Making Sense of Results

[SJC]

I am shocked today! This morning I got my lowest fasting result ever - 4.2. It's usually about 5 - 5.3. Pre dinner tonight it was 6.0, my highest ever pre dinner ( didn't have any lunch because I felt sick.) 2 hours later it was 7.0, also actually my highest ever reading since I got my BG meter and started testing every day.

All I had for dinner was 3 slices of turkey breast, broccoli, cabbage, mashed cauli with butter and a little cream cheese, and a small amount of gravy. When I had a chicken dinner a few days ago, I had two potatoes and it was only 6.2 two hours later.

 

[cold ethyl]

Could be the gravy if you use instant or a powder - a 50ml serving has 2g carbs in it and believe me, 50ml is nothing.

 

[SJC]

I had gravy, same amount last time with the chicken dinner though cold ethyl. I would have thought two potatoes would have sent it higher than a little gravy. Just taken it again 3 hrs + and it's down to 5.3.

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[andcol]

Spent the afternoon in the glorious sunshine? This can sometimes alter your levels or it could be just an error in the reading (20% error on 7 could mean under 6)

 

[SJC]

Yes, guess so Andrew. Didn't go out this afternoon though as felt nauseous. Probably slight error reading.

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[Andy12345]

i took 2 readings the other night after a piece of the wifes chocolate birthday cake from the same hole and it went 13.5 then 9.6, within 20 seconds of each other, the point of me sharing this is you cant really trust individual readings unfortunately, the testing is more for patterns and trends, sorry this sucks

 

[SJC]

Thanks Andy. Need to eat the same dinner several times to be more conclusive I guess.

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[Andy12345]

yes but the results will vary anyways, im sorry i dont know how long from dx you are but it took several months for my bg to stabillise, it wsnt even possible for me to make any useful notes of meals before then, i was getting higher readings before meals than after, its nuts

 

[SJC]

I am still in disbelief that I am prediabetic actually. I need to believe it. All this last week, my BG hasn't gone above about 6.2. I think I don't want to believe it because I already have other health problems

The high fat seems to be bothering my IBS and berries make my acid problem worse!

 

[Gudrun]

I am shocked today! This morning I got my lowest fasting result ever - 4.2. It's usually about 5 - 5.3. Pre dinner tonight it was 6.0, my highest ever pre dinner ( didn't have any lunch because I felt sick.) 2 hours later it was 7.0, also actually my highest ever reading since I got my BG meter and started testing every day.

All I had for dinner was 3 slices of turkey breast, broccoli, cabbage, mashed cauli with butter and a little cream cheese, and a small amount of gravy. When I had a chicken dinner a few days ago, I had two potatoes and it was only 6.2 two hours later.

Sometimes there is no rhyme nor reason behind our readings... I have noticed several times that the readings from blood from one finger vary quite a lot to taking it from another one (within a few seconds of each other). As Andy says, it's more about trends and patterns.

I check my fasting blood every morning (obviously) and record it. Then I take the monthly average. It's a good way to see whether it goes up or down.
We have to think long term for diabetes control.

 

[SJC]

Hi Gudrun.
Why are we prediabetics actually taking a morning fasting test...other than for curiosity. I didn't bother taking mine this morning. X

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[andcol]

A trend of the fasting measurement is a good indication at how well your liver and pancreas are getting along together.

 

[SJC]

Ok. Thanks Andrew. What kind of morning average is a good indication please?

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[andcol]

Stable or going down is a good indication.

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[annelise]

SJC, you tell that you felt sick and nauseated yesterday. This might easily be the reason for numbers higher than you would have anticipated.

I sometimes see higher numbers even before coming down with something.

annelise

 

[SJC]

Thanks Andrew. My fasting BG has not been more than 5.2 so far and as low as 4.2.

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[SJC]

Thanks annelise. I wondered about ill health affecting it. I have been ill for many weeks

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[andcol]

Thanks Andrew. My fasting BG has not been more than 5.2 so far and as low as 4.2.

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They are excellent numbers.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Stable or going down is a good indication.

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My fasting readings are stable, but the average is 6.1. There is never much variation. BUT I stay at this level all day (other than after meal spike) until before evening meal when it has dropped to an average of 5.4. I go to bed with an identical reading of my fasting level, current average 6.2. From this I deduce my personal base level is about 6. I know that 6 isn't too bad, but because I start at 6, my post meal rises are higher than I would like even though the actual rise isn't bad (average 2.3). I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

 

[SJC]

Thanks Andrew. I hope they stay down there!!