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Number of times to test

SB.25

Well-Known Member
Messages
369
Location
London
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi all,

I am still trying to get used to the basal and bolus insulin and although my levels have improved, they still tend to run a bit high.

MySugr is telling me that my average BG has been 9.9 over the last month - which I appreciate is a bit high but a lot better than when I was averaging 18 prior to diagnosis!

I also had my eye screening back which came back and showed background retinopathy which really scared me as I’m only recently diagnosed. Since speaking to my DSN and other diabetics, people have assured me it’s normal for diabetics to have this and mine may correct itself (the DSN thinks it was caused by the extremely high hba1c on diagnosis).

Anyways this has led me to try to improve my readings even more.... I am trying to get better at carb counting and inject the correct amounts of insulin. As I have a bit of fear that I’m injecting too much insulin so I think sometimes I have done less than needed.

I wondered how often others test their BG if they are on basal and bolus insulin?

Thanks
 
Hi @SB.25 I have had background retinopathy on and off since diagnosis, will go one year come back the next, don't panic it's just picking up slight changes so at this stage nothing to be worried about

In regards to testing, you are dependent on insulin so testing is simply down to you and how ever many times you feel you need to in helping you achieve good control.

DAFNE suggests testing upon waking, before meals and before bed, as well as before driving and any 'other events' such as exercise/hypo events.
 
Before I used the Libre I tested over 10 times a day, I was pretty newly diagnosed at that time.
Upon waking, before sleeping, before and 2 hours after eating, including a snack. So that's 8 to 10 times.
And then when driving, when feeling funny, when exercising, after hypo's and some random tests to try to understand how it worked, this diabetes thing.
My DN thought it was excessive but it allowed me to understand what my bg was doing when and why pretty soon and I used the information to change doses, timing of injections, exercise and food choices so it helped me a lot with finding very acceptable control.

I started using the Libre pretty soon, which makes it a lot easier to see what's happening and adjust things. It's expensive, though.
 

Thanks for her response. I currently test about 6 times a day - but I’m not sure how this compares to others in my situation.

To be honest I haven’t really had any hypos since the insulin but as I mentioned above I think it’s because I don’t inject enough due to fear of putting on weight or hypoing. Although my weight seems to have stabilised now unlike before when ever week I was putting on weight!

I haven’t yet gone in a DAFNE course as I don’t have a ‘type’.
 
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