Confused (am I doing it wrong?)

[ChelleB]

Hi, I'm type2, joined a few months ago and was recommended to get a glucose monitor. Things have been fine with it till today. I always test when I get up and this morning it was 14.5 (normally between 7/8) so I tested another 3 times getting 8.2, 10.2 & 9.2 Tested again 1hr after breakfast (10.6) and 2hrs (10.1 & 8.8)
I testing wrong, can variations like this happen, can different fingers get different results
I'm really confused

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi, I'm type2, joined a few months ago and was recommended to get a glucose monitor. Things have been fine with it till today. I always test when I get up and this morning it was 14.5 (normally between 7/8) so I tested another 3 times getting 8.2, 10.2 & 9.2 Tested again 1hr after breakfast (10.6) and 2hrs (10.1 & 8.8)
I testing wrong, can variations like this happen, can different fingers get different results
I'm really confused

Could the battery on the monitor need replacing? Are the strips out of date?
Did you wash your hands? Are you feeling unwell?
There can be variation between fingers but not usually very much maybe up to 1mmol/l.

 

[ChelleB]

Could the battery on the monitor need replacing? Are the strips out of date?
Did you wash your hands? Are you feeling unwell?
There can be variation between fingers but not usually very much maybe up to 1mmol/l.

I only got the monitor in march but I will check about the battery. Strips are well in date, hands, washed, feeling fine

 

[silentsquirrel]

Hi, I'm type2, joined a few months ago and was recommended to get a glucose monitor. Things have been fine with it till today. I always test when I get up and this morning it was 14.5 (normally between 7/8) so I tested another 3 times getting 8.2, 10.2 & 9.2 Tested again 1hr after breakfast (10.6) and 2hrs (10.1 & 8.8)
I testing wrong, can variations like this happen, can different fingers get different results
I'm really confused

BG meters only need to be +/- 15% accurate 95% of the time, so the 8.2, 10.2 and 9.2 are all about the same, and 10.1 and 8.8 likewise. Just the 14.5 may have been a rogue result.

Yes, different fingers can give slightly different results, blood isn't absolutely homogeneous.

The decimal point readings give a slightly misleading sense of accuracy, think of the readings as 8ish, 9ish etc!

 

[rebrascora]

I agree that most of those readings are within the accuracy levels of a meter and that as the meter readings get higher the variation will likely increase. Do remember that testing 1 hour after food levels are likely changing fairly rapidly so you may also get some variation due to that too.
Can I ask which meter you are using? I believe some of the cheaper test kits have been found to be a bit less reliable, although the Gluco Navii and Tee2 have both got a good reputation here o the forum.

 

[Oblivious]

also, be careful about rinsing your hands well after washing them. a lot of soaps and sanitisers have glycerine in them which can 'bump up' your blood sugar readings. i've started to use alcohol wipes to remove any traces before i test

 

[ChelleB]

@silentsquirrel, @rebrascora & @Oblivious
Thanks all
I didn't realise tolerance percentage could be as high as 15% so that's put my mind at rest a bit and I'll be more careful about the hand washing cos I never thought about the kind of soap!
The monitor I'm using is the gluconavii as I saw a few recommendations for it on here

 

[rebrascora]

Gluco Navii is a good reliable meter but it is still possible to get a rogue strip with any meter, or have contamination on your fingers, so it is always a good idea to retest and unexpected result. Personally I don't wash my hands because I have very dry skin which splits, so I just wipe away the first drop of blood (usually on the back of my other hand) and then test the second drop. That has worked absolutely fine for me for the past thousands of tests I have done, even when my hands are properly dirty when I am up at the stables (although I do choose the cleanest of the bunch 🙄 )

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Glad you have found the responses reassuring @ChelleB

Yes, like @silentsquirrel I think meters really should have ‘ish’ displays to avoid confusion!

All meters for sale in the UK should comply with the following ISO standards 95% of the time, which allows a degree of variation (and 5% of results can read anything at all). If in any doubt, or if a reading doesn’t match how you are feeling, you should check again with a fresh strip. You can see that the range between lower and higher acceptable results can get quite wide!