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Type 2 Should I be checking blood sugar levels

byronhinson

Member
Messages
5
Location
Cambridgeshire
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I got diagnosed with type 2 in December and have been put on metformin. To cut a long story short the doctors service I was using closed down and I’m now back at my regular GP and hardly get an appointment.

Because of this I’m trying to find out here if it’s recommended buying a blood sugar monitor to check levels and if so is there any advice on what model is best and where to look to know what readings I should be looking for.

Thanks for any help.
 
byronhinson said:
Because of this I’m trying to find out here if it’s recommended buying a blood sugar monitor to check levels and if so is there any advice on what model is best and where to look to know what readings I should be looking for.
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It's not recommended in the NHS, but it's very highly recommended on this forum!

You can use it to check before and some two hours after meals to see how different meals affect you, and you can use this knowledge to adjust your meals as needed for your diabetes.

@Rachox has up to date information on meters, she'll share it here.
You also might like this informative piece on the basics of T2, food, and using a meter, written by one of our members: https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html

Good luck, and come back with any question you have.
 
Thanks for the tag @Antje77 . Hi @byronhinson and welcome to the forum, here’s some info with links for UK meters, and to be clear I have no commercial connections with any of the companies mentioned.



HOME HEALTH have the Gluco Navii, which is a fairly new model and seems to be getting good reviews.

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-produ...ose-meter-test-strips-choose-mmol-l-or-mg-dl/



Links to the strips for future orders:

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/glucose-navii-blood-glucose-test-strips-50-strip-pack/



Then they sell the older SD Code Free, details to be found here!

https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/





SPIRIT HEALTHCARE have a meter called the Tee2 + which is quite popular:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...e2-blood-glucose-meter?variant=19264017268793



The strips are to be found here:

https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/co...py-of-tee2-test-strips?variant=19264017367097



If there is a choice of units of measurement then ‘mmol/L’ are the standard units in the UK, ‘mg/dl’ in the US, other countries may vary.



Don’t forget to check the box if you have pre diabetes or diabetes so you can buy VAT free. (for all meters and strips)
 
In my view monitoring your blood glucose is essential. If you don't, how would you know how your system deals with carb-containing foods? How would you know whether you're doing the right thing or not?

I have diaries covering the two years after my diagnosis. I recorded everything I ate, and the blood glucose readings I was getting. I learnt many things - kidney beans/chickpeas aren't too bad for me: potato is a guaranteed big BG boost; and pastry is potato but rocket-assisted. I know pretty much what I can expect from various foods in various combinations.

All of that info helped me get my BG from diabetic to low-normal levels in four months, and keep it there.

My favourite analogy is that - if you were setting off on a long journey to somewhere you'd never been, wouldn't you check the map, and directions, and roadsigns, to make sure you were heading in the right direction? Someone telling you every six months roughly where you are (maybe six months going the wrong way) doesn't match up.
 
Pitta and salad last night. This morning for breakfast I’ve had just shreddies with sweetener.

Lunch I just had pasta and feta with strawberries and went from 5.2 to 7.8
 
All of those pre and post meal readings are showing more than a two mmol/l rise (the aim is to show no more than 2mmol/l rise and in any case lower than around 8mmol/l). Your body is not coping with the level of carbs in your meals. Pita, Shreddies and pasta are most likely the culprits here.
 
byronhinson said:
Pitta and salad last night. This morning for breakfast I’ve had just shreddies with sweetener.

Lunch I just had pasta and feta with strawberries and went from 5.2 to 7.8
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Pita - that's bread isn't it? Shreddies - cereal, high carb grain, pasta - grain again, your meter is doing the equivalent of jumping up and down waving red flags over what food choices you are making.
We need protein and fats - carbs are optional, though they are good for colour, texture, variety etc. they do need to be doing something useful, but most high carb foods seem to need fortification even to be regarded as nourishment.
 
byronhinson said:
Pitta and salad last night. This morning for breakfast I’ve had just shreddies with sweetener.

Lunch I just had pasta and feta with strawberries and went from 5.2 to 7.8
Click to expand...
Well, you've certainly learnt something straight away. Bear in mind that you will have been at much higher BG levels during the first hour or so after eating - the two hour point should be where the extra glucose has significantly declined.

I would expect that the drivers of those numbers - which clearly show that your system can't cope with that level of carb - are the pitta bread, the shreddies, and the pasta. All very high carb items and demonstrate that it's not just sugars, it's also the starches that need controlling.
 
I stopped testing and my hba1c results really show it. I had no idea how I was doing until the most recent test. As I am asystematic, I simply don't realise I am high.
I've started testing again this week and I'm noticing I feel low when my bs is in range - just so used to running high.
Definitely test and keep testing.
 
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