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To Test or not to Test - that is the question.

B

Ben

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Nth Lincs
I was diagnosed T2 back in February. All the advice was that I had no need to test myself (1st HbA1c was 7.7, next one was 6.7). Despite attending 2 Desmond sessions, which were very good I thought, I'm still a bit concerned as to whether I should test myself.

To draw an analogy, I feel it's a bit like driving in town. I know the speed limit is 30mph, but the car has no speedometer, so I'm a bit unsure if I'm doing the right speed.

What does the Team think ?? Should I ignore "expert" advice and just carry on not testing and rely on my diet (I'm not taking any diabetic medication, as yet).

Ben
 
Testing is the only sure way to find out just how food is affecting your blood sugars,Ben. Testing regularly over the course of a day helps you understand and take control of your diabetes.
 
Test. How else will you know how you are doing?

HbA1c is all very well - it is an average. It does not pick up the spikes or how long you are running at unacceptably high numbers. That is what does the damage.

Your control will be much better if you can see what your body does with what you eat.
 
Ben, I'm only a beginner (dx July 1 and testing since 21st, no meds) but I do know that taking control makes me feel a whole lot better. Humans hate being out of control and not knowing what's going on. How can we plan, that way? It's a recipe for stress and despair which is hardly what we need. So I agree with the others that you might like to get a meter and some strips and lancets and start making a record of what you eat and what you score. I gathered up a supply from ebay which is probably the cheapest source. Anxiety is often dispersed by doing a calculating/sorting task and you'd have plenty of that to do if you start counting carbs and comparing daily scores :roll: Good luck.
 
Test Definitely
Even if like a number of us, you end up having to buy your own strips( they're cheaper direct from the supplier)
With frequent testing you can get Hba1c down to non-diabetic levels. Average for non-diabetics is 5.1%. That ,7% target is too high
Hana
 
Hi Ben. I would agree with everyone else, get the necessary bits and test yourself. I test myself first thing in the morning and two hours after meals, but I doubt whether you would have to do it that much. You can then eliminate what you find raises your blood sugar levels over time, which will lead to your being able to maintain a pretty steady level.
 
I am quite lucky, that at the moment I can still get test strips from my doctor, although I keep going on ebay and buying some.

I WAS obsessed at the beginning (march09) testing as much as I could.

My GP, and dietician are not too sure why, but I explained that I need to do somehting, otherwise, all I am doing is popping pills (2x500 metformin) and lots of excercise.

I now test 1st thing in the morning, before Dinner, and most of the time two hours after.

I do not test before or after lunch, as usually two hours after I am in a meeting, so I would not know the result anyway.

I am going to have my HBA1c in about two or three weeks, and this is the first full 3 months that I have been on my curretn reigeime. (eating healthily, but not too low carbs)

Hope this helps.
 
Again, thanks for the advice folks. It's much appreciated.

The question now is, which device do I opt for ? I've had a butchers at a couple of the relevant threads in the "Product Review" forum and have looked around the web and I'm leaning towards an Accu-chek aviva Compact. Though, at the end of the day, they all do pretty much the same thing, so I guess it's just a matter of personal preference.
 
Opt for something free :D

Ring the customer service helplines of some of teh major companies - this is how I got my Accu-chek Aviva from Roche for free. I got my second (spare) meter from the competition at the top of this page - it isn't a real competition, you will get a meter if you give them your details. However, not all the companies will give you a machine via customer services. If you are going to spend money, I think the Abbott machines are about the cheapest to buy.

The drug company manufacturers make all the money on the strips and lancet devices and are queuing up to give the meters away - this is how the freebies given away at the diabetic clinics are funded.

Once you have your machine use the customer service helplines to replace the batteries and get the test/calibration solutions for free (Roche have sent everything I have asked for by first class post). If your machine breaks down, it comes with a lifetime garuntee and the company will replace it free of charge.

Also, you might want to find out if there is any software that allows you to turn the results in your meter in to charts and graphs to show your GP/diabetic nurse. It helps you chart your progress.

If you do part with any cash, make sure you ask for the VAT to be removed. Anything you buy to manage your disability/long term condition is exempt from VAT (diabetes qualifies for this, even if you don't have any disabilities). However, you may have a bit of a job getting VAT off anything you buy on eBay, which is how I supplement the strips I get on prescription to test 6-8 times a day!

Good luck!
 
Test.
No question.
In my opinion any doctor or health "professional" who tells you otherwise is not giving you "expert opinion". At least not on that particular question. This is a big discussion item on this forum; many of us do seem to feel that self-testing for type 2s is essential.
I started testing at the beginning of May, having been diagnosed nearly none months previously, and I can honestly tell you it was the best decision I made, cost be damned! :evil: I stopped worrying (which in itself has health benefits) and feel in control now. I test minimum once a day, usually three times, occasionally five times. And I reduced my carb intake - hugely important, in my opinion. I feel so much better than I did last summer I can't believe it.
 
TEST TEST TEST

I wasn't given the option when dx almost 5 years ago and just popped the pills (Glimepiride to start followed 6 months later by Metformin) - about 18 months ago I decided to do something about it as my A1c was rising again.

Having searched the internet and found this and another helpful forum (www.diabetes-support.org.uk) I persuaded my clinic nurse to give me a meter - she did along with 50 strips a month. I purchased additional ones from e-bay and tested intensively for 3/4 weeks. By the end of that time I knew what i could and could not eat and how much of each carb and with what I could eat it to prevent a post meal spike eg I can eat 75g of mashed potato with smoked fish and veg but not with meat and veg; I can eat a small portion of noodles but not pasta.

The result was that my A1c went down from 7.7 to 5.8 over 7 months and 6 months later is 5.6 even after stopping glimepiride (3 months ago went to GP as I was having hypos and he agreed I was being over medicated)

6 months ago I also persuaded the nurse to up my script to 100 strips a month on the basis that i was using them appropriately and to good effect. I now test 4 or 5 times a day on average 5 days a week.

How can we know what is happening without the tools to find out? Of course we also need to know what to do with the readings and make adjustments to diet accordingly - not just test.

I say to health professionals - for those T2's who want to take control (on meds or not), GIVE THEM THE TOOLS - LET THEM TEST - EDUCATE THEM TO ENABLE INTERPRETATION OF THE READINGS - STOP PROMOTING THE HEALTHY HEART DIET - ACKNOWLEDGE THE EFFECT CARBS HAVE ON BG and in the long term we should save the NHS money because we won't get the problems later in life.
 
Next question, now that I've got the gear, am I following a good testing regime ? At the mo I'm testing first thing in the morning (before eating or drinking anything); then before our main meal (usually 1830hrs-ish) and 2+ hours after it. Also should I record what I've eaten ?

So far I've done 13 tests with a low of 4.5 to highest 9.9 (after a very good Chinese banquet :twisted: ) and am averaging 6.6
 
Your levels seem pretty good so far. Try testing after every meal to see what your BG pattern is like. Recording food for a while may help you determine the effect that different foods have on.
 
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