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Question??

carnabychick

carnabychick

Well-Known Member
Messages
104
Location
Leicestershire
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Insulin
I was diagnosed just over 4 weeks ago and originally started on Metformin 1000mg x 2 daily, now on Glucophage SR 1000mg which i take twice a day too.
I wondering how long does it take for glucose not to be seen on the urine test strips. I've only noticed a few times that its been negative, rest of the time i get moderate to strong test results. I am also testin my blood sugar and my average seems to be between 7 - 9 mmols tho i have seen 5's and even as high as 12's :?:
Should i go back the doc or do i need to give it bit more time.

Any answers greatly appreciated

Thx

Shirl
 
Hi Shirl,

It does take time for the Metformin to work properly. It's usually around 2 to 2 and a half months. I saw a marked improvement by then. My sugar was high on diagnosis. By 3 months it had gone right down and stablized.

Good luck.
Joely :)
 
Thx Joely :D that makes me feel a bit better.
I've also got a virus at the mo which has knocked me sideways so that maybe why i'm getting high results as i've got a headache i cant get rid of grrr.
Think if still ****** tomorrow will go see my doc n see what he says.

Shirl
 
carnabychick said:
I was diagnosed just over 4 weeks ago and originally started on Metformin 1000mg x 2 daily, now on Glucophage SR 1000mg which i take twice a day too.
I wondering how long does it take for glucose not to be seen on the urine test strips. I've only noticed a few times that its been negative, rest of the time i get moderate to strong test results. I am also testin my blood sugar and my average seems to be between 7 - 9 mmols tho i have seen 5's and even as high as 12's :?:
Should i go back the doc or do i need to give it bit more time.

Any answers greatly appreciated

Thx

Shirl
Click to expand...

You only get glucose in the urine when your blood sugar levels are round about 12 mmol/L or above.

When are you testing your blood sugars ? If you only test before meals then you will miss the higher numbers that can occur after eating. Testing two hours after a meal will show you just how the food is affecting your blood sugar levels. If you are eating too many carbs per meal then although the Glucophage will help it will not be able to bring your blood sugar levels right down to normal levels.

Your average numbers do not seem to correlate to the levels you are getting in your urine, there must be 'spikes' that you have not caught when you are testing.
 
I do try and test 2 hours after food depending on if i have enough test strips :| , today i've tested twice and got readings of 9.5 2 hours after breakfast n 8.9 half hour later. (reason for testin so soon after was because i got a free one touch meter in the post and wanted to try it out!!!)
I tend to test my urine when i remember, but did make a point of testing today and it was neg when i got up and then went upto +2, 2 hours after breakfast?? For breakfast i had small bowl of branflakes with semi skimmed milk and cup of tea. :?

Shirl
 
That is what we were wondering. Check the carb content of the ready meal........Pasta, slow acting which leads to the 'Pizza effect' where it will rise after a longer period..........something to be avoided or at least factored in......
 
ahhh i didnt realise that about the pasta.
The doc did actually want me to go upto 3000mg of normal metformin a day but decided to give me a go on Glucophage SR, not sure wether to ask him shud i try the xtra tablets as even bran flakes makes me go high.
This is soo hard to get my head around :(
 
I know it's confusing but you will get there.....slowly but surely. :)

Have you read the advice Sue and I give out to Newly Diagnosed which is in the Greetings and Introduction section ?

It isn't so much upping or changing the Meds as getting used to the idea that too many carbs is bad for a Diabetic. Many of us have to reduce them to attain good control.

A simple fact........Carbs = Glucose = Insulin = Fat. Break that chain and the end product is reduced, so carbs have to be reduced, which will reduce Bg levels, then the requirement for Insulin, injected or natural is reduced and as a result .......no or less weight gain. Most usually lose weight that way. :D

Simplified but you get the picture........???
 
Hiya thx that makes sense, i have been cutting down on carbs but deffo need to cut down a lot more, will keep a close eye on what i am eating and keep testing to see if its working.

Thanks again :D

Shirl
 
Shirl
The amount of glucose that shows up in your urine depends on how much is in your blood and what is called your "renal threshold". That is the blood glucose level at which your kidneys simply cannot hold back the glucose and it "spills over". As has already been stated, that for most people is when your blood glucose is dangerously high. In addition, negative urine glucose does not mean your blood glucose is under control. It could still be high.
The only way to be sure is to get a blood glucose meter and test strips. The PCTs are not giving them to T2 diabetics in most regions now, beccause of cost. They'd rather pay for the consequences of diabetic complications.
To be safe, you need to know what foods affect your BLOOD glucose.
Hana
 
Hana is right about the renal threshold, the level where glucose spills into the urine.
This occcurs at about 10mmol in most people but some people can have a higher or lower threshold .. this happens in perfectly healthy kidneys . It is more common for older people to have a higher threshold (it can be as high as 15mmol).
If your renal threshold is normal and glucose levels are well controlled no glucose should appear in the urine so there should almost never be a positive result. HOWEVER if you have a high threshold then you could be above 10mmol for much of the time yet still have a negative result on a urine strip.
This is the reason that urine testing is next to useless for everyday testing in diabetes.
 
Hi everyone
Thanks for all your replies. I'm deffo gonna keep an what carbs i am eating and test more regularly. Saw the doc today who has now given me glucobay to try alongside glucophage to see i that helps as well. So at mo back to grumbly belly and windy side effects :twisted:

Shirl
 
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