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Blood sugar machine
- Thread starter Madeleine
- Start date
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Bruce Stephens
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
You should always get one if you're taking medication that can cause hypos (so that would be everyone with Type 1). And (I imagine) for pregnancy you'd want to give women the ability to keep tighter control, so a blood glucose monitor would help.
CCGs can choose to be more generous.
[Now I come to think of it, the "might have hypos" is very much a minimum criterion. Even if there were insulin that couldn't cause hypos, it would still be necessary for anyone using it to be able to test. However, for people with Type 2 not on insulin (or other hypo-causing medication) there's trial evidence suggesting at home blood testing isn't typically that beneficial. (Though it doesn't look all that strong to me, and I'd especially like to know what the evidence is for those who actively want to do such testing.)]
CCGs can choose to be more generous.
[Now I come to think of it, the "might have hypos" is very much a minimum criterion. Even if there were insulin that couldn't cause hypos, it would still be necessary for anyone using it to be able to test. However, for people with Type 2 not on insulin (or other hypo-causing medication) there's trial evidence suggesting at home blood testing isn't typically that beneficial. (Though it doesn't look all that strong to me, and I'd especially like to know what the evidence is for those who actively want to do such testing.)]
Last edited:
rebrascora
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hi Madelaine
Shame you lost your BG meter although if you were not being prescribed test strips for it then it may not have been economical for you to self fund, depending on the make and model.
Most Type 2s are not supplied with BG meters anymore but many people here on the forum who are serious about managing their diabetes through diet find them invaluable, so they self fund. The main cost involed is the on going purchase of test strips for them as the meters themselves are relatively inexpensive @ approx. £15. Test strips can range in price from £8 to £25 for a pot of 50 depending upon which make and model meter you have. For that reason, here on the forum if you are self funding, we recommend people purchase the SD Gluco Navii (previously known as the SD Codefree) or the Spirit Healthcare TEE2 as the test strips for these two meters are the cheapest available @£8 for a pot of 50.
It is recommended that you keep a food diary and test before eating each meal and then 2 hours afterwards, recording the content of the meals and the readings in the diary. You are looking for a rise of less than 2-3 mmols post meal fo be a reasonable response. A larger spike would indicate that there were too many carbs in that meal for your body to cope with and reducing the portion size or eliminating that particular carby food from your diet would be indicated..
Shame you lost your BG meter although if you were not being prescribed test strips for it then it may not have been economical for you to self fund, depending on the make and model.
Most Type 2s are not supplied with BG meters anymore but many people here on the forum who are serious about managing their diabetes through diet find them invaluable, so they self fund. The main cost involed is the on going purchase of test strips for them as the meters themselves are relatively inexpensive @ approx. £15. Test strips can range in price from £8 to £25 for a pot of 50 depending upon which make and model meter you have. For that reason, here on the forum if you are self funding, we recommend people purchase the SD Gluco Navii (previously known as the SD Codefree) or the Spirit Healthcare TEE2 as the test strips for these two meters are the cheapest available @£8 for a pot of 50.
It is recommended that you keep a food diary and test before eating each meal and then 2 hours afterwards, recording the content of the meals and the readings in the diary. You are looking for a rise of less than 2-3 mmols post meal fo be a reasonable response. A larger spike would indicate that there were too many carbs in that meal for your body to cope with and reducing the portion size or eliminating that particular carby food from your diet would be indicated..
Hi. I have just started self testing and thought it would be ok to do just a post meal 2 hour check ( actually made a thread asking for thoughts along those lines... but someone pointed out that by missing out the 1 hour check, I may be missing a spike. So as a relative new person to self testing and still in the process of learning what i can and cant personally eat, i always do 1 & 2 hour post meal tests. Until im confident in my menu.
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