How many times does everyone check their glucose levels every day?

[Grumpy ole thing]

Hi @KJKing
about 4 for me, a couple more if something goes wrong.

 

[Breck Lundin]

I do 15 to 20 a day with mine, starting my trial on freestyle libre at the end of the month.

Lately I've been testing 15-25 times daily. BG level has been very dynamic in an unpredictable way.

 

[Breck Lundin]

I am now on insulin and test 4x per day and keep a log. I notice that amount of food and time interval can keep the numbers relatively OK: 6.5 to 11 and sometimes 5.1. Because A1C tests can only be done in a lab, I have always wondered what the correlation is between finger meter tests and hemoglobin rate. I don't think they are the same.

did you know Amazon sells the Bayer home A1C testing kit? I'm in the US they maybe be Rx only in the UK?

The kits have 3 tests and can be a bit fiddly at first but i get great results, or did until Bayer bought the company who created them. Went up in price by a factor of around 4x..still i used to buy a couple kits a year for convenience.

Kits were dead on accurate for me. My Doc at the time just rolled his eyes when i first brought a kit into the office to show/demo it...then i went for blood work and tested myself at the lab, the tech was fascinated, and the numbers from lab & kit were exactly the same.

I think any sort of self-management tools we can find can only help. And not all are right for everyone.

Hope it's a possibility you can buy a kit on Amazon UK, if not maybe you can sneak one in via US.

 

[Breck Lundin]

found thd right kit in Amazon US...

A1CNow SelfCheck - Includes Analyzer and 4 Test Strips https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FMLTTH6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_HSb6CbGEFQKGD

They were under $20 when i first found them.

EDIT:

Oh wow, I'm done complaining about the price here. They are on UK Amazon but cost much more:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/A1CNow-Lon...ywords=A1CNow&qid=1558715606&s=gateway&sr=8-1

Maybe it's ok to buy from US site and still come out ahead with shipping & any VAT that might be due?

 

[Erin]

did you know Amazon sells the Bayer home A1C testing kit? I'm in the US they maybe be Rx only in the UK?

The kits have 3 tests and can be a bit fiddly at first but i get great results, or did until Bayer bought the company who created them. Went up in price by a factor of around 4x..still i used to buy a couple kits a year for convenience.

Kits were dead on accurate for me. My Doc at the time just rolled his eyes when i first brought a kit into the office to show/demo it...then i went for blood work and tested myself at the lab, the tech was fascinated, and the numbers from lab & kit were exactly the same.

I think any sort of self-management tools we can find can only help. And not all are right for everyone.

Hope it's a possibility you can buy a kit on Amazon UK, if not maybe you can sneak one in via US.

That is very cool Breck. A1C testing kit on Amazon; I will check it out. I suspect, though that you have to send you blood sample, and they have to return the results. BTW I am in Canada, but I will check it. Thank you.

 

[Breck Lundin]

That is very cool Breck. A1C testing kit on Amazon; I will check it out. I suspect, though that you have to send you blood sample, and they have to return the results. BTW I am in Canada, but I will check it. Thank you.

great but as o mentioned i used that A1CNow kit for several yeats so i'm intimate familiar with them.

You test in a fashion similar to using one of out BG meters. It takes a bit more blood. All the tools are in the kit. Results take about a minute if i recall correctly.

They really are great and really accurate.

Hope the info helps....I noticed there were a couple mentions in the thread by others who have used them

 

[Listlad]

I don’t test at all. I use secondary indicators only. It works for me.

My GP says I don’t need to. I have an appointment with him next week so I will ask why not.

 

[britishpub]

My GP says I don’t need to. I have an appointment with him next week so I will ask why not.

I’m guessing he’ll say that as you do not have Diabetes and have never been diagnosed with Diabetes that self-testing is an absolute waste of time.

 

[Listlad]

I’m guessing he’ll say that as you do not have Diabetes and have never been diagnosed with Diabetes that self-testing is an absolute waste of time.

Check the stats. I had a 49. Then dropped into the Prediabetes range. I then reversed that condition. I am still down as Prediabetic at the surgery.

Essentially dropped from 49 to 36 without a meter. That is clearly from a T2 diabetic range to a non diabetic range.

 

[HSSS]

@Listlad I’m assuming you never had a second confirmatory test at a diagnosable level, hence why you are labelled as prediabetic by your surgery not type 2. And if they won’t recommend testing to type 2, with potentially much higher levels than yours have been, then it’s unlikely they would recommend it to a prediabetic.

The usual excuses of sore fingers, anxiety and “what will you do about the results anyway without insulin?” are likely to be trotted out for both you and most type 2 though. All of which have good answers if the dr in question wants to listen to the answers. So it’s likely to be ignorance/denial of those answers or toeing the party line because of costs (short sighted when compared to the cost of complications and quite possibly the stronger meds).

 

[Listlad]

@Listlad I’m assuming you never had a second confirmatory test at a diagnosable level, hence why you are labelled as prediabetic by your surgery not type 2. And if they won’t recommend testing to type 2, with potentially much higher levels than yours have been, then it’s unlikely they would recommend it to a prediabetic.

The usual excuses of sore fingers, anxiety and “what will you do about the results anyway without insulin?” are likely to be trotted out for both you and most type 2 though. All of which have good answers if the dr in question wants to listen to the answers. So it’s likely to be ignorance/denial of those answers or toeing the party line because of costs (short sighted when compared to the cost of complications and quite possibly the stronger meds).

I did enquire about a month ago from one of the other GPs and he flatly refused test strips and meter. Said they were not necessary unless prone to hypos. Yes he did mention costs.

I didn’t have 2 consecutive readings in the T2 zone but that does not rule me out of having been a T2 for a spell, only on paper.

But this has become gross derailment. My point is that I do not test at all and never have, despite having been in the Type 2 zone.

 

[Ashintheuk]

I did enquire about a month ago from one of the other GPs and he flatly refused test strips and meter. Said they were not necessary unless prone to hypos. Yes he did mention costs.

I didn’t have 2 consecutive readings in the T2 zone but that does not rule me out of having been a T2 for a spell, only on paper.

But this has become gross derailment. My point is that I do not test at all and never have, despite having been in the Type 2 zone.

Have you done a glucose tolerance test?

 

[MeiChanski]

Hello! I've had this conversation with my therapist who thinks I am treading on the deeper end of anxiety over testing. I test about the same as everyone else - 8-12times a day. Some times I don't sleep just to test, some times I test 10 mins after the previous test. Not because I forgot about the previous test, it's to give me an "you're okay" feeling but it is quite short lived so I test again. Even with the libre I kept scanning and scanning.

 

[Ashintheuk]

Hello! I've had this conversation with my therapist who thinks I am treading on the deeper end of anxiety over testing. I test about the same as everyone else - 8-12times a day. Some times I don't sleep just to test, some times I test 10 mins after the previous test. Not because I forgot about the previous test, it's to give me an "you're okay" feeling but it is quite short lived so I test again. Even with the libre I kept scanning and scanning.

What are your hba1c tests coming back at ?

 

[MeiChanski]

What are your hba1c tests coming back at ?

6.5% - 48
It's a combination of hypos that average out my blood sugar control.
Also taking into account my accident in 2013, where I had a hypo and woke up to paramedics. So I've been either obsessively testing, testing because of fear or testing to comfort myself. My therapist did say it was difficult to define the line between anxiety and diabetics testing to save their life.

 

[Ashintheuk]

6.5% - 48
It's a combination of hypos that average out my blood sugar control.
Also taking into account my accident in 2013, where I had a hypo and woke up to paramedics. So I've been either obsessively testing, testing because of fear or testing to comfort myself. My therapist did say it was difficult to define the line between anxiety and diabetics testing to save their life.

Are you on insulin or sulfonylurea's ?

 

[Listlad]

Have you done a glucose tolerance test?

No. I go on secondary indicators.

 

[Ashintheuk]

No. I go on secondary indicators.

Excuse my ignorance what are these?

 

[Listlad]

Excuse my ignorance what are these?

I think that might need to go in a different thread.

 

[Ashintheuk]

I think that might need to go in a different thread.

I get 'secondary indicators', but they are primarily neuropathy in my calves when running high . I get a bit shakey when I go lower, but not in the hypo range, so a good warning. My hba1c was up to 75 before I started insulin, but now the neuropathy is in abeyance. So it's the right thing to do