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More sugar in my right side than my left!

A

andy1952

Member
Messages
5
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi

For some reason I decided to test my sugar in both my hands at the same time.

Except for two occasions, my right hand consistently reads higher than my left hand and by as much as 1.7 difference on one test. I have tried different batches of test strips and always wash my hands before testing. Any ideas why this may be?

I use Accucheck Performa Nano.

Thanks

Andy
 
I doubt that this is anything more than just coincidence but if it was happening to me I would be tempted to take readings from only the left hand.
 

I have double tested on many occasions because I have found the same, different on both hands one test after the other, different on two fingers on one hand and different on the same finger! Dunno if it's down to the fact that EVERY test done can be up to 2 points out even using the same batch of strips or that blood from different parts of the body just give different results. For example, I guess we are told to use only fingers for testing and not our toes or bum or ear, etc.
 
Oddly, I've noticed the side of a Libre tested with a traditional meter is around 0.8mmol higher, where as 't'other side can be a little higher. As much as 1.5mmol, using an Accu-Chek Mobile..
This could just be down to blood flow & the concentration of glucose in the blood in that area of the body at or there abouts that time?
It could be the "lag" twix readings as general BG drops or rises? And as certain parts of the body uptake glucose for energy too.
These tests do represent a "snapshot in time" of anything upto 20 minutes prior.

I'm just a "laymen." But that's my understanding of what's happening.. Still more reliable than urinating on a strip.
 
There is obviously a sweet side to you !!
 
I knew there had to be an upside Jaylee .

The idea that there is a time lag and therefore a sugar content difference seems plausible. It is concerning since I don't know which reading to regards as the 'real' one.

I guess I should have paid more attention in Biology (although half the tine was spent dodging the board rubber that the teacher used to throw around liberally). Then I might know which direction the blood flows round the body and which hand is reached first after the pancreas!

Time to reach for google?
 

My dusty school days came a little later. But i also remember the flying board rubber or a swinging meter rule to check that full attention was paid...

I use an Accu-Chek Mobile & know for fact it reads 15% higher than a calibrated NHS standard issue device..

Google can be a friend & "tormentor." So can these meters..
 
I'd like to be relaxed about it, but the DVLA advice (T2) is that you must test within 2 hours of driving and every 2 hours when driving distances.

According to my diabetes nurse, in the event of an accident the Police will look at your meter. Which reading would they take? Can they rely on it?

Presumably the 'sensible' course would be to test the finger that gives the higher result since they only have metrics for hypos?
 

Hi Andy, the police would rely on medical advice if the reading was going to be used for anything. Who knows what a Dr or Consultant might say, I would imagine if you had taken 2 or 3 readings, the higher one is the one that would be used (reasonable doubt and all that gives YOU the benefit of that doubt). A different matter I guess if the other Driver sues you. (I'm guessing you are on a glucose lowering medicine, is it only insulin now that requires you to do a test for driving??).
 
Do you take longer reading one side to the other? The water in a blood sample will evapourate whereas the glucose wont.
 
Could it be than when testing the side with which you normally perform tasks that you are using your less coordinated hand to perform the test and therefore maybe the whole test takes longer and with different evaporation rates in the various compounds in that little blob of red stuff that there is bound to be a slight difference?
 
I'm on gliclazide which lowers glucose and so have to test. I wouldn't have said there was any difference in the testing time. It might take longer to position the lancet, but I already have the test strip inserted into the reader, so once the blood appears it is literally no more than a second to apply the test strip.

I do change the lancet each time so there is no cross contamination. I've also tried testing twice on the left and twice on the right. That produced an identical reading for the first finger and a variation of only 0.1 for the second. I haven't tried that again as yet because my fingertips were slightly tender
 
I know my blood pressure is different if I measure from right arm compared to left. I assume this is due to the heart's "plumbing" but Ive never tried your experiment.
I do remember reading in my meter manual that taking a blood sample from a hand palm may not be as accurate as a finger tip sample but not sure why.
 
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I wonder if this may be partially attributable to varying blood flow in the capillaries of each hand. Possibly as a result of glucotoxicity over time, or maybe just a natural variance. Perhaps with lower blood flow in the extremities glucose accumulates more in that hand?
 
It seems to me to be a case of circulation affecting levels. If a person is right handed, you instinctively use that hand/arm many many times a day. I'd imagine blood flow and circulation is better in the right side as a result.... I could be wrong, could also be witchcraft at play.
 
Capillary action may the answer I suppose. Diabetes can affect capillaries (my brother in law lost a leg to gangrene and has since lost his second leg).

I have some background retinopathy (apparently not a problem at the moment) but that suggests some capillary deterioration.
 
Does it matter whether your left or right handed? Because about 90% of people are right handed... But, my right hand has always tested higher than my left.. so far... But I've only been diagnosed a diabetic for alittle over year.. And I stopped doing pin prick test regularly after a month or so when I got the glucose patch.. But I still do it occassionly because it seems more accurate in real time because the patch has to take time to catch up. But, my right hand still always tests higher..
 
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