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

Telling off for self testing

Jim Lahey said:
No you’re not doing the wrong thing. You’re doing precisely the right thing. Ignore your nurse and do as you wish. You’re the one living with diabetes while she gets to go home at night and forget about it.
Click to expand...
OrsonKartt said:
You do need the exact numbers and not just to be told they are "OK" or not
Click to expand...
I get fed up remenbering to ask for the figures I do my own HbA1c with Medichecks
 
I had the same said to me about 5 years ago when I was first diagnosed. I wanted to test lots to see what foods were good & what were bad for me. I’m the type of person who likes to understand things and feel as though I have some control.

They said I only needed to test about once a week and didn’t prescribe many testing strips so hadto buy my own. I am at a different surgery now and they seem happy to prescribe testing strips. I think testing works as it helps to keep a weak willed person like me on the straight and narrow
 
Providing test equipment is standard where I live in Canada and it is recommended to test 4 times a day. When I first saw my doctor (recently qualified in Ireland) after a specialist put me on insulin and required testing, he told me that the testing was a waste of time. After 12 months with 10 months of 4 times a day finger testing and 2 months of constant glucose monitoring (CGM) I have to agree that 4 times a day is a waste of time. CGM is the only way to go as this gives the information we need to control what we eat. I have high glucose spikes from some supposed low glycemic index foods. Unfortunately I can not afford $200 per month for the CGM at the moment. I will have to do finger pricking at least 10 times a day to get the needed information which will also cost about $200 per month. This is covered by my insurance and public health programmes and not the CGM!
Keep up the testing with CGM if possible, follow a strict low carb diet and do lots of good exercising. This has been my MO and I stopped the insulin 2 months ago.
 

It isn't all diabetics. It is just those on insulin and drugs that act like insulin. The vast majority of us do not need to even notify the DVLA. All those on insulin or similar drugs are prescribed meters and strips. It is the rest of us that aren't.
 
I have had type 2 for around 10 years and controlled by diet and tablets, I have always self tested and was supplied a meter. I got told today by the doctor that the new guide lines for those who are not on insulin, no longer need to self test.
 
I had similar xperience after my review last week. I was told as a T2 was not necessary to test especially as I have managed to keep my hba1c to 44 so was well controlled. I said I was well controlled because I do lower carb diet and testing helps me keep on track. Doctor said latest nhs advice was to only issue max of 100 test strips per year? I have put an order in with my chemist to purchase myself.
 
I was told by a GP at an annual review that Testing was an expensive commodity and not to test. Result my diabetes went haywire and then had to see consultant and the final result is that I eT practically no carbs to control blood sugRs. Do not listen to her and keep testing. I recently bought myself the new libra system of scanning and so I can see what my bloods are doing but too expensive to use all the time.
 
Fuchsia said:
Doctor said latest nhs advice was to only issue max of 100 test strips per year? I have put an order in with my chemist to purchase myself.
Click to expand...
100 / 365 = 0.27397260 strips per day, a lot of %$#@$% good that is.
 
I had the same response when I showed my Libra sensor it was implied that as I was type 2 I was wasting my money I ignored that went low carb have never had medication and average 39 without the sensor I wouldn’t have a clue how I was doing
 
Thankyou so much for your kind words & good advice
 
Atad heavy.
I'm a retired SRN who was told 5 yrs later that I was Type 2. I was encouraged to test often & was given a monitor by the nurse. I decided to buy the testing strips. In order to reverse type 2 I decided to use the Newcastle Diet & was horrified to find that it was unkown to the surgery. I lost 3 stones & my BS dropped to 38. I used an Omron body monitor to record visceral fat loss which with the BS monitor helped me to persist in the management path I decided to take. I don't use medications.

It is apparent that in the past few years fashions & advice have changed. I recount my experience merely to encourage you do those things that help you to be comfortable with coping with Type 2. My best wishes to you.
 
stonesofgold said:
I have had type 2 for around 10 years and controlled by diet and tablets, I have always self tested and was supplied a meter. I got told today by the doctor that the new guide lines for those who are not on insulin, no longer need to self test.
Click to expand...
It beggars belief that they should say self testing is not needed, if diabetes is a progressive disease surely monitoring is even more crucial to controlling it.
 
ok here it is, the answer. blood glucose while interesting isnt hugely important, the fact that is goes down is due to insulin, we should be measuring insulin, but its not that easy unfortunately. your pancreas will keep pumping too hard to get enough insulin out and lower blood sugar, if u keep spiking insulin then you are wearing out the pancreas and maintaining your insulin resistance in the liver. keto type lifestyles done correctly and intermittent fasting if done for 3-6 months depending on severity should be enough for most type 2's to reverse diabetes and normalise their health.
 
I have to reluctantly agree, it is a waste of time testing yourself with a meter different meters will give different readings
And you can adjust your diet to which meter reading you want, a meter only tests blood not plasma.
Try a 8 hour fast once a week and see what the readings are but don’t take them too seriously.
 
Sorry but I don't agree. Meters give us an indication of how our food is affecting us.

Yes, they are not 100 per cent accurate, but they give a good indication. They are extremely effective for day to day control. If we could measure our insulin at will, that would be a bonus, but we can't.

I used CodeFree along with the mySugr app and the comparison with the HbA1c results were acceptable. The Caresens meter consistently read slightly lower than the CodeFree. It's just a guide and extremely helpful for people starting out on this journey.
 
Atad heavy said:
I am going to carry on self testing, I am quite happy to buy the testing gear and not be a burden on the NHS but I hated being made to feel that I was a hypochondriac doing something completely unnecessary.
Click to expand...
I was told exactly the same as you over 6 years ago!! Thankfully we have a different DN at our surgery now. I still had to fight to get my strips though! I hope you haven't ended up with my old DN!!! Not called Sam by any chance is she??
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…