Sax
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 91
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
- Dislikes
- No longer being prescribed metformin.
Hi,
I am a type 2 diabetic, diagnosed Autumn 2020 with Hb1Ac above 9% in November. I was started on 1 x 500 mg metformin tablet a day (not slow release), given some standard NHS healthy diet booklets, and left to my own devices since then due to NHS prioritisation of Covid vaccination. As I don't seem to be getting hb1Ac tests anytime soon and its approaching 9 months, I decided last month it was time to start doing my own using a finger prick test meter.
It has taken some time to get to hang of this and so today I did a deliberately "bad" meal to give confidence it will track and show high sugar levels. I would like some guidance on how to interpret this, as well as what to do going forward, if some of the experienced people here are willing to take a few moments to do so? As currently I'm struggling to get hold of anyone in the local NHS team to give guidance on this.
The "test" lunch was 2 x "granary" bread slices, tinned mackerel, 70% cocoa chocolate and (after 30 mins distraction) a small apple. Circa 50g of carbs, with ~15 g sugar, to be comfortably more than my normal meals and prove the meter works. (to be clear, I'd normally not eat this sort of meal at present).
Readings:
1) Pre-breakfast (fasting) = 5.3 mmol/l
2) Pre-test meal = 4.7 mmol/l
3) 1 hr after test meal =9.4 mmol/l (!)
4) 1.5 hr = 7.6 mmol/l
5) 2 hr after = 6.8 mmol/l
Anyway to get to the point:
1) To my inexpert eyes the above looks like I'm getting decently representative readings? (I was concerned it might be under-reading due to not getting enough blood on the strip when testing).
2) Pretty clear the spike in sugar levels was at 1 hr, but most guidance seems to focus on 2 hrs after a meal... so what is recommendation from experienced people on time after meals? I'm concerned if I start doing my more regular testing for normal meals at 2 hr window I may be thinking I'm OK when I've in reality just missed a giant spike. And as I waste enough strips / needles on failed reading attempts I'd prefer to do 1 x test per meal as much as possible.
Grateful to anyone patient enough to read all the above and able to try and help. And apologies if this guidance is already given clearly elsewhere that I've not yet located on the website.
I am a type 2 diabetic, diagnosed Autumn 2020 with Hb1Ac above 9% in November. I was started on 1 x 500 mg metformin tablet a day (not slow release), given some standard NHS healthy diet booklets, and left to my own devices since then due to NHS prioritisation of Covid vaccination. As I don't seem to be getting hb1Ac tests anytime soon and its approaching 9 months, I decided last month it was time to start doing my own using a finger prick test meter.
It has taken some time to get to hang of this and so today I did a deliberately "bad" meal to give confidence it will track and show high sugar levels. I would like some guidance on how to interpret this, as well as what to do going forward, if some of the experienced people here are willing to take a few moments to do so? As currently I'm struggling to get hold of anyone in the local NHS team to give guidance on this.
The "test" lunch was 2 x "granary" bread slices, tinned mackerel, 70% cocoa chocolate and (after 30 mins distraction) a small apple. Circa 50g of carbs, with ~15 g sugar, to be comfortably more than my normal meals and prove the meter works. (to be clear, I'd normally not eat this sort of meal at present).
Readings:
1) Pre-breakfast (fasting) = 5.3 mmol/l
2) Pre-test meal = 4.7 mmol/l
3) 1 hr after test meal =9.4 mmol/l (!)
4) 1.5 hr = 7.6 mmol/l
5) 2 hr after = 6.8 mmol/l
Anyway to get to the point:
1) To my inexpert eyes the above looks like I'm getting decently representative readings? (I was concerned it might be under-reading due to not getting enough blood on the strip when testing).
2) Pretty clear the spike in sugar levels was at 1 hr, but most guidance seems to focus on 2 hrs after a meal... so what is recommendation from experienced people on time after meals? I'm concerned if I start doing my more regular testing for normal meals at 2 hr window I may be thinking I'm OK when I've in reality just missed a giant spike. And as I waste enough strips / needles on failed reading attempts I'd prefer to do 1 x test per meal as much as possible.
Grateful to anyone patient enough to read all the above and able to try and help. And apologies if this guidance is already given clearly elsewhere that I've not yet located on the website.
