• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

When do I test

Robti

Robti

Member
Messages
9
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi all

So wondered if anyone can help on when do I test, I get up in the morning and then take the dog out for approx 25/30 mins then come back in and have a few coffees with my pills and then I have to force myself to have some breakfast so when do I test first thing.
Then at night I take more tablets (Metformin) with my evening meal so when to test then ?

Thanks for any help

Robert
 
It's usually advised that you test your blood glucose 3-4 times a day and before every meal. So when you get up in the morning, test your blood glucose because you need to know what it is before you proceed to do anything else. Also take your Metformin and have breakfast. Test your sugar again at lunch and take your Metformin again if you have to. Test it once again at dinner and take your Metformin then. You should also check it before you go to bed just to be safe, especially if your glucose control isn't that stable.
 
Hi,

I see you are a Type 2 on Metformin only. There are 2 reasons to test. The first is just to keep an eye on general levels, which might include a first thing in the morning fasting test (as soon as you get out of bed) and maybe one before your evening meal. They would give you a good idea of general levels.

The 2nd reason is to test out food and meals. You then test immediately before you eat and again 2 hours after your first bite. Look at the difference in levels. If the rise is 2mmol/l or above, there are too many carbs in that meal and you will have to consider reducing the portion size or avoiding that meal in future. Ideally, the rise should be under 1.5mmol/l but if you are just beginning that may be difficult to achieve at all meals.
 
When I was first diagnosed, I wanted to know what effect different food had on me so I knew where I was. I therefore tested as follows:

1) When I first got up
2) Immediately before eating anything
3) 1 Hour, 2 Hours and 3 Hours after eating
4) Before I went to bed (so I could see whether my BS was rising in a morning)

I kept a record of what I'd eaten in MyFitnessPal and a record of my Blood sugar in MySugr

I did that for a few months and got a decent picture of what I could and couldn't eat (and stopped eating anything that spiked my blood) so now I test far less often: If I'm eating stuff I've eaten before I just test in a morning to keep an eye on things, but if it's something new, I do the before, 1 hour, 2 hour and 3 hour test against that meal
 
Type 2 managing with diet and moderate exercise.

Generally I only test twice a day. First thing in the morning before breakfast then before my evening meal.

I occasionally test two hours after each meal in the day just for my piece of mind.

This is because of my confidence since adopting a low carb diet.
 
Thanks I just wondered if the walk or coffee affected the result and also if taking the Metformin with the evening meal would also affect my readings.

Thanks for all the helpful replies
 
Coffee (caffeine) can certainly affect your levels, as could the walk if you tested immediately you got home rather than wait half an hour. I don't think it matters when you take your Metformin, as long as it is with food.
 
Back
Top