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Finger prick readings.

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Annette&Bert

Annette&Bert

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I am just curious if anyone knows about this. For the past few weeks, starting with a sore throat which has diminished but still feel unwell and with no appetite, I think it's a winter bug. But I have been very surprised that my finger prick readings are very high which I don't understand, partly because in any given day I just barely eat as I feel sick, and just don't have an appetite.
Does anyone know if this is normal.. The only times I ever get high readings is if I eat something I should not, however, this is not the case. It was the same reading this morning and yesterday.
 

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Annette&Bert said:
I am just curious if anyone knows about this. For the past few weeks, starting with a sore throat which has diminished but still feel unwell and with no appetite, I think it's a winter bug. But I have been very surprised that my finger prick readings are very high which I don't understand, partly because in any given day I just barely eat as I feel sick, and just don't have an appetite.
Does anyone know if this is normal.. The only times I ever get high readings is if I eat something I should not, however, this is not the case.
Click to expand...
Yes, I haven't been well recently either (a tooth abscess) and my Libre monitor is consistently reading higher than usual. I think that someone's said on here previously that the body releases cortisone when we're ill, which spikes blood sugar.
 
Iam not seeing my diabetic nurse until February so I don't know how these readings will reflect my HbA1c
 
Annette&Bert said:
Iam not seeing my diabetic nurse until February so I don't know how these readings will reflect my HbA1c
Click to expand...
I guess it will a bit. However, you can always explain it: it's not an exam that you have to pass or fail 🙂.
 
It is common for BG to be higher when we are unwell (and stressed).
Our helpful livers dump more glucose to give us the energy to fight the energy ... or flight away from the stress.

For example, I had surgery on my arm last year and my body needed to heal whilst withstanding a fair amount of pain. The only way I was able to maintain my BG is "reasonable" range was to increase my insulin by more than 50% to manage that liver dump.

It could impact your HBA1c but if you consider the test shows an average over 3 months (albeit slightly skewed towards the more recent weeks), a week of higher BG will not push your results completely out of whack.
 
Thanks both it might be different for me as I am not on insulin so I therefore can't change my meds. My Readings will always worry me because as we know diabetes affects all our organs.
 
Annette&Bert said:
Thanks both it might be different for me as I am not on insulin so I therefore can't change my meds. My Readings will always worry me because as we know diabetes affects all our organs.
Click to expand...
Hopefully the raised blood glucose will be too short-term to do any damage. However, would it be worth ringing your Diabetes team for advice, if you're worried?
 
Annette&Bert said:
Thanks both it might be different for me as I am not on insulin so I therefore can't change my meds. My Readings will always worry me because as we know diabetes affects all our organs.
Click to expand...
Sorry, I only mentioned increasing my insulin to illustrate how much glucose my liver was dumping which would raise my BG if I left my insulin the same as usual which I guess is similar to your case.
 
thank you Anne and the others. I doubt ringing my diabetic team will help partly because my team consists of one diabetic nurse who you have too book an appointment in advance, she is the only DN to cover three practices, which I think is disgusting. I will look at the link you posted, thank you
 
Annette&Bert said:
thank you Anne and the others. I doubt ringing my diabetic team will help partly because my team consists of one diabetic nurse who you have too book an appointment in advance, she is the only DN to cover three practices, which I think is disgusting. I will look at the link you posted, thank you
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Hope you feel more yourself soon and your sugars come down. :care:
 
Do you feel high? As you say it’s been 19.7 every test for the last few days I’d suspect a meter or handwashing issue and check with control solution.
 
My surgery has had a few occasion's over the last few years where the have not had a Diabetic Nurse at all.
 
Sorry to hear you’ve been feeling poorly @Annette&Bert

Hope you can get an extra appointment before Feb to chat this through, and maybe have your meds tweaked if it continues. I find high levels like that absolutely exhausting, and they make me really grumpy!
 
Annette&Bert said:
I am just curious if anyone knows about this. For the past few weeks, starting with a sore throat which has diminished but still feel unwell and with no appetite, I think it's a winter bug. But I have been very surprised that my finger prick readings are very high which I don't understand, partly because in any given day I just barely eat as I feel sick, and just don't have an appetite.
Does anyone know if this is normal.. The only times I ever get high readings is if I eat something I should not, however, this is not the case. It was the same reading this morning and yesterday.
Click to expand...
Hi I am newly diagnosed t2 and had pneumonia over Christmas I was told infections cause blood sugar levels to rise in some people…
 
thank you, there was no other explanation.
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
Sorry to hear you’ve been feeling poorly @Annette&Bert

Hope you can get an extra appointment before Feb to chat this through, and maybe have your meds tweaked if it continues. I find high levels like that absolutely exhausting, and they make me really grumpy!
Click to expand...
I have been feeling really awful and all I seem to want to do is sit all day.
 
I also have periphoral arterial disease so when I stand my legs are sore and weak hence it's easier to stay sitting as it's the only time I have no pain.
 
My BG didn't go under 9.5 over Xmas as I had a throat infection @Annette&Bert and spiked to 19-20 (which is very unusual for me) despite a huge increase in insulin - it will get better once your body has fought the infection - hope you feel better soon :care:
 
thank you I feel pretty miserable.
 
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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
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