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Testing, testing

SueJB

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,336
Location
Heaven
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
cold weather
A quick question.
I keep reading people saying they test 2hrs after eating. In the 8 months I've had diabetes, I've never done this and also never been advised to do this. I understand the logic but is it really necessary if you know how many carbs you're eating?
 
Yes it is as some carbs react differently ... to you, me and everyone else. Gotta know that, otherwise it's a complete guessing game
 
Hi @SueJB ,

There can be errors. In the case of us T1s. As @Mike D (just seen your post.) points out different carbs react differently in the digestive system as converted to blood sugar..

As insulin dependants this is also true but with the added bolus insulin working profile thrown into the mix..

I believe you are a low carber. Understanding how trends with your diet & insulin regime is paramount regarding BG managment.
 
Without testing after eating, how would you know if you've taken the right amount of insulin for your food?
 
If you're carb counting, your insulin-to-carb ratio can sometimes vary at different times of day. So a test two hours after eating can give you an idea whether your bolus was about right, too low or too high, and thus indicate whether your ratio was okay. The thing is to examine several days' or weeks' worth of records, and look for trends. For example, if your tests after breakfast and lunch are generally okay, but your sugars tend to run a little high after dinner, maybe your dinertime bolus ratio is a little off.
 
Thanks @Mike D, @Jaylee , @Antje77 @Colin of Kent @LouWilk059 The advice from all is consistent. If I were to follow the practice advocated in Eat to your meter https://www.diabetes.co.uk/blood-glucose/eat-to-your-meter.html, noted as particularly useful for T2s, I would be testing 7 or 8 times a day on waking, before lunch and supper and 2 & 4 hrs after each meal which does seem excessive. I eat what I consider quite low carb 30-40g per day, 50g when I'm splurging.so if I am confident in my insulin to carb ratio, is there really a need? Sorry this sounds ungrateful, I ask a question and then question the value of the information.
 
Not ungrateful at all, more like practical. What about testing a lot for one day every fortnight or so to check if you're still on top of it? That would tell you if you need to test more or change ratio's. Or just keep on doing as you are, especially if you get good hba1c's
 
SueJB said:
I would be testing 7 or 8 times a day on waking, before lunch and supper and 2 & 4 hrs after each meal which does seem excessive. I eat what I consider quite low carb 30-
Click to expand...
Many T2's do that but I think things are maybe a bit different for T1's
 

Good morning @SueJB ,

Alas, it's not just a question of eating to your meter. It also involves what your meds (insulin working profile.) is doing during the day too!

I opt for a lower carb diet myself somewhere in the region of 80g which works for me with steady peaks & troughs.

If I remember correctly, @SueJB (slap me if I'm wrong?) your low carbing is to aid weight loss?
 
hahahaha, no slapping!! Low carb is the way I've always eaten but since diagnosis, I've gone more low carb. So it's now more to do with ensuring I stay within the prescribed BG ranges as well as getting rid of the belly wobble I acquired (7k) from the initial treatment with insulin. For example, yesterday I asked about how to avoid dawn dump and the simple and obvious answer was eat some carb (5g), no bolus. I've done that today and I will test 2hrs after just for this as it's a new thing.
 
If you haven't tested post prandially, how can you be confident your insulin to carb ratio is correct? How do you know you don't need to consider bolusing for protein on your new lower carb diet?
 
For me, I can't test enough! My levels go up and down like a yo-yo. (Although much less so now I'm low carb.) Partly I'm a control freak, too. So, for my part, I'm inclined to agree with @catapillar .

For you, @SueJB , if you're that confident that your levels are okay, then why waste test strips? Provided you're healthy and your HbA1c is okay, too, obviously. If it ain't broke, don't fix it...
 
I tend to agree, thanks Colin.
 
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