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Lynne W

Newbie
Messages
2
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Hi I have looked around this forum for quite a while and found it to be very informative and supportive. Keep up the very good work.

My name is Lynne and I am 54, I was mis diagnosed as type 2 in October 2008 and was prescribed metformin, glicazine, simvastatin and asprin. My HBa1C at that time was 10.

After an emergency admittance to hospital in February 2009 with severe dehydration and diabetic ketonacidosis was then diagnosed as late onset type 1. Now on hummalog, lanus and aspirin, I dropped the simvastin because it was causing me really bad aches and pains in my legs.

Now for many years I have followed a very low carb diet cos it works for me so this, after I threw my diabetic kit away several times, has enabled me to control my bg's quite well, not all of the time though.

Yesterday I had my appointment with my Clinic Doctor who told me that I was testing excessively.
I test 4 times a day before meals and before bed. The Doctor said if I carried on testing in this way I would have no fingers left in years to come. (By the way my HBa1C is now 6.5)

I keep a food diary, but I need to know what bg I am before I decide the dose of insulin to inject with the food I am having.

Has anyone else been told that they were testing excessively
 
I'm a very stable well controlled T2 and my doctor tells me I over test. Once a day, with strips I buy on eBay!! :shock:
You are right, You are the one whose health is at issue. Ask him if he would test rarely, if it were his problem.
Also investigate alternative site testing. That would save your fingers.
 
Hi Lynne,

Probably most people on this forum have been told at some time that they are testing too much. But this has nothing whatsoever to do with your health or welfare. It is simply the case that PCTs (who control the NHS purse-strings) are trying to cut down costs by encouraging diabetics to test less. Of course this is a completely false economy because less testing results in more patients developing diabetic complications, which leads to far higher costs later on. But as far as the PCTs are concerned that is someone else's problem in the future.

If you are a driver, you might remind your GP that there is a legal requirement for all insulin dependent diabetics to test their BS EVERY time they start a journey, and to retest every 2 hours on a long journey. In order to comply with the law, that would require you to call at his surgery to be tested every time you need to drive anywhere. Will he be willing to provide that service?
 
Re strips google turned up this guideline for self-monitoring for Warrington hospitals
http://www.warringtonandhaltonhospi...uments/bloodglucoseselfmonitoringguidance.pdf
It clearly states the DVLA rules for driving and insulin.
I carried on looking and was surprised to find several more:
North East Essex.
http://www.northeastessexpct.nhs.uk...cose Monitoring Type 1 2 Diabetes July 07.pdf
Hull
http://www.erypct.nhs.uk/upload/HER... Self Blood Glucose Monitoring Guidelines.pdf
Gwent
http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/Documents/814/Gwent-BloodGlucoseSelfMonitoringGuidelines.pdf
I wonder if they exist for all areas of the country: a collection of links to them could be useful )


In spite of using 50 strips a week,my fingers seem in excellent condition except for a multitude of little black dots. I even manage to play the concertina with them so I don't think they're about to wear out!
 
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