What can cause inflated Bg meter readings?

[phil2440]

Hi all
I've had a puzzling couple of hypo situations over the last week.
I'm lucky in that I usually feel hypo symptoms pretty strongly relatively soon after my levels fall below 4.0, I've never gone below 3.6 without feeling something.
But a couple mornings this week I've felt pretty bad, full range of hypo symptoms, despite having had a decent breakfast. Yet my self tests have shown over 5.5 which dont match the symptoms I was feeling.
Is there anything that can cause the meter to register to high a reading?

 

[Hobs]

I had a similar thing that puzzled me with unexpected test readings until I realised I had not washed my hands. It is surprising how a little contamination on fingers can corrupt the blood sample.
It could also be that you are fighting off some kind of mild infection and your body is calling for more BG to aid in the needed extra heat.

There are other things I could list but I am fighting sleep and hope that others in here can pick up on this as my bed is calling me ...good night.

 

[cugila]

But a couple mornings this week I've felt pretty bad, full range of hypo symptoms, despite having had a decent breakfast. Yet my self tests have shown over 5.5 which dont match the symptoms I was feeling.

A few questions.

1. What was your waking(fasting) level on those mornings ?
2. What was the contents and carb count of your breakfasts ?
3. When do you test after your meals (timing) ?

Ken

 

[phil2440]

a few questions.

1. What was your waking(fasting) level on those mornings ?
2. What was the contents and carb count of your breakfasts ?
3. When do you test after your meals (timing) ?

1. I don't test my fasting level unfortunately. I do test once a day 2 hrs after meals, different time each day. My average breakfast reading is 5.8. These days weren't on my schedule for a morning test (that makes me sound hyper-organised ).

2. I'm a low carber. Breakfast on these days were 2 boiled eggs & 1 slice granary toast (a naughty 12g net carb) the first time and 3 rashers of bacon and several mushrooms (0 carb), both grilled, the second. On other occasions these breakfasts haven't taken my morning bg above 6.0.

3. Breakfast on a working day is about 0700 hrs so I test @ 0900hrs.

I reckon I'm fighting a viral infection, had a pretty rough night, which is why I got the hypo's. Just worried if I can't trust my meter!

 

[phil2440]

I had a similar thing that puzzled me with unexpected test readings until I realised I had not washed my hands. It is surprising how a little contamination on fingers can corrupt the blood sample.

Ah :idea: Cross contamination. On both days I'd done the coffee run for my colleagues. Some of them are sugar fiends & our coffee machine spills a lot. I probably got sugary coffee on my fingers.

It could also be that you are fighting off some kind of mild infection and your body is calling for more BG to aid in the needed extra heat.

Yeah - feeling a bit flu-ey at the mo', so I reckon I've a viral infection. One of my colleagues insists on coming to work with a raging chest infection :evil: - hope I've not caught that!

 

[cugila]

1. I don't test my fasting level unfortunately. I do test once a day 2 hrs after meals, different time each day. My average breakfast reading is 5.8. These days weren't on my schedule for a morning test (that makes me sound hyper-organised ).

OK. Not ideal as you have no idea what the level is prior to food. You might need to re-consider your testing regime for a while until you find out what is going on. Test on waking, before a meal, then 1 and 2 hrs after meals for a week or so. With some slow acting carbs you might also need to test 3 - 4 hrs after those meals, Pasta etc.

2. I'm a low carber. Breakfast on these days were 2 boiled eggs & 1 slice granary toast (a naughty 12g net carb) the first time and 3 rashers of bacon and several mushrooms (0 carb), both grilled, the second. On other occasions these breakfasts haven't taken my morning bg above 6.0.

Low carber. That's good. Granary Bread ........1 slice toasted would have anything between 16 - 20g carbs depending on portion size. Slightly higher when toasted. 2 Eggs would be around 1.6g carbs as well. You need to look at TOTAL carbs not nett carbs. You would be miscalculating if you only use nett carbs. Again without testing each time we cannot really say what effect it has had as you may have been way low before the meal which affects the reading 2 hrs after meals. However if the reading is not above 6 mmol/l at these times that sounds good..

3. Breakfast on a working day is about 0700 hrs so I test @ 0900hrs.

That fits in with what I stated previously.

I reckon I'm fighting a viral infection, had a pretty rough night, which is why I got the hypo's. Just worried if I can't trust my meter!

ANY infection will mess around with Bg levels. They can climb or dip. As for your meter, test it with your control solutions....if they are within range then the meter is fine and it is down to one of the things discussed here. Meters are rarely faulty....however, if you think after all this it is contact the manufacturers help line for advice about the meter.

Ken.

 

[phil2440]

Thanks Ken, I'll keep an eye on things. Though you've got me confused over recording my carb intake:

You need to look at TOTAL carbs not nett carbs. You would be miscalculating if you only use nett carbs.

I could have sworn I'd read somewhere that we only need to record Net Carbs because the Carbs in Fibre don't get processed into glucose and so "don't count". :? :?

 

[cugila]

You have probably been looking at US sources.

Simple facts.
You can look at any low carb website for net carbs and the figure will be the same - in the UK or America (as they (US) would have already deducted fibre).

The only thing you need to keep in mind is that when you look at a food label in the UK, the total carbohydrate value listed is the net carb value and so you do not deduct fibre.

Hope that helps.....trust me, it is Total Carbs you need to count in the UK.

Ken.

We have found a post by one of our more knowledgable members, Phoenix which I will give the link for, it explains it: Thanks again to Phoenix coming to the rescue........

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9840&start=0&hilit=net+carbs

 

[phil2440]

The only thing you need to keep in mind is that when you look at a food label in the UK, the total carbohydrate value listed is the net carb value and so you do not deduct fibre.

:idea: :idea: :idea: Ah - light dawns.
Thanks Ken
My numbers for raw products come from my handy dandy Collins Gen Carb Counter book, which lists gross Carbs, Fibre & Net Carbs seperately. So I'll use the Net Carb numbers from there. Where I use a food label, I'll trust the carb shown to be the Net Carbs.

I'm a data analyst - I love this sort of stuff :lol:

 

[cugila]

The only thing you need to keep in mind is that when you look at a food label in the UK, the total carbohydrate value listed is the net carb value and so you do not deduct fibre.

:idea: :idea: :idea: Ah - light dawns.
Thanks Ken
My numbers for raw products come from my handy dandy Collins Gen Carb Counter book, which lists gross Carbs, Fibre & Net Carbs seperately. So I'll use the Net Carb numbers from there. Where I use a food label, I'll trust the carb shown to be the Net Carbs.

I'm a data analyst - I love this sort of stuff :lol:

NO....NO...NO !!!!
You use total carbs from any Collins Gem Books and UK packaging.......the column that actually says Carbs. That is total carbs. DO NOT use nett carbs at all as that will be lower than the actual carbs.
If you add the nett carbs and the fibre together in the columns that gives you the total carbs. That is the figure that matters.....nothing else.

I.m going for a lie down.....it's been a long day.......... :roll: :wink:

Ken