Recently diagnosed, morning blood readings

[lechiffre1969]

II was diagnosed 1 month ago. Upon returning from the doctor I took a BS reading and got a 26 mmol result (5pm). I've been taking metformin (now on 4 tablets per day). For the last week, my morning fasting levels averaged 7.5mmol. However, the last 2 days they've been a little higher - 9.3 and 8.9. Also, this morning, I tool 3 readings on different fingers (2 on 1 hand and 1 on another) and got 3 different readings (8.9, 9.9 and 9.3). I am concerned that my Sinocare reader could be faulty. I am pricking the finger, get a decent amount of blood and let the blood travel up the strip. I don't think I'm doing anything wrong but would appreciate your thoughts. My nagging concern is that despite getting to around average of 7.5 in the morning that I might be levelling off. Clearly, I want to get down to below 6 ASAP. Any thoughts, help and guidance much appreciated. thanks

 

[urbanracer]

II was diagnosed 1 month ago. Upon returning from the doctor I took a BS reading and got a 26 mmol result (5pm). I've been taking metformin (now on 4 tablets per day). For the last week, my morning fasting levels averaged 7.5mmol. However, the last 2 days they've been a little higher - 9.3 and 8.9. Also, this morning, I tool 3 readings on different fingers (2 on 1 hand and 1 on another) and got 3 different readings (8.9, 9.9 and 9.3). I am concerned that my Sinocare reader could be faulty. I am pricking the finger, get a decent amount of blood and let the blood travel up the strip. I don't think I'm doing anything wrong but would appreciate your thoughts. My nagging concern is that despite getting to around average of 7.5 in the morning that I might be levelling off. Clearly, I want to get down to below 6 ASAP. Any thoughts, help and guidance much appreciated. thanks

The ISO standard for home glucose measuring equipment permits a tolerance range of +/- 15% so the difference between 8.9 and 9.9 is within tolerance. (8.9 +15% = 10.2).

If you are really concerned, you should be able to contact the manufacturer and obtain a reference liquid with a known glucose value that can be used to determine if the meter is accurate. They usually send this out as a freebie.

Also, your blood is constantly changing as nutrients absorbed near the stomach get pumped around the body. So differences between fingers and differences between left and right hand are quite normal.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. It is very unlikely that your meter is faulty. I think you are aiming a bit too strictly to a 6mmol meter number. Few of us expect to get near that. Anything below 8.5 mmol 2 hours after a meal is good and often it can be a bit higher. Morning fasting readings can vary quite a bit due to to the liver's overnight glucose dump so I would be guided more by 2 hour post meal readings. Can you let us know what your BMI is? That 26 mmol number was high and it's just worth checking that you are T2 and not a T1/LADA in the wings.

 

[lechiffre1969]

Hi. It is very unlikely that your meter is faulty. I think you are aiming a bit too strictly to a 6mmol meter number. Few of us expect to get near that. Anything below 8.5 mmol 2 hours after a meal is good and often it can be a bit higher. Morning fasting readings can vary quite a bit due to to the liver's overnight glucose dump so I would be guided more by 2 hour post meal readings. Can you let us know what your BMI is? That 26 mmol number was high and it's just worth checking that you are T2 and not a T1/LADA in the wings.

Thank you. I was diagnosed as T2. My diet pre-diagnosis was incredibly skewed towards carbs, sugar, processed rubbish. I quite often would not even have meals and would eat biscuits, chocolate bars, and crisps. I feel terribly ashamed writing that. However, since my diagnosis, I've completely cut everything out. I've been keeping a detailed log of everything I eat. The closest I've come to a snack item is a handful of walnuts. I think my initial reading was so high as 2 hours earlier I'd devoured a large number of sweets! The next morning, my BS went down to 22.6, then 20, 17, 14, 12, 11, 10. Within 2 weeks I was down to 8 - 9. The metformin is no doubt helping significantly but my change in diet has been considerable - the healthiest I think I've ever eaten. My BMI is 29 today. I've lost a stone in 4 weeks.