Hi I’m new to this and just got my BG monitor today .when I tested it says low i retested and it was the same . Why has this happened what should I do ? Iv been on a low carb diet .I was just diagnosed last Sunday so have been doing a lot of reading in here but have basically just been eating boiled eggs and salad ,Greek yogurt and berries ! Milky coffee and sweetners ! So am a bit stuck as to what to do now ,advice would be welcome .thanks
Hi @LynnieG33 , welcome to the forum. Are you on any medication that could cause your blood sugars to drop dramatically (insulin, sulphonlureas)? You don't sound as if you are slipping away, at least not 7 mins ago, when you posted. I tend to take the view that, if you feel fine, you are fine and just carry on, though I'm sure there are exceptions.
Sally
Why are you worried? You won't go into a diabetic coma on those!Not on any meds apart from BP med and just on last day of Antibiotics
You have me worried now .
When James used to test regularly, he would sometimes get readings below 4 in the late afternoon. There was nothing the matter, it's just the way he is. I believe it's not uncommon for this time of day to produce the lowest readings, whereas first thing in the morning can often be high (dawn phenomena). Your meter may be set to show "Low" below a particular figure, just as they show "High" above certain levels. "Low" would be a warning to someone on insulin to do something fast. As long as you aren't on insulin or a drug that stimulates it (and you are a normal, ordinary, run of the mill T2), your body will soon bring your blood sugars up. I'm assuming you feel fine.
Sally
@LynnieG33
Hello Lynnie and welcome to the ForumHere is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it both interesting and helpful.
BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 235,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
Reduce your carbohydrates
- Reduce your carbohydrate intake
- Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.
Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
- structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
- self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.
- Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
- Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
First of all, read the instructions that come with the monitor, it might need calibrating.
Check to see if your test strips are in date.
did it also have a number, or just say low?Hi I’m new to this and just got my BG monitor today .when I tested it says low i retested and it was the same . Why has this happened what should I do ? Iv been on a low carb diet .I was just diagnosed last Sunday so have been doing a lot of reading in here but have basically just been eating boiled eggs and salad ,Greek yogurt and berries ! Milky coffee and sweetners ! So am a bit stuck as to what to do now ,advice would be welcome .thanks
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