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Pre-diabetes- benefits of testing bg at home

hmsb68

Member
Messages
5
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi all!
Last week I had a fasting blood test result of 7.2, and today heard that my Ab1h (oops, can't remember the term- hope you know what I mean!) was 41, so I'm really teetering on the brink of diabetes I think... I'm going to take on board diet and exercise targets, and would be grateful to hear your views on whether I should start home monitoring my bg- what are the + and -, and if I should, how should I go about it?! Thanks in advance!
 
Yes, you should. The main minuses are cost and poking holes in your finger. The main pluses are it could save your life and prevent diabetic complications.
 
I was diagnosed diabetic when my HbA1c was 7.2. So diabetic. Don't follow the NHS healthy plate, read this forum, and follow it.
 

Over 7 is diagnosed as being diabetic you should have two tests really two weeks apart and if both are over seven then that is classed as diabetes
 
Hi and welcome!

The thing to remember is that the bar at which the diagnosis is set is a number, picked by a committee.

In reality, we all live somewhere on a sliding scale of glucose tolerance >>> glucose intolerance.

At the moment, you are fairly low on the slidy scale, and may be heading upwards. but a few changes in diet, exercise and a better understanding of how your body reacts to carbs could send you sliding downwards again.
Which would be marvellous!

So come in, settle down, make a cuppa, and look forward to improving health!
 
Fasting glucose tests are unreliable due to matters not always within our control, which is why some posters above are saying you need a second test to confirm. However, it is your HbA1c test that is used for diagnosis and yours is 41, so dead on the maximum for non-diabetic. You are teetering on the brink but not yet there, so a home meter will help you to stay the right side of the line.
 
Yes, and cut out those nasty carbs (rice, pasta, bread & potato's as well as processed foods).

There is plenty of information on these forums to assist you, including some great food choices.

Good luck!
 
I think that regardless of whether you are diabetic or 'prediabetic', it would certainly benefit you in the long run to change diet and lifestyle with the goal of reducing your blood sugar levels. Getting a blood glucose meter is essential in managing levels.
 
Thank you all for your replies! I feel reassured and will be investigating meters and all the other necessities in the coming days... It will make a difference knowing there's a friendly place to come to ask questions like this
 
I'm "only just" diabetic, diagnosed a few months back, and I now test. It's useful if only so that I know what "normal" is for me, and will eventually know for sure what spikes me and what doesn't. The DESMOND course taught me a lot, and one of the important bits was about insulin resistance: the BS can be fine for a normal person, but it isn't getting from the blood to where I need it. Now I know that if my BS is lower than about 6.4 when I wake up, I'm going to be feeling wobbly due to low BS. Below 6, I'll have problems taking the test because I'm shaking too much. That's nothing like someone who isn't insulin-resistant: they'd be down in the 3s to feel like that.
The "only just" diabetes means that as well as insulin not moving sugar from blood to where it'll do me some good, my production of insulin is erratic. So if I spike, then it takes some time for the pancreas to notice, and then it panics and overdoes things, dropping BS to the point where I'm wobbly again.
This is just me, and the explanation is oversimplified, but you see why measuring to find out what your body does can help a lot.
 

Yup.

I am so in agreement over the insulin resistance.

I had a liver dump (or something) two days ago. It sent my blood glucose higher than it has been for weeks.

And two days later I'm still dealing with the increased insulin resistance nonsense that follows after (feeling wobblier than usual, more lethargic, more apathetic, easily tired.

I don't get the shakes, my signals are different, but you are so right. Testing is a fantastic way of learning how YOUR body reacts to YOUR food and lifestyle.

 
That's really interesting! I've had years of falling asleep on the sofa and even as a child would shake and go pale when I was hungry, and both my babies (now adults) were getting on for 11lbs so I think this has been a long term issue ... I'm looking forward to learning more about how my body reacts to foods/exercise etc. I'm feeling quite positive! Thank you
 
following on from this thread, does anyone recommend a good glucometer thats easy and inexpensive for all the bits and bobs, (I'm not sure that "pre diabetic "would warrant a prescription)
 
jusatplay said:
following on from this thread, does anyone recommend a good glucometer thats easy and inexpensive for all the bits and bobs, (I'm not sure that "pre diabetic "would warrant a prescription)
Click to expand...

The SD Codefree meter is the cheapest I've found.
Lots of people on here use them.
Probably not the most accurate, but fine for type 2s who don't have to worry about hypos, and are using it mainly for spotting trends.

It's available from the manufacturer direct, eBay and Amazon. Delivery usually quite quick.
 
Good news! That's the one I bought Brunneria, and have been testing first thing since starting the Newcastle VLC diet- my average result is now 5.7 and I've lost about a stone and a quarter! Have noticed the only times I'm getting 6.0 or 6.5 for the morning reading is when I've had a tiring or stressful day before- which is very useful information.
 
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