole lot of carbs. I do enjoy candy here and there, but I can't eat a whole lot because a few pieces and I feel sick. I get thirsty and can't seem to quench it. Frequent urination because I'm drinking so much water to quench my thirst. I'm not saying that the thirst and sugar are correlated well enough to make a claim because it isn't always so. Sometimes I can drink a soft drink and have my thirst quenched. other times a soft drink will make me miserable with thirst.

but the last couple days I've grown more concerned than I had been for years when I tried a sugary alcoholic beverage based on an online recipe and had to lie down for 2 hours waiting for the nausea to pass. I don't really know what it feels like to be intoxicated, but I don't think this was intoxication. and on other occasions, eating just 3 Reese's cups (the larger ones)had the same effect on me. It just doesn't seem like an appropriate response. I don't tend to think that 3 Reese's for a normal person should make them feel sick. This is not something I eat all the time. just occasional.

So, on to the topic: last night I finally said how can I check for diabetes. Is there a way without going to a doctor? I found online that I could buy a tester and fast for 8 hours and check. I ran out and bought a tester with positive reviews. and I played with it last night. roughly 1 hour after I started feeling ill from the candy, I had a reading of 119 mg/dl. Don't know how accurate that is.

This morning I tested myself 4 times. I washed my hands between each time. used different fingers. changed needle things. I went through a few because I didn't always bleed enough.
I pricked myself, tried to massage my finger without squeezing blood out, but... I probably put a bit pressure in my massaging. I'd have pricked myself deeper but my device doesn't seem to work as intended.

I wiped away the first drop of blood because I read it probably contains fluid.
I don't know how well I did this... Going to see a doctor is probably the best next step, but I may have done just fine.

My first reading was 126 mg/dL. But I'm not sure I trust that one because it was my first one. First ones for practice ;)
2nd: 105 mg/dL
3rd: 109 mg/dL
4th: 103 mg/dL
5th: 110 mg/dL this last one I was reusing the needle after I pricked myself, failed to get enough blood, and so I then pricked myself again on a different finger. I also didn't think and used my keyboard to google whether I could reuse a needle. I should have rewashed my hands but I didn't think till after.

How accurate is this device. Is it safe to say that my blood glucose reading is around 106 mg/dL?
and does that mean I probably have prediabetes?

I already eat very little sugar. the most amount of carbs I get are from sandwich bread. I drink mostly water (or this artificially sweetened water beverage we serve at work. SoBe life water). I don't eat pastas or anything like that. I'm not on a specific diet, I just don't care for carbs, except candy, but I consume it rarely. I can't imagine how I could change my diet. Although the symptoms I have, have existed for some time so maybe I've been fending off diabetes with my diet for years now. lol.

I'd like to say that alcohol and I don't agree (I don't drink, I was trying it), and that the candy was spoiled, but I get the feeling that that isn't accurate.
 
Last edited:

novorapidboi26

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,828
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Had you eaten before these tests.....

Those readings seem fine and in non diabetic range....

the device wont give consistent results, there is a acceptable error margin.....and of course you used different fingers which will give results typical of the ones you posted...
 
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Grandpa2390

Newbie
Messages
2
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Other
Had you eaten before these tests.....
This is after fasting for 10 hours. (I set a stop watch after the last thing I ate, played with the tester, then went to bed, woke up and did these)
Those readings seem fine and in non diabetic range....

the device wont give consistent results, there is a acceptable error margin.....and of course you used different fingers which will give results typical of the ones you posted...

A lot of people seem to saying above 100 is prediabetes. and my symptoms. Of course I should go see a doctor, no need to tell me that. But I figured using different fingers would probably be best. I also didn't want to keep pricking the same finger over and over and over. lol. It doesn't sting that bad when done once but... well I'm sure you all know.

I'm not wanting to be told I have prediabetes, but ignorance is not much better. if that make sense. a diagnosis, even a negative one, can be preferable to no diagnosis...

thanks for your response :)
 

Salvia

Well-Known Member
Messages
812
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello @Grandpa2390, and welcome to the forum. There is lots of information that might be of help to you, on the main DCUK site,as well as this forum. If you spend an hour or 4 (!) browsing around there, I'm sure you'll find plenty of stuff to help answer most of your questions. Take a look: click on the "Home" tab at the top left of any page, scroll across to the section titled "Living with Diabetes", and several drop-down menus will appear. On the extreme left there is a sub-section titled "Blood Glucose", with a list of subjects below - click on any of those; they appear to relate to the questions you have. Remember, this is a UK site, so some items will refer to mmol/l measurement (rather than mg/dl); there is a conversion table under the sub-section in the middle of the Living with Diabetes area, called "Tools".


edit: location of conversion tool
 

Alison Campbell

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,443
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Meters are not accurate enough to diagnose type 2 or prediabetes you really do need a doctor to do that for you with blood taken from the arm and sent to a lab.

Different countries have different diagnostic levels and preferred ways of diagnosing prediatetes and type 2.

For instance a HBA1C test of 5.8/40 is considered normal in England but prediabetes in the America.
 

Alexandra100

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,738
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I don't consume a whole lot of carbs. I do enjoy candy here and there, but I can't eat a whole lot because a few pieces and I feel sick. I get thirsty and can't seem to quench it. Frequent urination because I'm drinking so much water to quench my thirst. I'm not saying that the thirst and sugar are correlated well enough to make a claim because it isn't always so. Sometimes I can drink a soft drink and have my thirst quenched. other times a soft drink will make me miserable with thirst.

but the last couple days I've grown more concerned than I had been for years when I tried a sugary alcoholic beverage based on an online recipe and had to lie down for 2 hours waiting for the nausea to pass. I don't really know what it feels like to be intoxicated, but I don't think this was intoxication. and on other occasions, eating just 3 Reese's cups (the larger ones)had the same effect on me. It just doesn't seem like an appropriate response. I don't tend to think that 3 Reese's for a normal person should make them feel sick. This is not something I eat all the time. just occasional.

So, on to the topic: last night I finally said how can I check for diabetes. Is there a way without going to a doctor? I found online that I could buy a tester and fast for 8 hours and check. I ran out and bought a tester with positive reviews. and I played with it last night. roughly 1 hour after I started feeling ill from the candy, I had a reading of 119 mg/dl. Don't know how accurate that is.

This morning I tested myself 4 times. I washed my hands between each time. used different fingers. changed needle things. I went through a few because I didn't always bleed enough.
I pricked myself, tried to massage my finger without squeezing blood out, but... I probably put a bit pressure in my massaging. I'd have pricked myself deeper but my device doesn't seem to work as intended.

I wiped away the first drop of blood because I read it probably contains fluid.
I don't know how well I did this... Going to see a doctor is probably the best next step, but I may have done just fine.

My first reading was 126 mg/dL. But I'm not sure I trust that one because it was my first one. First ones for practice ;)
2nd: 105 mg/dL
3rd: 109 mg/dL
4th: 103 mg/dL
5th: 110 mg/dL this last one I was reusing the needle after I pricked myself, failed to get enough blood, and so I then pricked myself again on a different finger. I also didn't think and used my keyboard to google whether I could reuse a needle. I should have rewashed my hands but I didn't think till after.

How accurate is this device. Is it safe to say that my blood glucose reading is around 106 mg/dL?
and does that mean I probably have prediabetes?

I already eat very little sugar. the most amount of carbs I get are from sandwich bread. I drink mostly water (or this artificially sweetened water beverage we serve at work. SoBe life water). I don't eat pastas or anything like that. I'm not on a specific diet, I just don't care for carbs, except candy, but I consume it rarely. I can't imagine how I could change my diet. Although the symptoms I have, have existed for some time so maybe I've been fending off diabetes with my diet for years now. lol.

I'd like to say that alcohol and I don't agree (I don't drink, I was trying it), and that the candy was spoiled, but I get the feeling that that isn't accurate.
I'ma bit confused as to what tester you are using. Could you post a link to the site you bought it from, or to the reviews you read online? About re-using the lancets (the needle things) people disagree about that. Personally I go on using the same lancet until I start to think it may have got too blunt, one lancet lasts me for ages. Lots of other people on this Forum do the same as me, but lots of others think this is wrong and change every time. The people who sell lancets advise not to re-use, but they would, wouldn't they? What you must NEVER do is let anyone else use the same lancet as you.
 

wiflib

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,966
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
If you're concerned you may be heading towards diabetes, why not alter your diet now, before it happens? I used to love peanut butter cups, but I don't want to die minus my sight, toes and kidney function so I only eat sweet things I've made myself...and that's a rare occurrence.