Test Strips

I totally agree with you. Preventing people from measuring their own BS seems to be a false economy. In the summer I had an awful time. I began to get cysts and abscesses that usually show me that my BS is running too high. I went to see a different GP who allowed me a prescription of test strips for the monitor (which I bought). My fasting BSs were not too bad but when I started testing I realised that my BS was spiking badly. My medications were increased considerably.
However allowing me to monitor my BS showed me that certain foods were my problem. I am now taking a very low carb diet and my BS is consistently around 4.5-5.5 sometimes lower. They got a bit too low at one stage so I stopped taking the Januvia, now I have cut out one Metformin. I believe that the benfits far outweighted the cost of the test strips. There was a reduction in the presecription for the increase in medication plus antibiotics and dressings for the skin conditions, which included a visit to the operating theatre to drain an abcess followed by daily visits of a District Nurse for two weeks.
It has to be better to allow me to control and monitor my BS myself.
Debs

When I attend my 6 monthly review, they do a fasting blood test

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They should also do a HbA1c test which measures your overall control, which will alert you to high BG within 6 months.

I thought that Hba1c gave an average over about 12 weeks which would miss high spikes if morning levels were low
CAROL

carty said:

I thought that Hba1c gave an average over about 12 weeks which would miss high spikes if morning levels were low
CAROL

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That's right Carol. Some people say that the spikes (within reason) don't matter if the overall average is O.K, others argue they do as even one spike can add to any cardio vascular condition. Whatever is true, the fact is that each spike adds to our overall averages anyway, and on the basis we want our averages as low as possible, we need to identify what causes such spikes and avoid them. Our HbA1c would then be even better.
Another point is that some practices, like mine, only test your HbA1c every YEAR if the previous reading was ok. 12 months is a long time to wait to see if things have changed for the worse in some way.

I only meant to point out that they are doing more than taking a simple fasting blood glucose reading, which you, quite rightly, pointed out to be quite useless on its own...

The risk of diabetic complications is strongly correlated with your HbA1c; your at low risk if you HbA1c is less than the recommended 48 (6.5%), which corresponds to average blood glucose of about 8.5 mmol/l.
If you HbA1c is higher than that then they should have taken action

The logic can be summed up in one word...........cost!

Yes it is cost, but that's only in the short term isn't it?

magicaldebs said:

Yes it is cost, but that's only in the short term isn't it?

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I had written exactly the same thing bu you beat me to it. We need to get the message out there I think. perhaps through our MPs , letters to the press, . No what the heck we need our own minister!
If diabees is an epidemic and ou of control and costing the country billions why don't they start listening to the diabetics? I imagine hey think they are but maybe not the right diabetics!

gaz1971 said:

Its the usual way, they HOPE people wont have problems due to high glucose levels that go unnoticed without home testing, it wont turn out that way and they will end up paying out even more treating people for complications like retinopathy.

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No they won't. The next government, or even the next generation will end up paying more.
For the very short term, the books will look better, then they'll be gone, and someone else will have the problem.