Type 2 Practice nurse said not to test

Two comments. 1. She is an idiot and # 2, ignore her. Keep up testing and metformin is not the magic bullet. Diet, weight control is.

She is wrong. Very wrong. Doctors and nurses love telling us not to test (otherwise they would have to prescribe the means to do so), and advising us to eat more carbs, and then dishing out more pills when we don't improve. If only the NHS would realise that diet is the key, and the only way to find a suitable way of eating is by testing out our food choices.

Please keep testing, before and after meals, taking note of the rise from before to after. This should be no more than 2mmol/l, preferably a lot less. More than that and there are too many carbs in your meal.

Health care professionals just hate to be questioned. We are supposed to be good little children and take the medicine. They love their tick boxes to be filled in in neat lines and woe betide anyone who makes their choices about their own health. I have heard that some dn say testing 'will only make you worry' well, for me, it has had the opposite effect, testing lets me know in real time how my sugars are doing and how they react to different foods. At worst it does no harm and at best it is a teaching tool.

SOME healthcare professionals hate to be questioned.
This may be because they deal with too many Google-diagnosed illness; it may be because they are embarrassed by the lack of money in the NHS and the need to say "no" when they would like to say "yes"; some do not have the time to argue with everyone that comes into their surgery; some are very tired from working incredibly long hours; some are out of date (because the NHS does not have enough money to continue the education and because they are too tired to study in their own time); and some arrogantly think they know best because they studied for many years.

I think the lack of test strips for type 2 is due to a combination of these reasons.

Hi @Liam8668 .. and welcome
Sadly, the advice from your Nursie is typical of the nonsense that many folk here have to put up with. My doc is great .. but after experiencing this sort of rubbish myself from other staff at my surgery, I now employ a simple little mantra whenever I am with my Nursie or other HCPs ...
# Listen
# Nod
# Smile and say thankyou
# Ignore

Also, you say that you do not have diabetes .. but, with your blood glucose readings at 10+ and an increasing dosage of Metformin, I would check with my Doc and ask for an HbA1c test.

Having said all of that, you have made a good move coming here. Since joining this forum, the folks here have given me so much info, advice and support that I am now much more confident about the journey ahead. So ask your questions and be assured that you will receive the answers that you need. It can all seem uphill to start with but, in my experience, it gets easier .. very quickly.

You will come across a lot of confusing and (sometimes) conflicting information but the key point to take on board is that managing and controlling your diabetes (or borderline or pre-diabetes) through exercise, diet and testing your blood glucose seems to be the best way forward for many people. For me, committing to an LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) lifestyle and testing 3-5 times a day seems to be working and you'll find that there is a wealth of info, relevant advice and positive support about LCHF on the forum ..

I have tagged @daisy1 for you and I suggest that you read up on the Low Carb Program in the information that she will soon be sending you. You might also find the discussion on the Low Carb Diet forum helpful .. together with the following Diet Doctor websites, which will give you all the info that you need on what and what not to eat ...
Low Carb Intro and Information and Low Carbs in 60 Seconds

It's good that you are testing your blood glucose levels and I recommend that you test before meals and then again two hours after you started to eat .. some folk also take a fasting blood glucose reading first thing in the morning. This testing pattern will enable you to monitor trends over time and to spot any foods that cause your blood sugar to "spike" or fall ouside the normal ranges. The ranges that you are looking for are ..
# Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
# 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
I've been testing 3-5 times a day since I was diagnosed in February, which means that I now know what my BG levels are .. and I can now manage them

Hope this helps

@Liam8668

I hope things are beginning to work out for you and that the information I gave you is useful. Ask more questions when you need to and someone will be able to help.

Liam8668 said:

I had a routine appt for my blood pressure checked this morning and mentioned about testing my sugars and them not being under 10 for the last 2/3 weeks. I felt like a naughty school child , she said to me I don't understand why you feel the need to test only type 1s should be testing. I did tell her I will keep checking to which she said well that's your choice. I was then told to up my metformin to 3 per day and eventually going up to 4 per day.

Apparently because it's not been 3 months since my last set of tests she wasn't willing to take them.

I just felt very deflated when I came out because it's like I'm not being taken seriously if that makes sense.

I am going to continue testing regardless of what she says as it's me that pays for the strips not them.

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Quite right. It's your health. Test to look after yourself.

Guzzler said:

Health care professionals just hate to be questioned. We are supposed to be good little children and take the medicine. They love their tick boxes to be filled in in neat lines and woe betide anyone who makes their choices about their own health. I have heard that some dn say testing 'will only make you worry' well, for me, it has had the opposite effect, testing lets me know in real time how my sugars are doing and how they react to different foods. At worst it does no harm and at best it is a teaching tool.

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Of course it is. There is no other way but to test.

Metformin does not reduce blood sugar very much. It does suppress appetite, so people tend to lose weight, but it has some nasty side effects like diarrhoea with some people. Eating a low carb diet is key to reducing blood sugar levels. Having a glucose meter to check which foods spike your blood sugars is also essential. Avoid breakfast cereals, bread, potatoes, rice and pasta. Also avoid fruit juice and fruit such as bananas and grapes.

Liam8668 said:

I had a routine appt for my blood pressure checked this morning and mentioned about testing my sugars and them not being under 10 for the last 2/3 weeks. I felt like a naughty school child , she said to me I don't understand why you feel the need to test only type 1s should be testing. I did tell her I will keep checking to which she said well that's your choice. I was then told to up my metformin to 3 per day and eventually going up to 4 per day.

Apparently because it's not been 3 months since my last set of tests she wasn't willing to take them.

I just felt very deflated when I came out because it's like I'm not being taken seriously if that makes sense.

I am going to continue testing regardless of what she says as it's me that pays for the strips not them.

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Ignore them that's why there are so many out of control through the likes of her,don't feel in the wrong it's nhs not you. K

Granny_grump_ said:

Ignore them that's why there are so many out of control through the likes of her,don't feel in the wrong it's nhs not you. K

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Keep testing if you can. It's your body and you are obviously trying to be responsible and look after it. Knowledge is power. Keep up the good work

I bet if the practice nurse had T2D she would be testing no matter what advise she was giving others. Keep doing what you feel is in your best interests and test.

Ignore your DN nurse. Gp,s and DN,S always say never to test.
It's purely because they don,t want to issue test strips because it would cost a fortune.
Mine said the same.
Carry on testing. I still test after 3 years. If we did, t test, we won,t know if our levels are rising, only will find 9ut at the yearly blood test. If they had/have risen, to me that means more damage to our bodies, which in turn would cost the NHS more money to treat us

I was told exactly the same and was also told to up metformin to 3 then 4 per day which did seem strange given there had been no hba1c since starting on metformin
luckily I google and found out how much GP surgeries are paid based on diagnosis and treatment, they do not get paid if you keep your levels under control via any other means

Its all about the money
there is one good thing I have noticed though if you need a quick appointment with your GP tell the receptionist you think your diabetic medication needs looking at

Mike D said:

Two comments. 1. She is an idiot and # 2, ignore her. Keep up testing and metformin is not the magic bullet. Diet, weight control is.

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I agree with you 100% Mike! I was put on metformin and had terrible side effects. The DN was going to put me straight on to insulin injections but I decided to try a low carb diet with exercise first (carefully avoiding the DN for a few weeks while I got to work on the lifestyle changes!). I was then given a different DN (thankfully) who was very supportive of my approach, especially as she could see it was working. My first HbA1c came back at 42 from 80 when diagnosed 3 months earlier. I only achieved this because I ignored the advice from the original DN and bought a test meter... best thing I could have done! I still test regularly and always when I eat something different to my usual foods, my waking is around 6.0 and it stays controlled all day. I wouldn't know all this without my trusty meter, and I definitely ' eat to my meter'.

I SHOULD be getting free test strips prescribed by gp! They have put so many obstacles in my way to getting them that I just buy my own... seems silly that they give you a test kit but the strips are SOOOOO expensive! They should just give out the SD codefree as the strips are a fraction of the price!
I don't know if it is just me but when seeing the dn and speaking they seem too scared to defy me! I come in with a whole spread sheet of blood glucose results and they don't tell me to stop! One did try to say I have Bgl under control because I lost weight and so I had to put them straight... I sorted Bgl with diet and that diet causes me to lose weight... but the Bgl control came before the weight loss... they don't question me anymore, I don't let them get away with ignorance because they are supposed to advise people... the correct advise should be given which depends on the person which is unique to them.

But yes keep testing, write them down on a spread sheet... include what was eaten and times etc (yes it is a hassle) but that will help you to work out what your body copes with and what it doesn't... remember you are unique, what other low carbers can tolerate you may not! Only testing will tell.

When I went low carb it did take about 6 weeks to get my Bgl below 10! Your body is obviously used to the higher blood sugars and so will do what it can to maintain that "norm" it takes time to set the new "norm"... I wouldn't worry for now, be confident in yourself, testing gives you the power and knowledge to fix yourself!
Well done for standing your ground.

I had some really strange readings last week, swung between 5 and 12 without eating anything, and felt extremely ill. Work were so concerned that they call 111 for advice. They advised to get emergency appointment with GP/DN. Phoned GP, explained the situation, they couldn't have been less interested. Said they didn't want to know unless I went below 4 and I shouldn't' be testing anyway.
What I don't get is GP/DN say I shouldn't test, but when I went on my DESMOND course last year they said that everyone should be testing as it is the only way to know the effect of what you eat. Who is right?
I bought my own meter and strips and do it anyway, otherwise I won't know when I go below 4 to notify the DN!!

Liam8668 said:

I had a routine appt for my blood pressure checked this morning and mentioned about testing my sugars and them not being under 10 for the last 2/3 weeks. I felt like a naughty school child , she said to me I don't understand why you feel the need to test only type 1s should be testing. I did tell her I will keep checking to which she said well that's your choice. I was then told to up my metformin to 3 per day and eventually going up to 4 per day.

Apparently because it's not been 3 months since my last set of tests she wasn't willing to take them.

I just felt very deflated when I came out because it's like I'm not being taken seriously if that makes sense.

I am going to continue testing regardless of what she says as it's me that pays for the strips not them.

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With the greatest of respect why the hell are you paying for your own test strips? If you tell them that the results that testing provide you with enables to make adjustments to your dietary regime which gives you better diabetic control which in turn gives you a better chance of a decent long term outcome and avoids them having to fund treatment for expensive diabetic complications then they should cave in and prescribe for you. If they refuse then tell them that you require this decision in writing with clear clinical reasons for their shortsighted refusal. Tell them that you require evidence because you intend to contact your local CCG directly and appeal their decision and lodge a formal complaint for the amateurish way that they are treating your chronic condition with potentially dangerous long term complications if your condition is poorly managed. I am type 1 ahd my own GP and DSN attempted to reduce my own test strips and failed after I challenged them. I have a very good friend who is type 2 and they refused test strips for her. She challenged them and they immediately caved in to her request. It is a sorry state of affairs but my own GP pretty much admitted that they feel that most diabetics don't have the motivation or lack the tenacity to mount a credible complaint against test strip refusal. I can provide you with a template letter to enable you to start the process if you so wish.

If your GP or practice time nurse make a ropey decision then for them it is a bad day at the office. For you it can be potentially life restricting. You should not feel in the slightest deflated for wanting to take control of your own condition. I commend you for it.