Could I please ask your advice? Initially the consultant at the hospital said I should take BS readings 4 times a day , on waking and before meals. The nurse at my surgery says to do it 2 times every other day. What two times would give the best indicator of how my blood sugar is.
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Advice needed please
- Thread starter SueCuz
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SB2015
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
I am not sure what to advise for two a day. Any on here use their tests to check before a meal and again 2 hours after eating a meal, in order to find out the impact of the foods they have chosen to eat, and the amount of carbs consumed.
Practice nurses often suggest using fewer strips, but I think that that. At an issue of cost. Are you able to self fund test strips? If somany would advise testing more regularly, and using the tests to help you walk out a plan for your self management of your condition.
you could ask the Practice nurse when she would suggest do the tests?
Practice nurses often suggest using fewer strips, but I think that that. At an issue of cost. Are you able to self fund test strips? If somany would advise testing more regularly, and using the tests to help you walk out a plan for your self management of your condition.
you could ask the Practice nurse when she would suggest do the tests?
KARNAK
Much Missed Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi @SueCuz, take it you have a meter? we all rely on our meters to control our food intake including snacks.
DN at surgery is trying to save money, the Dr is more clued up but still not enough. T2D`s will only know what
foods are good for them if they test just before eating and two hours after your first mouthful, this will allow you
to know if certain foods affect your Blood Glucose Levels (BGL`s)
Make a diary of what you eat and include the test results, eventually you will be able to reduce your testing once
you have an idea of the foods you can eat, most of us do it no matter which type, I see my friend @SB2015 has responded too not sure asking the nurse will help they`re usually anti testing for T2D`s unless they are on a Blood
Glucose lowering medication.
On that point and I`m so sorry for asking you if you`ve already posted, your last HbA1c test ( blood from the arm)
would be helpful and any medication you are on but only if you wish to, others will be along to talk about how to
keep control using carb counting etc, please take care and stay safe we are here to help with any question so ask
away and you`ll find it will become second nature.
DN at surgery is trying to save money, the Dr is more clued up but still not enough. T2D`s will only know what
foods are good for them if they test just before eating and two hours after your first mouthful, this will allow you
to know if certain foods affect your Blood Glucose Levels (BGL`s)
Make a diary of what you eat and include the test results, eventually you will be able to reduce your testing once
you have an idea of the foods you can eat, most of us do it no matter which type, I see my friend @SB2015 has responded too not sure asking the nurse will help they`re usually anti testing for T2D`s unless they are on a Blood
Glucose lowering medication.
On that point and I`m so sorry for asking you if you`ve already posted, your last HbA1c test ( blood from the arm)
would be helpful and any medication you are on but only if you wish to, others will be along to talk about how to
keep control using carb counting etc, please take care and stay safe we are here to help with any question so ask
away and you`ll find it will become second nature.
Ljc
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1.5 LADA
How often and when you need to test depends on a number of things
Your diabetes medications, if you are on insulin or medications that can cause hypo’s (low blood glucose) then your testing should not be restricted to only 4 a day esp if you drive or when treating a hypo.
If you want to find out how the various carbohydrates affect you then for a time, in-depth testing as others have mentioned above is the way to go.
Many Gp practices try to restrict the number of test strips , due to cost saving. They also tend to discourage folks with T2 from testing and often refuse to prescribe testing strips.
Your diabetes medications, if you are on insulin or medications that can cause hypo’s (low blood glucose) then your testing should not be restricted to only 4 a day esp if you drive or when treating a hypo.
If you want to find out how the various carbohydrates affect you then for a time, in-depth testing as others have mentioned above is the way to go.
Many Gp practices try to restrict the number of test strips , due to cost saving. They also tend to discourage folks with T2 from testing and often refuse to prescribe testing strips.
Docb
Moderator
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I am afraid I put my scientists hat on in response to a question like yours @SueCuz and ask questions rather than provide answers!
The big question is, what do you (you or your consultant or your DN) want to get from your measurements?
So what are you going to get from your consultant's suggestion? Your blood glucose goes up and down through the day and by testing when you get up and before meals what you will get is some indication of your minimum blood glucose because in theory, it is at its lowest at those times. That might be useful for diagnostic purposes or for adjustment of medication but will tell you little or nothing about the highs.
What are you going to get from your DN's suggestion? By testing at random times during the day you will get some idea of how much your blood glucose varies, the highs and the lows. Bit better than your consultants suggestion when it comes to characterising what is going on in your system but again most useful for diagnostic purposes and medication adjustment. Only comment I would make is that it would take a long time at 2 tests every other day to get enough information to make any sensible decisions unless your blood glucose was very high.
If you want to use the measurements to try and control your diabetes then you need to be testing before and after meals to see how the things you eat change your blood glucose levels. You can then find the things that give big changes and then change your diet to stop it happening.
My suggestion is to try and satisfy all three! Aim for three or four tests a day.
On a three test day, test on waking and then test immediately before a meal and two hours after. Rotate around your meals. On a four test day, check before and after two meals again making sure that over a few days you will roughly test the same number of breakfasts, lunches and evening meals. Keep going for a couple of weeks and you will begin to get the picture.
That way you can give the consultant what they want, the DN what they want, and if you keep a food diary, you can find out the the things which give you big rises in blood glucose which is something you can use to control things. Wins all round, except maybe for the DN who will be worrying about the number of test strips being used and their cost!
The big question is, what do you (you or your consultant or your DN) want to get from your measurements?
So what are you going to get from your consultant's suggestion? Your blood glucose goes up and down through the day and by testing when you get up and before meals what you will get is some indication of your minimum blood glucose because in theory, it is at its lowest at those times. That might be useful for diagnostic purposes or for adjustment of medication but will tell you little or nothing about the highs.
What are you going to get from your DN's suggestion? By testing at random times during the day you will get some idea of how much your blood glucose varies, the highs and the lows. Bit better than your consultants suggestion when it comes to characterising what is going on in your system but again most useful for diagnostic purposes and medication adjustment. Only comment I would make is that it would take a long time at 2 tests every other day to get enough information to make any sensible decisions unless your blood glucose was very high.
If you want to use the measurements to try and control your diabetes then you need to be testing before and after meals to see how the things you eat change your blood glucose levels. You can then find the things that give big changes and then change your diet to stop it happening.
My suggestion is to try and satisfy all three! Aim for three or four tests a day.
On a three test day, test on waking and then test immediately before a meal and two hours after. Rotate around your meals. On a four test day, check before and after two meals again making sure that over a few days you will roughly test the same number of breakfasts, lunches and evening meals. Keep going for a couple of weeks and you will begin to get the picture.
That way you can give the consultant what they want, the DN what they want, and if you keep a food diary, you can find out the the things which give you big rises in blood glucose which is something you can use to control things. Wins all round, except maybe for the DN who will be worrying about the number of test strips being used and their cost!
Thank you for your replies. I thought perhaps it was a cost thing with the surgery! My first HbA1c was 136 and I had been feeling unwell for a long time but ignored it. I’m due my 3 month one at the end of may. I Get one lot of strips on prescription and buy the others as I thought perhaps they might stop them otherwise. I’m happy doing this. Unfortunately I have seen 3 different nurses at the surgery who all have said different things so very difficult to follow advice. Luckily there is this great forum where I can ask and get proper answers
What gives the nurse the right, or makes her think that she can ovrer rule the adbice given by the consultant? When the consultant asks to see the results are you to say that they are not available as the nurse to;d you not to bother with them?
After assment I expect that the need for testing will reduce and you might need to test only once or twice a day
After assment I expect that the need for testing will reduce and you might need to test only once or twice a day
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