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What to do when I get a reading that is too high

G

Guineveretoo

Active Member
Messages
34
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
No-one has told me what to do with the readings I get on the monitoring machine I have recently been given but, just now, I wasn't feeling well. My heart was racing and I felt wobbly and tired. So I decided to check my blood glucose levels to see if it was related to that.

It is showing 16.5.

The internet says to phone 111 if that happens, so I have done that. Waiting for them to phone me back.

No idea if this is normal/expected.

When the GP was handing over the machine recently, he tested, just to show me how to use it, and it came out at 18.5. So maybe I shouldn't be surprised that it is showing as high now.

I often feel ill, as I am right now, and have never quite worked out why. And neither has the NHS. Could be heart, could be iron deficiency, could be kidney.

Now I am thinking - could be diabetes. Since no-one has ever told me the symptoms of high blood sugar.
 
I did start by phoning the doctor, but I don't think I have a diabetic nurse. I can only make appointments to see a doctor weeks in advance or at 8 in the morning. So, before it had finished with all the lengthy messages, I cancelled and dialled 111 instead, as recommended by the NHS website.

Not sure what is meant by "showing signs of low". I don't know what signs I am showing.
 
Have you got eggs, cheese, nuts, any cooked meat? Any of those are low carb so shouldn’t increase your blood sugar. But definitely not bread, crackers, potato which is likely to increase it further.
 
I will eat some peanuts, because I have those to hand.

A nurse phoned from the 111 service. She is not particularly worried - was questioning why I am using a monitor at all - but the computer told her that I should see a doctor within the next 6 hours, so she has suggested that I phone my GP practice or go to the GP Hub.
 
“showing signs of low” means that when your blood sugars drop , because your blood sugars are running high, you make get all jittery and feeling off, that’s because your body is used to your blood sugars being high. When you feel jittery and off, maybe check to see what your blood sugars are reading.
 
Guineveretoo said:
No-one has told me what to do with the readings I get on the monitoring machine I have recently been given
Click to expand...
Hi @Guineveretoo - have a look at this link below, it explains a little bit about carbs but more importantly it explains how & when to test, the numbers you aiming for

Administrator

Thread 'Basic information for Newly Diagnosed Diabetics'

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find well over 190,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes...
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Guineveretoo said:
I did start by phoning the doctor, but I don't think I have a diabetic nurse. I can only make appointments to see a doctor weeks in advance or at 8 in the morning. So, before it had finished with all the lengthy messages, I cancelled and dialled 111 instead, as recommended by the NHS website.

Not sure what is meant by "showing signs of low". I don't know what signs I am showing.
Click to expand...
signs of low dizzy head ache shaking confused low meaning low blood sugar
 
Melgar said:
“showing signs of low” means that when your blood sugars drop , because your blood sugars are running high, you make get all jittery and feeling off, that’s because your body is used to your blood sugars being high. When you feel jittery and off, maybe check to see what your blood sugars are reading.
Click to expand...
I was feeling ill and that is why I tested my blood sugar, which was high. It was not showing signs of low blood sugar though. Even the NHS website indicates that it was symptoms of high blood sugar.


It seems likely that I have suffered these symptoms several times in recent months and not realised that it was because of high blood sugar. I was told it was possibly iron deficiency, or cardio problems, but I am now wondering whether it was diabetes not behaving properly.
 
I did manage to speak to a doctor yesterday on the phone. Not one I have spoken to before. It didn't start well, as she said that I was on the wrong dose of "dapa" when I am not on "dapa" at all and never have been. Turns out one of the other doctors had written that he was going to prescribe it, but had not actually got round to doing it. Possibly because that was the day when he tested me, in order to prove that my blood sugar was fine, and got a reading of 18.5, which rather distracted him.

Anyway, yesterday's GP has sent a prescription to the chemist for Dapagliflozin, so can people share their knowledge and experience of that?

I understand it is also used to treat kidney disease, and I do have a dodgy kidney, and heart disease, and I do have a dodgy ticker.

So, sounds like a win to me!
 
I have not been taking readings often, because I was recommended not to. But, tonight, I was feeling hungry when I shouldn't have been, so I took a reading out of interest and, as expected, my blood sugar levels are high.

Not dangerously so - 10.5 - but still high.

I have actually been feeling a bit ill all day, but didn't test partly because I was out and didn't have the meter with me.
 
Guineveretoo said:
P has sent a prescription to the chemist for Dapagliflozin, so can people share their knowledge and experience of that?
Click to expand...
I was put on Dapa while in hospital and not told - usual situation in hospital - about any of the caveats. Also the hospital said I was on it for my diabetes, which I wasn't as my bloods were all in the 5s and I'd been put on it for my heart problems. The staff knew I was keto, which is dangerous on Dapa as it needs carbs. My GP when I asked him was unconcerned, so I have stayed keto, but with a watching brief. No problems yet, but I'd advise you read the leaflet,and discuss with your health team. If you feel at all unwell, seek help. I have been fine on it. It seems to work well for my heart and my BG is still in the 5s. You will pee a lot, which is very disruptive. Again, the nurses seemed unable to understand that the Dapa was diuretic, and gave me a hard time because I had to pee every hour. Now it's every 2 hours during the day and every 3 at night.
 
I haven’t started on the dapa yet because I read the leaflet and, as often happens, that has made me anxious.
 
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