What is your definition of what is a good level?

[Dusty911]

Hi All, I have been plodding away at the low carb diet now for several months and have seen a drop in average levels and also a good dampening of the dawn phenomena that was causing me such issues. Thank you so much to all on here who have enabled me to take this positive action with my diabetes. I do however have one thing that concerns me. I am fairly often seeing people posting morning fasting levels and post prandial levels that I understood to be good but they are referencing as bad. So for instance an reading above six as fasting ( sometimes even lower) and subsequent 2 hour readings above 6.5 as being bad. I know the NICE guidelines but understand that others may wish to be stricter. My question is however, is aiming to be back under the six within two hours realistic or am I shooting at the moon if I try to do this with only Metformin and diet?
Again this forum has been a godsend,thank you all. I am awaiting results of my latest Hba1C and am hoping for much improvement. My understanding was that average meter readings under 7mmol would indicate a return to non diabetic levels. Is this wrong?

 

[bulkbiker]

Firstly well done for bringing your levels down.
I personally get quite annoyed when my fasting BG is over 6 like it was yesterday morning (6.2) but I have been fighting off a cold and not sleeping especially well (partly due to the cat waking me at 6:15). However as most of my readings have been between 5 and 6 this year (2018) then I don't mind especially. I like to get my HbA1c as low as possible to avoid not only any diabetic complications but also to give me a bit of leeway should my sugars start to go up for any reason. Some may call me a bit of an extremist for this particular point of view but it keeps me on the ultra low carb straight and narrow so it works for me. I'm a bit of an all or nothing personality so find avoiding elevated blood sugars easier when avoiding most (almost all) carbs.
So what I am trying to say in a rather verbose way is that we all have different ways of coping with controlling our condition. I would be extremely frustrated by a reading of 7 or above because there really isn't any reason why my bloods would be at that level. Others seem happy when their bloods are there.
Also don't forget that the NICE guidelines are written from the perspective of Type 2 being a chronic progressive disease which has to be medicated. By aiming for far better results than most doctors think is possible we can avoid the meds for a lot longer (hopefully indefinitely).

 

[jwd1]

I keep getting anything from 6.5 to 8.0 fasting readings, but the rest of the day readings from 5.2 to 7 so I have given up taking a fasting reading as it just gives me a disappointing start to the day, when really I should be happy that I have dropped my HbA1c from 66 to 49. and average BG levels around 6.5 which is much lower than in the past. So if your results are improving give yourself a pat on the back and try not to fret over a higher result than "normal."

 

[Bluetit1802]

Please don't compare your results with other peoples! (ESPECIALLY fasting levels as they are too unreliable). We are all at different stages of the disease, have different medications, have different lifestyles and have different goals.

More important for me is keeping the post meal rises at 2+ hours down as my belief is that it is the roller coaster up and down that causes the problems rather than if I go higher than a 7 on occasions. Keeping levels within a fairly narrow band is my aim, even if the actual levels are a wee bit higher. Perhaps set a band width for yourself and once you are 99% within that band, consider making it narrower.

 

[Resurgam]

It is a progression - from high to low, if we are lucky - the metabolism can and seems to be quite keen to correct itself once it is not drowning in too many carbs.
When I was testing I saw that the same meals were not spiking me as high and I do see two hours pp under 6mmol/l - even after Christmas dinner. I am over a year from diagnosis and I stick to low carb foods, so can only advise that sticking to low carb and keeping hopeful seems to be the way to go on.

 

[Boo1979]

I aim to keep all of my readings between 4 and 7.8mmol. At present Im achieving that just over 90% of the time which gives me a projected hba1c in the non diabetic range

 

[ickihun]

Some posters are on insulin so they can achieve perfect hba1cs with insulin help and if using metformin on top it can give perfect fbgs.

Like @bulkbiker said its all in aim to avoid complications so in keeping them as close to no higher than 7.8mm/l should help.
My only complication due to not keeping them lower is weight gain, it seems. 15th eye/foot check this week for me and because toe numbness is intermittent its hopefully from sciatica and not diabetes.

 

[ickihun]

I think that's why we don't have separate fbg posts to prevent competition and only a view or support. However the competitive streak in some of use still shines through. Healthy competition doesn't hurt anyone so long as the race is fair!
I think the NHS support that belief too. That's why some need insulin as the race without for some is near on impossible and stop some even getting off the starting block. (Like me).
Although many choose not to take that metformin etc to assist as they can do it on their own. I cannot and not ashamed to admit my body's current capabilities.
A wise person runs the race fully prepared to win and without an injury doing so. There may always be a cheat but who cares; its how you feel how you win that matters.

 

[Hiitsme]

Hi @Dusty911
I was diagnosed almost 3 years ago. HbA1c 95 and fasting 18. It took me a couple of months to get my first reading under 7 and 6 months to get my HbA1c into normal range. I do accept I am probably a bit too tight on my control but I want to stay in control so yes I try to keep my fasting levels under 6 but don't always achieve that. There are so many other factors involved such as illness, stress and probably plenty of other things. Once you see your numbers coming down it's an incentive to go a bit further. You've done well so far and I hope your HbA1c confirms this.

 

[lucylocket61]

My definition of a good level for me is one where I can balance my other health issue with my diabetic needs.

This may be a higher level than some on here, but is still under the guidelines on this site for a type 2 for pre meal and post blood sugar levels.

I can maintain these levels, without meds, so am happy to continue to trundle along at these levels, which I have been successfully doing for over 6 years, rather than take meds to reduce my bs to less than the guidelines found here: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html

If I try to further lower my sugar levels through diet only my other health conditions get worse. So, its not ideal, but it works for me at this time.

 

[ickihun]

My definition of a good level for me is one where I can balance my other health issue with my diabetic needs.

This may be a higher level than some on here, but is still under the guidelines on this site for a type 2 for pre meal and post blood sugar levels.

I can maintain these levels, without meds, so am happy to continue to trundle along at these levels, which I have been successfully doing for over 6 years, rather than take meds to reduce my bs to less than the guidelines found here: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html

If I try to further lower my sugar levels through diet only my other health conditions get worse. So, its not ideal, but it works for me at this time.

I would say that's a perfect management. Very wise.

 

[Guzzler]

I do not aim for perfect numbers, I aim to kick the bucket using both feet.

 

[Dusty911]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I guess I was interested in how tight your control should be to be considered " normal" as regards sugar levels. Like many others, i'm thinking, friends and family have been interested to test their levels since I got the meter. Individuals who are not diabetic at all ,do seem to spike but not for long and seem to return to a lower base , but not much lower. Also I wonder how much of an effect the meter itself has. I use codefree which i am very happy with but understand can give slightly higher readings than others. I realise part of all this is that now I have regained some control a big part of me just wants to be " normal " again but logically i know that cant be. This morning I awoke to a 5.7 reading , I didn't eat straight away and an hour later before eating I was 6.7 . Two hours later 6.4 so I'm getting there one day at a time as they say .

 

[ringi]

Good levels for me is 2hr post meal under 5.5, as I don’t test that often and I know from experience that if they are higher something may be going wrong. It could be the meal put the levels up, or something over the preceding days. I use a reading over 5.5 as a prompt to do more testing to find out what is going on. (I do 2 or 3 post meal tests a week, and no other tests unless one is high.)

As for fasting levels, if they are over 6, I review what I have done over the day or two before to see if I can work out what is going on. (A large pork roast seems to put my fasting levels up, but other meats don't.)

But 7 months ago, I would have been happy with any levels below 10. All you can control is the increase in BG from a meal and provided that increase is below 2, you are doing well. But I no longer do enough testing to track that, hence I use absolute levels as a “fire alarm” to tell me when to start doing more testing.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Like many others, i'm thinking, friends and family have been interested to test their levels since I got the meter. Individuals who are not diabetic at all ,do seem to spike but not for long and seem to return to a lower base , but not much lower

This is the difference between us and non-diabetics. Our aim should really be to come back down from any spike quickly and not take hours. To test this we need to test at least every 30 minutes until it happens. An OGTT is a reasonably good indication of this, particularly as it is pure glucose on a fasted stomach with no fat or protein to interfere. .

 

[james11]

Anything between 4 &8 is fine...expect a rise after meals...

 

[Smallbrit]

I realise part of all this is that now I have regained some control a big part of me just wants to be " normal " again but logically i know that cant be.

I'd like to be "normal" again too, at least in blood glucose levels

Does the codefree really give slightly higher readings? I have one too.

 

[Dusty911]

I'd like to be "normal" again too, at least in blood glucose levels

Does the codefree really give slightly higher readings? I have one too.

Hi Smallbrit I am no expert but if you search the threads here for codefree readings there is some discussion about this. Some reckon it can be up to 1 mmol higher than other meters but caution that all meters have a tolerence level of 15 percent either way so no reading is that accurate. As others have said it is the rise between readings on the same meter that is most important to decide whats ok for you.

 

[Smallbrit]

Thanks, @Dusty911 - I did a search and it was very useful. Confusing, but useful!

 

[Bluetit1802]

@Smallbrit @Dusty911

You may find this interesting

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5588599/

Briefly, the Codefree was tested against an auto analyser and found to be "not significantly different" but "the glucometer generally overestimated the glucose concentration"