finger test

[mandie]

TODAY was my HB test results last time 12 weeks ago I was 85 today great news 47 12 weeks of hard work has paid off got to keep it there now my bs is 7 /8 every day and I can't think of a way to lower more I've gone through it all I do not go above 40 per meal of carbs I don't normally get to use 40 but that's my limit so happy another one in 12 weeks I've been told now to finger test BS twice a day but don't know the best time to do so i know 2 hours after so could someone tell me best time morning - dinner - tea - bed ????

 

[helli]

Why are you finger pricking?
The best time to prick depends why you are testing.

If you want to track your progress, first thing in the morning is probably good.
If you want to prick to understand the impact of different foods or activities, then you need to test just before and about 2 hours later. This gives you data to decide whether the food you are eating (or the activity you are undertaking) is raising your blood sugars and maybe something you want to avoid.

 

[Vonny]

Hi @mandie, I can't give you any better advice that @helli has already given you, but just wanted to congratulate you on a massive achievement in getting your bloods down from 85 to 47. Huge pat on the back to you

 

[mandie]

I've just been finger pricking to follow my levels they are 7/8 BS daily I want to try to get lower as I want to get my HB lower in 12 weeks for my next test so been doing it before meals and 2 hours after and got them down so quick I live by the carb and cal book now I've been told I only need to do it twice a day he did say when but can't remember in when as I was so happy in the results but I don't want to phone him just to ask him that so asking on here but is not the test BS in the morning sometimes a false reading

 

[Drummer]

You might not need to do much, or even nothing at all.
Once my levels were under 8 after eating I saw them drift downwards as, presumably, my metabolism improved. Soon I was seeing under 7 eating the same level of carbs as when it was 8.

 

[trophywench]

Why would a morning test be any falser than at any other time of day?

 

[mandie]

Why would a morning test be any falser than at any other time of day?

this thing called the morning phenomena not every day but some days its a bit higher

 

[mandie]

You might not need to do much, or even nothing at all.
Once my levels were under 8 after eating I saw them drift downwards as, presumably, my metabolism improved. Soon I was seeing under 7 eating the same level of carbs as when it was 8.

it's hard not to take it now when I took it 4 times a day to keep reading I know ruffly what to stay away from but I just don't know when is the best but you say I don't need to know so how do I keep on top if i don't know what it is thought it had to be between 4 and 7 for and 42 HB for remission ( still got to work at it to get there )

 

[Ljc]

Hi. Are you prescribed test strips or buying your own, as this may have a bearing on why you’ve been told to test only twice a day, ie cost cutting to save the practice a bit if money.
If buying your own do what you feel is best for you but don’t test just for the sake of testing .

The best time to test is, when you will get the info you need so you can decide what if any action you need to take.

Just in case this is of any help these were my criteria when I were on meds that could not cause hypo’s and like you I had good handle on my control.

New foods or when retrying foods that I had cut out or down on that I really enjoyed, I had some really pleasant surprises.
Every once in a while to check regular meals and snacks , to ensure nothing had changed.
When I was ill or felt off colour.

 

[trophywench]

Well you can't stop Dawn Phenomenon entirely, it is a natural inborn trait of being human. Might as well try and stop blinking. The body was designed to do both for a reason.

The goal is to try and reduce the effects of DP on our BG for the rest of the day by eg not going to bed with sky high BG and breaking our fast asap after waking with summat carb free.

 

[Cjoy]

I’m a bit of a nerd, and have read the national institute of clinical excellence (NICE) guidance on type 2 diabetes. They do not recommend that people test at all when first diagnosed, and for those who do test, they are not able to offer any guidance on when that should be. The best advice I was given was on here, and has already been noted, first thing and last thing in the day, before and 2 hrs after eating. The before and after meals I found most useful as it has really helped me identify what I can eat without huge spikes in BG. I think that even If it does seem like you are pestering your GP, you need to know what time to test, and what result is expected, and what to do if you are not getting that result.

 

[Leadinglights]

The bit of the NICE guidance I read said that monitoring was only advised if the person knew how to use the equipment, was able to undertake the testing procedure properly and know how to interpret the result.
It does seem that there are a few enlightened doctors who are thinking it is a good idea but really don't necessarily suggest a sensible and useful regime for testing to give information that will enable someone to monitor the effect of specific foods or meals.

 

[trophywench]

It's precisely why Alan S wrote his Test, Review, Adjust.

 

[Drummer]

it's hard not to take it now when I took it 4 times a day to keep reading I know ruffly what to stay away from but I just don't know when is the best but you say I don't need to know so how do I keep on top if i don't know what it is thought it had to be between 4 and 7 for and 42 HB for remission ( still got to work at it to get there )

Once you know the amount of the carb containing foods you can eat, you can eat those meals and be confident that you are eating what you can cope with. If you think you might have eaten more than advisable, or you try something new, test to see how you have reacted. As time passes you should see your numbers getting into more normal ranges.

 

[Loobyloo]

TODAY was my HB test results last time 12 weeks ago I was 85 today great news 47 12 weeks of hard work has paid off got to keep it there now my bs is 7 /8 every day and I can't think of a way to lower more

I find exercising helps a lot alongside a low carb diet. A walk after lunch or dinner practically cancels out the effects of what i have eaten on my Bg levels and makes me feel better all round.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Congratulations on your terrific reduction in HbA1c @mandie

There is no one ‘best’ answer for when to check BG levels I’m afraid. It really depends as @helli says, on what you are trying to find out.

For a general background ‘how am I doing’ it is often suggested that the waking result - the longest time having had no food - is likely to give a reasonable indication of your general levels.

But if you are looking to see what effect a certain food or meal has, then using your 2 tests, one immediately before eating and the other 2hrs later, will show you the rise that the meal gave you.

But as some have already said, you don’t necessarily have to keep checking before/after meals if you’ve already found that those foods are fine for you. You may only choose to before/after check a new meal... or as an occasional ‘are things still the same’ confirmation.

But you are doing great! And the changes to your meals are clearly working well for you. Keep going!