General Question

[Nimxra]

Hi.

I have a 15 year old teenage daughter. Not long ago she had a Hb1Ac test and the result came back as normal. I've been monitoring her blood glucose levels via a glucose machine. These tests have been absolute random just to see what her levels are. I tested her on thursday and before she went to bed at around 11/11:30pm she had like half a can of pepsi and at around 5:30am when i tested her sugar level was 5.6 is this normal bearing in mind that she did have fizzy drink. Also today at 5:15am I tested her sugar level again through the blood glucose machine. Before she went bed she had a banana followed by some almonds. Her blood sugar levels when I tested was 6.5 I was extremely worried until I searched it up and it said banana raises sugar level. So should I be worried normally when I test her (just random tests) her sugar levels are about 5.5, 4, 3, 2 & 5.6, they're always in the 5 range never touched 6 or greater than 5.6! Please can u give me a response to both my questions as it will be of great help to me in the future! Thanks

Ps- is 5.6 a normal blood sugar level?

 

[eggyg]

Hi @Nimxra and welcome to the forum. I’m assuming, and please excuse me if I’m wrong, that a HbA1c was given to your daughter because of concerns she may have diabetes. A “ normal” person should have a BG range of between 4-7, but even then that can rise after a carb heavy meal, not too much but up to 8/9 in some cases, but would generally quickly return to normal. So yes, 5.6 is pretty normal for a non diabetic. I can’t get those numbers even using insulin! Please contact your GP if you have any concerns though as we aren’t medical professionals. Take care.

 

[Nimxra]

Hi @Nimxra and welcome to the forum. I’m assuming, and please excuse me if I’m wrong, that a HbA1c was given to your daughter because of concerns she may have diabetes. A “ normal” person should have a BG range of between 4-7, but even then that can rise after a carb heavy meal, not too much but up to 8/9 in some cases, but would generally quickly return to normal. So yes, 5.6 is pretty normal for a non diabetic. I can’t get those numbers even using insulin! Please contact your GP if you have any concerns though as we aren’t medical professionals. Take care.

Thanks alot for your reply & yeah it was given because I thought she had diabetes so I wanted to be on the safe side. & the banana scenario is it okay for it to rise that much because she didnt eat dinner and just had a chocolate bun a banana and some almonds and ber BG was 6.5 is thay normal?

 

[Ralph-YK]

for it to rise that much because she didnt eat dinner and just had a chocolate bun a banana and some almonds and ber BG was 6.5 is thay normal?

What was it before? If it rose by 1.5 (from a 5), then I wouldn't count that as much of a rise at all.

Also today at 5:15am I tested her sugar level again through the blood glucose machine. Before she went bed she had a banana followed by some almonds. Her blood sugar levels when I tested was 6.5 I

How long after eating was it? Was it the night before?
I wouldn't pay much attention to the 6.5, and wouldn't count it as anywhere near "high".

her sugar levels are about 5.5, 4, 3, 2 & 5.6,

The 3 and 2 are low. The 2 particularly so.

 

[Robin]

The 3 and 2 are low. The 2 particularly so

I assume by 3 and 2 the OP means 5.3 and 5.2, both of which are perfectly normal readings.
An occasional reading in the 6s after such a heavy carbohydrate load is nothing to worry about.
Why did you suspect your daughter had diabetes, @Nimxra, did she have any symptoms?

 

[Ralph-YK]

I assume by 3 and 2 the OP means 5.3 and 5.2, both of which are perfectly normal readings.

That would be ok.

 

[Inka]

Thanks alot for your reply & yeah it was given because I thought she had diabetes so I wanted to be on the safe side. & the banana scenario is it okay for it to rise that much because she didnt eat dinner and just had a chocolate bun a banana and some almonds and ber BG was 6.5 is thay normal?

Blood sugar in people without diabetes goes up and down throughout the day and night. This is normal.

For random tests similar to what you’re doing, it’s a number of blood sugars over 11.1 (if I remember correctly). Blood sugars such as you’ve been described are perfectly normal.

You did the right thing getting an HbA1C test for your daughter. The result of that was normal - as are the blood sugar tests you’re doing.

Can I ask why you have concerns about diabetes? Is there a lot in your family? Does your daughter have any risk factors?

 

[Nimxra]

Blood sugar in people without diabetes goes up and down throughout the day and night. This is normal.

For random tests similar to what you’re doing, it’s a number of blood sugars over 11.1 (if I remember correctly). Blood sugars such as you’ve been described are perfectly normal.

You did the right thing getting an HbA1C test for your daughter. The result of that was normal - as are the blood sugar tests you’re doing.

Can I ask why you have concerns about diabetes? Is there a lot in your family? Does your daughter have any risk factors?

Hi @Inka & yes her father has diabetes type 2 treated with 4 insulin injections.

 

[Nimxra]

I assume by 3 and 2 the OP means 5.3 and 5.2, both of which are perfectly normal readings.
An occasional reading in the 6s after such a heavy carbohydrate load is nothing to worry about.
Why did you suspect your daughter had diabetes, @Nimxra, did she have any symptoms?

@Robin thank you so much. & I'm not quite sure of the symptoms between a teenage and an adult. Can you clarify?

 

[Nimxra]

What was it before? If it rose by 1.5 (from a 5), then I wouldn't count that as much of a rise at all.

How long after eating was it? Was it the night before?
I wouldn't pay much attention to the 6.5, and wouldn't count it as anywhere near "high".

The 3 and 2 are low. The 2 particularly so.

Sorry @Ralph-YK I ment 5.2 5.3 etc

 

[Robin]

@Robin thank you so much. & I'm not quite sure of the symptoms between a teenage and an adult. Can you clarify?

In a nutshell, the 4 Ts apply to children and adults alike, adults may have a slower onset.
Toilet, Thirsty, Tired, Thinner.

Symptoms of diabetes in children

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes in children The most common symptoms of type 1 diabetes in children are:

www.diabetes.org.uk

 

[Nimxra]

In a nutshell, the 4 Ts apply to children and adults alike, adults may have a slower onset.
Toilet, Thirsty, Tired, Thinner.

Symptoms of diabetes in children

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes in children The most common symptoms of type 1 diabetes in children are:

www.diabetes.org.uk

@Robin thanks again! And yes she has gone thin she was chubby before but has lost weight. I took her to the docs and they said she has iron deficiency.

 

[Inka]

Hi @Inka & yes her father has diabetes type 2 treated with 4 insulin injections.

Ok - I understand why you were worried about diabetes then 🙂

Getting her seen by a doctor was very sensible. The HbA1C test was normal and the random blood tests you’ve done are also normal.

Is she getting treatment for her iron deficiency?

 

[trophywench]

The Thirsts are insatiable when you've got them - ie you drink a whole pint of tap water straight off and immediately you put the pint beer glass down, you're still as thirsty as before you even turned the tap on. However even before you decided to get a drink, you've just ****ed about a gallon out, anyway. And it's very deeply coloured and smells, instead of being very light cream coloured, sometimes enough to have to cover your mouth and nose before even reaching over the pan to flush the loo. At work with 4 cubicles side by side and no seat covers, I'd pull the door to when coming out to the row of basins because the windows didn't open, at home I'd have opened the window after washing hands, as it was behind the loo and washbasin.

Mk 1 husband at the time used to comment about the pong if he went in the bathroom shortly after me at that time.

If she's of normal intelligence - at 15 she'll know she ain't right, let alone anyone else.

 

[trophywench]

If she is actually anaemic, depending on how anaemic she is, sometimes it's necessary to do a fructosamine test instead of/as well as an HbA1c - but I dunno anything about them.

 

[Nimxra]

Ok - I understand why you were worried about diabetes then 🙂

Getting her seen by a doctor was very sensible. The HbA1C test was normal and the random blood tests you’ve done are also normal.

Is she getting treatment for her iron deficiency?

@Inka yes she is shes been given tablets for them x

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Good that you are keeping an eye on your daughter @Nimxra, but the levels you are seeing are perfectly normal from what I can see, and if your daughter’s glucose levels were elevated more generally that should have shown in the HbA1c which gives an overview of the preceding 3-4months

Bear in mind too that the home BG monitors are allowed to have a degree of variation/inaccuracy so that while they give ‘decimal point’ results they are not really that accurate, and the all of the readings you mention 5-6.5 are essentially 5.5ish and could have all been given if you’d checked the same drop of blood with multiple strips.

 

[Nimxra]

Good that you are keeping an eye on your daughter @Nimxra, but the levels you are seeing are perfectly normal from what I can see, and if your daughter’s glucose levels were elevated more generally that should have shown in the HbA1c which gives an overview of the preceding 3-4months

Bear in mind too that the home BG monitors are allowed to have a degree of variation/inaccuracy so that while they give ‘decimal point’ results they are not really that accurate, and the all of the readings you mention 5-6.5 are essentially 5.5ish and could have all been given if you’d checked the same drop of blood with multiple strips.

Got it thank you! & I checked her levels again today and they were 5.1

 

[mikeyB]

Stop testing. She’s a normal human being.🙂