Pharmacy diabetes tests?

[Anna123]

Hi

I have all the symptoms of diabetes and 3 weeks ago took a non fasting test at my local tesco. It was just over their prediabetes limit so they said to see a doctor, which I was planning to do anyway.

The doctor organised a fasting blood test but I had to wait 2 weeks for that so went back and did a fasting test at Tesco pharmacy. It was 5.7, again 0.1 over their limit, this time over their fasting limit.
The doctors test came back today, 4.6 which I was told was well within normal range.

So how reliable are the finger prick tests at pharmacies?

My doctor says there's no chance that my having severely reduced my sugar intake for the last 2 weeks could have caused this drop in fasting sugar levels.
But I do seem to be feeling better with a lower sugar diet so will continue with that.

The doctor didn't do a urine test, just bloods, should my urine have been checked for sugars as well?

Any advice?

Relieved that I'm not diabetic, but not sure how else to examine symptoms of constant thirst, going to loo a a lot, headaches if I don't drink lots of water, dizzyness, and feeling like I've got rubber bands round my ankles at the end of the day (they don't look puffy though).

Thanks for any advice.

 

[hanadr]

Anna
The meters used at home and by pharmacies are not wonderfully accurate. At around normal blood glucose levels, most are somewhere within 20% of what a laboratory would find.
If you still have "diabetes like" symptoms, try a lower carb diet. It helps control diabetes and might help you, by evening out your blood glucose.. It's not difficult to keep to either.
Hana

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Those figures are very good and don't indicate diabetes. A urine test would have been negative as your blood sugar has to be over around 10-11mmol for the kidney's to dump sugar. I would continue with a the low-carb diet and get another test in, say, 6 months time or buy yourself a meter if you want to track how you are doing.