To test or not

[Rich H]

I am newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic on metformin do i need to get blood sugar monitor to test or not.
is it important to do this nurse says not
Thanks Richard

 

[Rich H]

Thank you two player can you remomend a blood moniter to use

 

[Heretic1]

@Rich H
I'm recently 'labelled' too. I'm being looked after well by my practice and have had conflicting advice from both HCP AND fellow 'afflictees' as to whether to test or not.
Currently for me everything is heading in the right directions vital signs and Wright downwards, and fitness and activity levels upwards - so sitting in the 'not' camp currently and doing quite nicely! !

 

[Shar67]

Well I'm in the test group, you have something to work with if you know what food spikes BG and even a goal

Lots of people use Codefree as strips and lancets are cheapest.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8...vptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=t&ref=pd_sl_5azxkt00d7_b

 

[equipoise]

To be honest I don't think this is one of those 'who knows what is right?, everyone is different' questions. Twoplayer put it right. Unless you test you cannot know how well you are doing, or what foods are spiking you. @Heretic1 cannot know that 'everything is heading in the right directions' in their blood sugar level if they are not actually testing it. Regular testing may not be necessary longer term once you have sorted out effective control, but until then it is completely indispensable. It is simply a question of logic.

 

[bulkbiker]

Test test and test some more... its the best way to find out what you can eat without causing your blood sugar to go up. I can't see any reason not too and have had pretty good results by doing so. Waiting for your HCP's to let you know every few months is like driving with your eyes shut.. pretty daft I think you would agree,. But each to their own.
I also use the code free you can buy direct from
http://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/blood-glucose-monitor/
they also have a eBay page if you prefer.
Test strips are reasonably priced unlike many.
Best of luck
Regards
Mark

 

[Heretic1]

@equipoise
I fully understand there are '2 camps' in this debate and that in here predominantly I reside with this the 'tent' that completely advocate testing (probably hence my name in here). On being 'labelled' my FBG was 12 and hba1c came back at 97. 2 and half months later my FBG is now 5.6 from s test the nurse did, and hba1c now 53..,,, it is expected to be significantly lower at just over 3 months having been 'clean' (wife's term for not eating ****!) for all that period, so 97 to 53 is down (and very quickly (so I understand) in my book.
I'm eating VERY healthily, I'm VERY 'carb conscious' but yes I have had the occasional slice of grannary bread sandwich, and the odd new potato etc and they will no doubt have had some effect on my BS.
I feel I have had soooo much to take on board this last 3 months and yes to an extent I am still struggling .... and testing seems an added burden currently.
IF things don't go as low as I hope - or things starting going astray then testing is something I may re-visit, I fully realise Im in his for the long haul, but please check out my other posts and see all the other successes and minor victories I've had which does reassure ME I am doing some things right!

 

[Heretic1]

@equipoise
I fully understand there are '2 camps' in this debate and that in here predominantly I reside with this the 'tent' that completely advocate testing (probably hence my name in here). On being 'labelled' my FBG was 12 and hba1c came back at 97. 2 and half months later my FBG is now 5.6 from s test the nurse did, and hba1c now 53..,,, it is expected to be significantly lower at just over 3 months having been 'clean' (wife's term for not eating ****!) for all that period, so 97 to 53 is down (and very quickly (so I understand) in my book.
I'm eating VERY healthily, I'm VERY 'carb conscious' but yes I have had the occasional slice of grannary bread sandwich, and the odd new potato etc and they will no doubt have had some effect on my BS.
I feel I have had soooo much to take on board this last 3 months and yes to an extent I am still struggling .... and testing seems an added burden currently.
IF things don't go as low as I hope - or things starting going astray then testing is something I may re-visit, I fully realise Im in his for the long haul, but please check out my other posts and see all the other successes and minor victories I've had which does reassure ME I am doing some things right!

I fully acknowledge in due course I may well end up eating my words, but you have my absolute assurance if I do I will check 2 hours afterwards to see what effect they had on my BS levels )

 

[Daibell]

Hi. There is only one answer and that is to take control and test. You may not need to test very often but you must test occasionally to check what foods are affecting you and whether your blood sugar is drifting upwards. The reason the NHS does not support T2s testing is due to the cost of test strips.

 

[Brunneria]

Ignorance is never bliss where diabetes is concerned.

I would advise everyone to get a meter, test, see what their diet is doing, and then decide whether to carry on testing or not, as necessary.

Having been low carbing for years, I was confident that I knew what I was doing. I got the meter out of curiosity and a slight niggle that I could do better. - and Boy! What a revelation I got! Things that I thought were 'fine' weren't. And things that I had been avoiding sanctimoniously for years proved to not even register a reaction on my blood glucose.

The results on my control and my health have been very effective.

3 years on, I hardly use my glucometer at all. I have switched to weeks of no testing at all, then a two week period of the Freestyle Libre, which gives me an in-depth look at my bg over the whole 24 hour period. And you know what? I learn something every single time I slap a sensor on.

Please don't assume that because some people choose to follow standard cheapskate NHS advice, that is the best option for you - try it and see. £20 odd pounds for a meter and 50 strips (if you buy the inexpensive variety) is hardly a lifetime commitment, is it?

@Heretic1 while you are to be congratulated, and your HbA1c is significantly better than it was on diagnosis, all it gives you is a rough average. You could be swinging high, then low, several times a day, with a high standard deviation. That wouldn't be a good thing. Whereas, by testing, I know that my bg range across the day is typically 2mmol/l, often less, with an accompanying reduction in risk of long term complications. It is, of course, your choice not to test, but please don't get complacent, or assume that your choices are suitable for everyone.

 

[Jeffamos]

I used to test all the time, kinda fun seeing how high my levels were, often so high the meter didn't recognize the reading. After a few months of that, I might test once every 6 months. Have to recharge the meter each time I bother testing. Mind you, I'm on Invokanna, not Metaformin. What do the meters tell you, really not much more than your body can. Oh my levels are high, and I've just eaten a big dinner with lots of carbs, duh, nothing will happen, so not a big deal. Oh my levels are low. Hmm, I'm dizzy, thats probably why, better have something to boost up with. Just my point of view.. I do have 2 meters, a drawer full of lancets and test strips. Had em for years. The lancets are good for some automotive and electronics uses I've found.

 

[MikeTurin]

On most medicine fields, is advised to don't test too much mainy for two reasons.
First of all the test itself could pose risks. For instance a mammography made for bbreast cancer screening could cause cancer due radiaton expostion and a colonoscopy could cause intestine perforation. Even for safer exams testing too much causes a lot of anxiety in patients, and this is also a problem, because normally they think they're actually ill, doctors are hidiuing something important and so on.

So maybe testing now and then if someone has metformine could be useful, but testing everyday could genetae too much "noise" in the patient's mind.

 

[equipoise]

I used to test all the time, kinda fun seeing how high my levels were, often so high the meter didn't recognize the reading. After a few months of that, I might test once every 6 months. Have to recharge the meter each time I bother testing. Mind you, I'm on Invokanna, not Metaformin. What do the meters tell you, really not much more than your body can. Oh my levels are high, and I've just eaten a big dinner with lots of carbs, duh, nothing will happen, so not a big deal. Oh my levels are low. Hmm, I'm dizzy, thats probably why, better have something to boost up with. Just my point of view.. I do have 2 meters, a drawer full of lancets and test strips. Had em for years. The lancets are good for some automotive and electronics uses I've found.

'Duh' indeed!

 

[equipoise]

On most medicine fields, is advised to don't test too much mainy for two reasons.
First of all the test itself could pose risks. For instance a mammography made for bbreast cancer screening could cause cancer due radiaton expostion and a colonoscopy could cause intestine perforation. Even for safer exams testing too much causes a lot of anxiety in patients, and this is also a problem, because normally they think they're actually ill, doctors are hidiuing something important and so on.

So maybe testing now and then if someone has metformine could be useful, but testing everyday could genetae too much "noise" in the patient's mind.

No. The powerful practical reason against regular testing for type 2s is that it would cost the NHS too much. All the other claims - that it's useless, that it causes anxiety, that it hurts (there is a thread somewhere on this forum with some amazing examples) -- are pretty shoddy attempts to avoid saying that the problem is financial. The proper reply to that, I would have thought, is that strips should only be prescribed initially for a limited period to assist the newly diagnosed in gaining control and understanding how their BGs work. And there is no point in supplying them without proper direction, as one of the posts above demonstrates.

 

[britishpub]

@Rich H

In my lowly opinion it is more than important that you test, it is vital.

My T2D came under my control in a short time because I tested frequently and understood what was happening to my levels.

I test far less frequently nowadays, sometimes not at all some days or weeks, but I can only do that due to the confidence testing gave me.

My GP told me not to test, but he also told me to eat foods that would have meant I was still suffering from high blood sugars and the potential complications that would inevitably lead to.

Take control.

 

[mims57]

When I was diagnosed 2 years ago my HBa1c was 78 and I was told for the first 3 months to check before and 2 hours after breakfast, lunch, tea and test before going to bed. I had a chart that I had to record everything on including blood sugar numbers and what I ate. I was given my test meter and strips by my diabetic nurse That is the only way you can check what foods spike your blood sugars. When I was re checked after 3 months my HBa1c was 43. Wouldn't have been that low if I hadn't been able to check what I was eating. If I eat anything new I always check my blood sugars to see what effect it has on me. I have the test strips on a repeat prescription so order when needed.

 

[nietos3]

I'm new to this and have type 1 since February. I believe that testing and recording what you eat each day and what effect it has has helped me gain control and confidence. I really works and the hospital is really pleased with my results. This helps me to control my levels which in the long term hopefully will lead to less complications in the future. I get my meter and strips on perscsription. Good luck which ever you choose!

 

[chalup]

I used to test all the time, kinda fun seeing how high my levels were, often so high the meter didn't recognize the reading. After a few months of that, I might test once every 6 months. Have to recharge the meter each time I bother testing. Mind you, I'm on Invokanna, not Metaformin. What do the meters tell you, really not much more than your body can. Oh my levels are high, and I've just eaten a big dinner with lots of carbs, duh, nothing will happen, so not a big deal. Oh my levels are low. Hmm, I'm dizzy, thats probably why, better have something to boost up with. Just my point of view.. I do have 2 meters, a drawer full of lancets and test strips. Had em for years. The lancets are good for some automotive and electronics uses I've found.

Anyone that believes that testing so high the meter wont recognize it is no big deal and that nothing will happen is living in a fools paradise. Ask anyone suffering from blindness, heart disease, kidney failure, neuropathy, gastroparesis, ED, or amputations if running seriously high is a big deal. It may not have happened yet but it doesn't mean that it won't happen. Testing is the best way to learn how to control our sugars. Dizzy may not be low blood sugar, it may be something else that is serious. Assuming it is a low and not testing could have huge consequences. I cannot tell you what to do but if you think that seeing numbers so high the meter can't compute is "kinda fun", you should not be giving advice to anyone.

 

[MikeTurin]

No. The powerful practical reason against regular testing for type 2s is that it would cost the NHS too much. All the other claims - that it's useless, that it causes anxiety, that it hurts (there is a thread somewhere on this forum with some amazing examples) -- are pretty shoddy attempts to avoid saying that the problem is financial.

As you could guess, I'm not in UK, but in Italy. For newly diagnosed T2, normally is made a repeated test on hba1c and lab testing on fasting. Even here there have been some cuts on the exams and the visits one could do, and now there are some oddball rule aginst harvesting medications. The net result is that last week I've had skipped one day of statines because I was sure I've had one spare box to use.

Said that I agree that the best course of action for T2 is to give a low initial set of test strips and explain what to test and when one is in steady stade for metformin-controlled t2 to suspend the testing.

I think the problem is that a small percentage of people want to be tested for everything and ask their doctor for every test possible.

 

[chalup]

I am in Canada and at least my doctor encourages testing. In my personal experience, once you stop testing you are not being held accountable in the moment and it is a slippery slope. Also, you are assuming that every T2 diabetic is on metformin and this is far from the case. Even those who are on metformin are not automatically controlled, not by a long ways. Not testing is like driving in the dark with no headlights and hoping you don't hit a tree 3 months down the road.