Adhoc testing

[HalfpipMarathon]

It's me again. Apologies for yet another post.

I'm not looking for advice just want to put this out there to see if anyone is the same:

Yesterday I decided that I 'd had enough of high readings before bed that I couldn't do anything about so decided that my scan @7.24pm of 8.5 was my last one of the day.

On waking @6.48am I scanned before breakfast and my reading was .4 higher at 8.9 higher than Diabetes UK recommendation perhaps but in range according to Libre 2.

Someone on the FB group I belong to said my post read as "I am going to remove the sensor and pretend my blood glucose levels are okay" which is not true. I just saw no benefit in stressing myself out and, until I started finger pricking in January this year I hadn't tested for years, and my HbA1c results were in range .

I decided to keep my sensor on until it runs out on 30th October. During the next few days I will decide whether I am going to bother with another one.


Unless I am wrong the testing before meals, 2 hours after etc is more for type 1 diabetics and other types that have to inject insulin. I'm not on insulin or medication that might cause a hypo and a lot of Drs etc don't recommend testing for people like myself.

I test to keep an eye on my levels however I feel I need to test adhoc now not at specific times ie 2hrs after meals.

Thank you for reading if you got to the end.

 

[harbottle]

The idea is that for T2 testing after two hours gives an indication on how your body has handled the meal, so you can adjust it if necessary. After two hours levels should have dropped back to normal (Although it’s dependent on the food, as a mix of fats and carbs might take longer to process and not rise as high, I’ve seen this with high fat meals… rather than a quick rise and fall i in see a small rise that persists before stopping away))

I’m not sure what the point of ad hoc testing is - I generally go through phases of doing a fasting test (morning) and testing before and after meals that are new to me or maybe a bit higher in carbs than normal.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Unless I am wrong the testing before meals, 2 hours after etc is more for type 1 diabetics and other types that have to inject insulin. I'm not on insulin or medication that might cause a hypo and a lot of Drs etc don't recommend testing for people like myself.

Well many T2 members of the forum on D&E find the pre- and post-meal checks very informative in optimising their menu to suit their invidvidual tolerance to carbohydrates, so in a sense you could say that these checks are even more valuable for them, as their menu is their main treatment option. T1s can always ‘fix’ errant numbers with extra insulin.

It is true that many Drs and diabetes nurses don’t recommend self monitoring except where there is risk of hypos, but I think this is part cost-cutting, and partly a belief that people will not use the information to make changes to their self management.

It is a very personal thing though, and it doesn’t ‘fit’ for everyone.

Where you have seen frustrating high levels before bed, have you reviewed your evening meal, and considered a smaller portion of carbs on subsequent days? If you’ve already optimised your meals, then dropping back to a more occasional ’maintentance’ frequency of monitoring might be more appropriate. But 2 people with identical on-target HbA1c levels could have very different levels of risk if one person’s BG profile was bouncing high-to-low and back again, while the other was just noodling along mid-range with few significant peaks and troughs.

Oh… and I’d be quite relaxed about 8.5 vs 8.9 - with the technology involved, those are basically the same number. BG results from meters and sensors are a little more ‘ish’ than their decimal point readings would suggest 🙂

 

[Leadinglights]

My personal opinion is that any testing people do should be used to inform and allow you to make better choices, otherwise it is a waste of time and resources.
As dietary managed Type 2, following diagnosis I used the testing before eating and after 2 hours to see what meals were tolerated using the criteria of no more than a 2-3mmol/l increase. If it was more, then that indicated I needed to reduce the carb content of that meal by reducing the amount or making a substitution. I then made sure my 2-hour post meal was less than 8mmol/l. I was than able to get a good idea of what meals were suitable and didn't test those again.
Some people use their morning reading to monitor daily, weekly progress but I found for me that was so variable but still withing the suggested range, I didn't find it particularly useful.
I have never done a bedtime reading as generally that was pretty close to the 2-hour post dinner reading so again didn't seem particularly useful.
The other time when testing would be wise is if feeling unwell.
It would be nice to think that sensors would give people the answers to better management of their blood glucose but that doesn't seem to be the case for everybody. I would rather spend the money on better quality suitable foods to maintain by low carb dietary regime.
Sorry for the rant, purely personal opinion.

 

[Drummer]

@HalfpipMarathon The testing is to indicate if the meal was something you can cope with. If you eat over the amount of carbs which is 'safe' for you your blood glucose will be high and an evaluation of the amount and type of foods you ate would be a good idea.
Once I was seeing under 8mmol/l after meals I kept to those amounts and saw my numbers go down even further, which I assume was my metabolism recovering.

 

[trophywench]

As a Type 1 for 50 years I have almost never ever tested 'pre and post' eating meals. I always test pre, because that informs me how much insulin to jab to take care of the carbs in the food, plus or minus any 'correction' to what the pre meal test told me about my BG right now.

I do regard the 'pre/post' testing regime as far more essential for people with Type 2 since as has been said, I can always correct my BG with either more carbs or more insulin - you can't !

Frankly - if testing isn't providing any useful info for you from which you can take steps to change something to prevent happening - it is actually a waste of time effort and money. (Doesn't matter whether it's your money, the NHS or Abbotts money)

If it provides info which you can't interpret whether you need to do summat or not - then ask, ask, ask!

 

[HalfpipMarathon]

As a Type 1 for 50 years I have almost never ever tested 'pre and post' eating meals. I always test pre, because that informs me how much insulin to jab to take care of the carbs in the food, plus or minus any 'correction' to what the pre meal test told me about my BG right now.

I do regard the 'pre/post' testing regime as far more essential for people with Type 2 since as has been said, I can always correct my BG with either more carbs or more insulin - you can't !

Frankly - if testing isn't providing any useful info for you from which you can take steps to change something to prevent happening - it is actually a waste of time effort and money. (Doesn't matter whether it's your money, the NHS or Abbotts money)

If it provides info which you can't interpret whether you need to do summat or not - then ask, ask, ask!

The idea is that for T2 testing after two hours gives an indication on how your body has handled the meal, so you can adjust it if necessary. After two hours levels should have dropped back to normal (Although it’s dependent on the food, as a mix of fats and carbs might take longer to process and not rise as high, I’ve seen this with high fat meals… rather than a quick rise and fall i in see a small rise that persists before stopping away))

I’m not sure what the point of ad hoc testing is - I generally go through phases of doing a fasting test (morning) and testing before and after meals that are new to me or maybe a bit higher in carbs than normal.

Maybe adhoc is the wrong word. I often test later than 2hrs especially when at work as I am busy so forget which is why I want a cgm so I suppose I mean test less frequently

However

 

[Leadinglights]

Maybe adhoc is the wrong word. I often test later than 2hrs especially when at work as I am busy so forget which is why I want a cgm so I suppose I mean test less frequently

However

Can I ask what is the purpose of the testing you are doing. Are you then adjusting your carb intake if your readings are high?
How will you know the action you have taken has worked if you then only test randomly.

 

[HalfpipMarathon]

Can I ask what is the purpose of the testing you are doing. Are you then adjusting your carb intake if your readings are high?
How will you know the action you have taken has worked if you then only test randomly.

I'm just using the TIR to see if I am on track ie 70+% in range. I've never been less than 84% and you don't get that if you have double digit reading as it all the time