Type 2's Do you test or not

Am I to take it that AMBrennan is saying that low-carbing isn't the way to go? I didn't necessarily take that from his or her remarks. But if so, let me tell you my experience.

I eat a high-carb diet, about 200 carbs a day. I don't do that because I think it's right but because I'm a weak-willed carbohydrate addict, and I've given up on trying to eat low-carb. But I agree that low-carbing is best for diabetics (and for non-diabetics too). On occasion, for whatever reason, I will have a day when my carbs are much lower than normal, and on those days, my blood-sugar numbers always plunge. Having learned how to take insulin the right way, my BS numbers are pretty good anyway -- but the lowest A1c I have accomplished so far is my present 6.2. If I ate 100 grams of carbs every day instead of 200, I have no doubt at all that my A1c would be 5.5 or lower.

The science is simple and basic: Eating carbs raises your blood sugar. Period. That's the whole story. Most blood sugar comes from the carbohydrates we consume. Only a small amount comes from the proteins in our diet. Low-carbing is the way to go -- if you have the willpower to do it.

Dear Collette

I see you have varied answers to your questions. The important thing is, what is best for you personally. That may be a difficult question for your to answer at the moment. It sounds like you are not happy that your GP or practice say you can't have a monitor or strips and that you have to pay for them(correct me where I am wrong). In this case if it helps, there are a few things you need to have the power to go back to your practice and give them some good reasons as to why you should be able to have a monitor and strips:-

1. If you HbA1c is more than 7% (the regular blood test your GP should be taking 3 or 6 monthly if it is over 7%).
2. Government guidelines state (NICE: National Institute of Clinical Excellence for Diabetes) that if you have T2 Diabetes and you have received structured education then you are entitled to blood glucose monitor.

your GP could disagree (would be a personal opinion of their own though), if your diabetes is in control (HbA1c of 7% or below). But you could reinforce your argument if you have the intention of preventing your diabetes getting worse or slowing the process down, therefore you want to blood glucose monitor to understand what effect the specific foods etc you consume are having on your blood glucose to learn how to keep your results at bay (also the effect of physical activity, stress etc)

To give the GP confidence, they may need to see you understand your own blood glucose results - don't worry you can learn this if you don't know already.

The structured education programme to begin with in T2 Diabetes is DESMOND if you haven't been on it already - it is free & your GP should be able to give you details on how to ring & book. Here you will learn a lot (often too much to take in in one go, but excellent info) also about blood glucose monitoring - & you may answer some of your own questions there.

I'll stop here as it is already a lot of info., and I may have gone off track from what is important to you personally right now. Feel free to let me know if this isn't what you wanted to know & we can see where to go next.

King regards
passionateaboutT2DM

I don't live in the UK now, and if I want any medicine, test equipment etc, I pay. If I don't test how do I know where I am at ? I know diabetes is a serious potentially fatal diease. Realistically do I have a choice ?
So I pay up. I was diagnosed through FBS, my doctor does an annual blood test, costs about 15 pounds.
since I have been testing which was within weeks of being diagnosed my FBS has been OK ?? However my 2 hour after figure is high if I don't take my tablet, which is 50 mg of Sitagliptin once a day. Metaformin played havoc with my guts.

Caleb
Thanks so much for your very detailed response.
This, together with your excellent work on your website, I am sure, will help me with my management of my condition. I have made comment on your article, and eagerly await your periodic expansion on the project. Are you going to write a book! Be sure to let me know if you do.
I note you live in Wensleyday - one of my favourite parts of the world - but how do you resist the wonderful cheese?!!
Best wishes
Geoff

Thank you, Snurger, you are very nice. I got your comment and left my thanks. I hope you got the article today and not yesterday, because I added mmol/L numbers to the article in the middle of the night. I'm not an expert in any way, just an informed lay person, so I won't be doing any more than writing articles on my blog. By the way, I live in Rhode Island, the U.S.'s smallest state, which is located on the eastern seaboard. The cheese here isn't so wonderful.

It's me that lives in Wensleydale, Geoff - and fortunately, cheese (at least hard cheeses as made in the UK) doesn't contain carbs and is perfect for a low-carber to snack on!

Viv 8)

I just test fasting these days but when was first diagnosed I tested all the time to find out which foods my body could tolerate and which it couldn't. Incidently manlitol - a sweetener in foods like no sugar halva and toffees makes my bs shoot up after 2 hours. I am on a permanent low carb/low GI diet and have brought my fasting levels down to a regular 4.6 . It is as if I have reversed it but I know I haven't !!! I last had a Hb1Ac over a year ago 5.5 and don't want to ask for another because that may be drawing attention to the fasct that I still manage to get strips on prescription and I don't want them to take this away from me!!

Ricky said:

don't want to ask for another because that may be drawing attention to the fasct that I still manage to get strips on prescription and I don't want them to take this away from me!!

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Bit like me! Only had 1 test since diagnosis, and when I queried I was told "you only need 1 a year", but my testing with prescription strips tells me my HbA1c now is low to mid 5's anyway so I don't want to upset the apple cart!

i test 7 times a day

I have to say that it seems ludicrous to myself that non-insulin T2 diabetics are having their prescription sticks cancelled.

My son eats wheat with expected results yet a small orange and his blood sugar rifles.
I eat a small orange with expected results yet wheat rifles my blood sugar.

Without testing neither of us would have had the faintest idea.

For me, testing is essential and to remove test-strips from prescription is the most insane thing I've heard for quite a while.

My surgery say that it is not their choice, but has been imposed by the government.

I think I'll move to France :wink:

Simply not true. There will be a post from the administrator going up next week about something to do with testing that a few of us have been working on, so look out for that.

I have been lucky from the start with testing. After my diagnosis my DN had the chat with me explaining diabetes, sorting out the eye tests, dietician etc. She also gave me a meter a few months in and showed me how to use it. I was told to test regularly at first (I started out as diet controlled) as it would help me work out what foods were good or bad for me. Time went on and I went onto metformin and I stabilized. She then suggested I test when trying a new food or felt unwell. I moved home and went to a new surgery and my new DN was exactly the same. I just need to ask and I get new strips. Whether its a Welsh thing I don't know.

Testing is so important for me as despite caution I have still developed neuropathy and I do not want it to get any worse.

I didn't do well at low carbing, it made me feel really unwell (bgs went up too????) but I switched to complex carbs and that seems to work well.

kazwbb said:

She then suggested I test when trying a new food or felt unwell.

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Your post is just how it should be in my view. Reducing testing over time according to what type of medication you're on. I'd just add one extra occasion to the "new foods and when feeling unwell"; that is, now and again anyway to ensure things aren't changing in terms of the state of your diabetes. Don't want to wait for an HbA1c being high before discovering your diabetes has moved on.

Good to know I am doing it right

I do test randomly to keep an eye on things as you said Grazer. Just forgot to write it down. It could be a couple of times a week or so, just as it comes into my mind.

Now I know how my way of eating affects my blood glucose, I don't test so often. I keep track of my fasting BG readings because this is often the highest of the day. I test 2 hours after different foodstuffs. Sometimes I'll do a couple of days full testing just to make sure everything is okay.

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Viv,

I'm doing almost exactly the same now, after six months.

I only really have three different breakfasts and I now know they are all ok. My lunches are from a wider range but still I've measured on most of them so rarely need to evaluate anything new. Most variation is at dinner so I'm still testing occassionally when I'm unsure.

I test fasting (good point about it being highest of the day - this is a good reason for me to continue that I hadn't thought of) and once in a while (after a holiday say) I test heavily for a couple of days.

I have to pay for my own strips but have tried not to let this influence me too much.

I test quite a lot. I sometimes eat too much in the evening - it's when I am most hungry and consequently my fasting levels can be quite high if I have forgoten to balance it with an extra shot of insulin. Apart from that I test regularly and try to be sensible.
I live in Poland and there are no diet drinks apart from diet coke, which I shouldn't really have because of the caffeine.
However, in Poland there is no problem being prescribed a tester.
When I was diagnosed they kept me in hospital for 8 days - and gave me a tester there and then.
They were really sweet, they really cared and I now do not complain about my the national health contributions I pay in my adopted country. Each prescription costs about 75p or 1.5p per strip.
Overall, I guess I am happy I have diabetes. With the diet I am now on, I am much healthier, do more sport and slowly but surely my weight is inching downwards - it's not a quick thing, but losing weight permanently is not quick.
I read a lot as well when I was diagnosed - if you haven't already - get a copy of Gretchen Becker's "The First Year - Type 2 Diabetes"
All the best to you - test and think positive !!

Gordon, I think you have the most cheerful attitude toward your diabetes that I have ever encountered.