Type 2 The basics - Some questions

Messages
16
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Just been diag T2 and been looking at various info as Dr gave mezzo into! So have a few questions.

Now my gp has not told me to test blood but just 1 tab 500mg of metaformlin meds a day.

Q1 Should I take blood sugar levels? If so what's the best routine? Before meals, After meals, first thing in morning, last thing at night?

Q2 Do we testing kit on scripts?

Q3 What is worse, high sugar or low sugar and what are the considered levels of low sugars and high sugar levels?

Tried reading through stuff but brain is just fuzzy to be honest while I try to take it in.

Also this 3 monthly blood test peeps are going on about as more accurate picture of your levels, what is a target level to be aiming for?

Any help greatly appreciated
 
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ringi

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,365
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Test BG before each meal, 1hr and 2hr after the meal, you are trying to learn the meals that put your BG up by more than 2 so you can avoid them.

You are unlikely to get a testing kit on prescription, but you GP is allowed to prescribe them while you are learning how to cope with diabetes, most GPs don't believe in people taking control of their own health. The meters are free or very cheap, its the test strips that cost money.

As you are only taking metformin you do not have to consider low BG levels as your body will correct them, hence only high levels an issue. However looking at the increase in levels when you eat is a lot more useful than the absolute number.
 

Fleegle

Well-Known Member
Messages
775
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I am pretty new here to0. But I do know that @daisy1 will post you some information that you will find really helpful.
Then - I just asked questions and no matter how stupid they may have appeared - many people will give you wise words of wisdom and experience.
 
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Mark_1

Well-Known Member
Messages
270
Agree with the above and just to add to whats already been said.

Q1 Should I take blood sugar levels? Before meals, after meals, and I think first thing in morning gives a overall trend.

Q2 Do we testing kit on scripts? TEE2 is free with cheap strips or a Libre will give you a full picture but is expensive, maybe get one for a few weeks to try and it will give you an idea of what meals suit you.

Q3 What is worse, high sugar or low sugar and what are the considered levels of low sugars and high sugar levels? Between 4 and 7.8 would be a goal to aim for.

Q4 Also this 3 monthly blood test peeps are going on about as more accurate picture of your levels, what is a target level to be aiming for? Long term would be below 42. Its a different set of numbers so 42 or less is not diabetic, up to 48 is pre-diabetic and over 48 is diabetic but for now, better than last time would be my goal.
 

bulkbiker

BANNED
Messages
19,576
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
To answer your questions...
1, Yes its good idea to test and as @ringi says test when you get up (FBG or fasting blood glucose) Then before and 1 and 2 hours after a meal to see how what you ate has impacted on your blood sugar level. I would do this for the first month or so until you find out what foods are good for you.
2. You are unlikely to get testing kit on prescription but you may get one from your doc by pleading otherwise I would recommend getting your own. I have the SD Codefree as the strips are the cheapest.
https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/
you want mmol/l and don't forget t tick the I am diabetic box so you don't pay the VAT.
3. You have Type 2 which means high sugar. If you are on metformin then lows shouldn't be a problem for you. You should ideally be aiming for between 4 and 6 mmol/l before eating and a rise of no more than 2 mmol/l 2 hours after a meal. If you can get there you'll be doing great. Your doctor will be amazed and won't believe what you have been able to do.

Any more bits just ask someone will always help.

Oh yeah.. try to identify foods that are high in carbohydrate and cut them out of your diet. I'm afraid this probably does include beer (if you are a drinker).. but ditch bread, potatoes, pasta, rice etc all the tasteless pap that is a filler and instead enjoy eggs bacon meat fish green veg butter and cream.
 
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Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Q1 Should I take blood sugar levels? If so what's the best routine? Before meals, After meals, first thing in morning, last thing at night?

Yes, it is important to buy your own meter and test.
Initially it is best to test before eating and 2 hours after first bite. Keep a food diary and record your levels alongside. Your food diary should include everything contained in that meal and the portion sizes. This is the only way to learn which foods affect your blood sugar levels.

Testing in the morning is OK but not as important as testing at meal times because our morning levels after fasting are not reliable. Too many factors come in play that we have little control over. If you do test in the mornings after fasting, it is a good idea to also test at bedtime so you can compare the two.

Q2 Do we testing kit on scripts?
Very, very unlikely. Most of us buy our own.

Q3 What is worse, high sugar or low sugar and what are the considered levels of low sugars and high sugar levels?

High blood sugars are bad. On Metformin you are highly unlikely to have low blood sugars. You should ideally aim from between 4 and 7.8mmol/l once you are in the swing of things. Have a look at this:.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html

Also this 3 monthly blood test peeps are going on about as more accurate picture of your levels, what is a target level to be aiming for?

It is more important to test your own blood sugars daily, as previously suggested. The 3 monthly test is an average of what happened the previous 2 to 3 months and will teach you nothing, but it is what your doctor/nurse will look at. This test is called an HBa1c. http://www.diabetes.co.uk/what-is-hba1c.html

Note that the HbA1c is measured in mmol/mol units whereas our meters measure in mmol/l so the figures look very different.


These are the HbA1c diagnostic levels and the figure to aim for is under 48:

Under 42mmol/mol is non-diabetic
42 to 47mmol/mol is pre-diabetic
48mmol/mol and over is diabetic.

Have a good read round the forums, and ask as many questions as you like.
 
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ringi

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,365
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Note that the HbA1c is measured in mmol/mol units whereas our meters measure in mmol/l so the figures look very different.

The HbA1c test does not even measure glucose, so just converting units is not enough.

Doctors like the HbA1c as it does not let someone mislead them by "being good" for the day before the blood is taken. For us, the BG after meals is most useful, as it is a number I can change within hours by changing what my next meal is so is a good measurement to drive process improvement. Think of BG after meals as QC and HbA1c as a IOS 9000 QA inspection.
 

Rachox

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
15,811
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
If you decide on the SD Code Free meter that @bulkbiker suggested, you can use these discount codes for the strips if you order from Home Health. You can use them over and over:

5 packs 264086

10 packs 975833
 

daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
@Sunderlandafclad

Hello and welcome to the Forum :) Here, to add to all the advice members have given to you above, is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope it will be helpful to you. Ask more questions and more members will help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

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 250,000 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 carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your 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 free 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
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

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. They're all 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.
 
Messages
16
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Thanks for all the advice, really chuffed to day as I had my first day of not moving out of my target range of 5.6 - 7.9 mmol/L apart from a slight spike after dinner!

Using freestyle libra so while expensive, it does tell me a or about the foods I eat and their effects on my sugars etc. In three weeks lost 6kg and dropped from 72 to approx 44 diabetes nurse well impressed so that feeling good despite massive changes!