monitoring suger levels in pre diabetes

[Janybaby]

Hello all, I joined another site for pre diabetes and it seems that most of the people on there check their glucose levels daily but then found out that this is an American site, so my question is, is it a good idea to rush out and buy a kit ??. I am waiting for my hospital appointment to come through at the moment and I have no idea what to expect

Thanks for reading

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hello @Janybaby

Welcome to the forum!

I guess, like with most things diabetes-related, it depends on you as an individual.

We have certainly had several members join here who have used self-monitoring as a way of ensuring that their diet was suiting their metabolism, and who have reduced their pre-diabetes results back into the non-diabetic range.

Prediabetes is a slightly odd concept, but for me it suggests that a person‘s metabolism has begun to struggle, but that with a few changes, they may be able to avoid a diagnosis of full-blown diabetes either temporarily, or forever.

Members here often find the most valuable use of test strips is a structured programme of before and after meal checks to see how the different types and amounts of carbohydrate (not just sugar, but things like bread, pasta, grains, cereals, rice, pastry, fruits) affect their BG levels, and then using that information to make changes to their meal plan to find a ‘low spike’ way of eating.

Everyone is different, and has different tolerances to foods, so it’s important to find out for yourself so that you can develop a way of eating that suits your weight, your tastebuds, and your BG.

AlanS’s Test Review Adjust gives some helpful tips on how to do that: https://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/2006/10/test-review-adjust.html

 

[JMyrtle]

Yes you should, I have brought my reading down from 55 (within diabetic range) to 42 ( normal) by just changing my diet but I would not be able to do so without monitoring my blood glucose before and after meals to work out what I can and can't eat.
If you go onto eBay a code free meter will cost you £20.00 and after that a months supply of strips is £20.00 including postage so it's hardly "a kings ransom" to protect your healtn

 

[Sharron1]

Yes you should, I have brought my reading down from 55 (within diabetic range) to 42 ( normal) by just changing my diet but I would not be able to do so without monitoring my blood glucose before and after meals to work out what I can and can't eat.
If you go onto eBay a code free meter will cost you £20.00 and after that a months supply of strips is £20.00 including postage so it's hardly "a kings ransom" to protect your healtn

Hi, just wondered now you have no more follow ups from GP I assume that is all the annual checks. Do you test every now and then just to see if all is ok?