• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Reasonable blood reading?

J

jake60

Well-Known Member
Messages
281
Type of diabetes
Type 2
One doctor tells me 7 another 4.
I can tell when I'm as low as 5 as I start getting a little foggy by 4 I'm a bit confused.
If I'm getting confused at 4 how can 4 be desirable?
 
Are these pre-meal, post-meal or random readings ? Depends on your meds too. Less than 4.5 and can't legally drive if on insulin or BG lowering meds. Need more info really.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Sorry.
T2.
I test when I feel odd.
I can tell if I'm low.
Low sugar seems to be my main problem.
If I do get high readings I know it's going to be high soon as I prick my finger because it hurts.
Doesn't bother me when it's low.
 
I feel great around 5 and 6
 
Not everyone has the ability to sence when their B/G levels drop too low and for most individuals if they can maintain their B/G levels 5.6 mmol/L (Plasma) or even slightly above this, then this is the Ideal.
The confusion may have come about by the two doctors quoting to you what are generally considered the upper and lower B/G band limits, hence their references to the 7.0 mmo/L (Plasma) and the 4.0 mmol/L (Plasma) limits.
 
It is what suits you and what you are going to be doing, if im at 4 and eating within an hr and doing nothing else but if i was going to pop out or hoover etc i would get it higher first
 
Thanks for replies folks.
The illega driving bit is the first time I heard that one!
 
Over 4 and under 6 is good for me. 5 and above to drive and 7 ish before bedtime if there is no active QA insulin on board. Currently I'm 8.7 and ready for bed but think I'll leave it at that because I've had alcohol this evening and still feeling the effects.
 
Hi. What medication are you on? Many diabetics would struggle to get below 6mmol 2 hours after a meal on a meter. It's unusual for a diabetic not on meds to get below 5 two hours after a meal. There are exceptions of course.
 
My average reading is 5.5. I tend to feel light headed most of the time. I have no bp problems and when I mentioned it to my dan a month ago she said it was my body getting used to the lower gb levels. You would think it would be used to it by now . My balance doesn't seem to be as good nowadays either.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
your average level is running at the same as mine. I find as I go below 5.6 my fingers go cold and I never ever had cold hands before. I am not sure why you are feeling light headed and your DSN may be correct, the brain loves sugar and it is screaming that you are not feeding its addiction. Did the DSN say how long the light headedness will last, whether you should go back if it hasn't cleared after so long ...
 
My fasting readings are usully between 4 and 5.5. I try not to go above 6 one hour after a meal but occasionally I go up to 7.5. I try to eat food that gets my bg down to my pre-meal level at two hours after.

No problems so long as I keep the carb content very low and don't over-eat on protein.
 
Andrew Colvin said:
your average level is running at the same as mine. I find as I go below 5.6 my fingers go cold and I never ever had cold hands before. I am not sure why you are feeling light headed and your DSN may be correct, the brain loves sugar and it is screaming that you are not feeding its addiction. Did the DSN say how long the light headedness will last, whether you should go back if it hasn't cleared after so long ...
Click to expand...
No she didn't say. I got my diagnosis in November ... HBA1c 115. 3 months later it was down to 52. I got the myFitness App as a result of reading on this forum, because I was losing weight at the rate of 4 pounds per week, which I felt was too much but the nurse didn't comment. I programmed the App for a loss of 2 pounds a week (about 1300 calories a day). I struggle to eat so many calories as I'm trying to limit carbs to 50g max per day. I walk 4km a day so my app tells me I must eat more!! I never feel hungry. That could be the metformin.

I don't suffer from cold hands, but I do get cold feet (always have). I've always suffered from cramp in feet and in recent years legs, hips, hands, but this has all stopped since I changed my eating habits. However, I now wake most nights with dead hands. At first I thought I was lying on them but it's almost every night. My blood pressure is perfect and always has been.

Sorry, I've rambled a bit :( But my lifestyle change has been for the better since my diagnosis and I'm thankful for that.
 
if you get numb hands every night I would definitely go back to the doctor (not the nurse). It may well be that your body (being in a fasting mode) is doing strange things. I used to get cramp in the carves at night before I was diagnosed and changed my lifestyle and had some very strange effects until the doctor stopped the metformin. I put this down to the sheer amount of exercise I was doing at the time after being a coach potato for 15 years and my body was unable to handle it all.

Anyway go back to the Dr and make sure you ell him everything - the hands, how much you eat, if things always happen after something else - keep a diary of food, pains, feelings, moods, bloods and just over load him with information so he takes you serious
 
Andrew Colvin said:
if you get numb hands every night I would definitely go back to the doctor (not the nurse). It may well be that your body (being in a fasting mode) is doing strange things. I used to get cramp in the carves at night before I was diagnosed and changed my lifestyle and had some very strange effects until the doctor stopped the metformin. I put this down to the sheer amount of exercise I was doing at the time after being a coach potato for 15 years and my body was unable to handle it all.

Anyway go back to the Dr and make sure you ell him everything - the hands, how much you eat, if things always happen after something else - keep a diary of food, pains, feelings, moods, bloods and just over load him with information so he takes you serious
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice Andrew. I do keep a diary. I haven't seen a doctor since October, only the nurse. I'll make an appointment this week... especially as I've just noticed a lot of tiny bruises on the inside of my upper right arm .... looks like someone has prodded me with a knitting needle repeatedly ... voodoo? lol
 
Back
Top