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Testing times

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18
I was diagnosed in June 2011. Type 2 - fasting blood test 7.5.

Started on metformin and statins. Had terrible stomach and nausea so switched to slow release and I'm now feeling much better,

My question is re blood testing at home.

I tested myself before dinner and was 5.9. Then had a dinner which consisted of a pretty balanced meal of protein, carbs and veg washed down with a glass of water - nothing untoward in my opinion. Two hours afterwards my bg was 15.9.

I am confused - one person told me that 2 hours after a meal is when, if your meds are working, your bg should have returned to "normal" and another person said that the 2 hour mark is when your sugar peaks and then starts to come down.

Which is true?? I would appreciate any advice anyone can give me!
 
Hi sweetenoughthanks and welcome to the forum Your 15.9 was probably caused by the carbs you ate in your meal. You obviously shouldn't eat the same carbs in the same quantity again. Your 2 hour afterwards reading should be approximately similar to your before meal reading - this is what tells you that what you have eaten is suitable for you. Sometimes, if you have eaten long acting carbs, for example pasta or rice, or a lot of fatty foods which slow down the absorption, your levels won't go down to this level until 3 or even 4 hours but the 2 hour rule is the usual one to go by. You can try eating this same carby food in smaller quantities until you can get your post meal reading approximately the same as the pre-meal reading, or you may find you have to cut it out altogether. We can't tell you how much you can eat as everyone has different tolerances to certain carbs.

Here is some information which we give to new members which should help you to understand more about how to look after your diabetes. Ask as many questions as you like as there is always someone here who would like to help you.

 
Thanks for your answer, and your advice.

Everything I eat seems to make me go higher than the recommended bg level at 2 hours after my meal!

This morning my bg was 6.1. Had 2 slices of wholemeal toast, no butter, with some peanut butter on it. 2 hours later my bg level was 9.8!

If this is the case does it mean that maybe my meds are not working or not suitable for me?
 
Hello and Welcome.

It can take a few weeks for Metformin to have full effect, but 2 month seems like enough time I'd have thought.

The other place to look is at what you are eating... how many grams of carbohydrate (not just sugar but starches as well) was in the toast and peanut butter? It seems our tolerance for carbohydrates can vary through the day; so while you may get away with toast and PB later in the day, you might be better off with eggs and bacon at breakfast-time, or avocados, nuts and berries -- for example.
 
Hi, as others have said you need to watch the carbs both type and quantity and the best way is to use the meter and find what affects you. Ref the 2 hours testing that is the time period for a non-diabetic to return to pre-meal levels assuming the average person and the average meal. Most Type 2s will find it difficult to return to the pre-meal level after 2 hours; the nearer you can the better. Your sugar peak time point will vary depending on you and the meal. At 2 hours at you should be aiming for lower than around 9.5 mmol. When I was first diagnosed I was at least in double figures all the time! Now with all my meds I rarely go into double figures after 2 hours. Hopefully with the Metformin and keeping the carbs under control wou will be OK but you may have to go onto additional meds eventually. The HBA1C test your GP/Nurse will arrange normally annually but may be 6-monthly until you have good control will show your average BS level which should be 7 mmol or less to avoid further meds etc
 
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