Newbie BG testing query

[ExMachina]

Hello!

I am a recently diagnosed 30-something with Type 2.

I have a question about testing my blood sugar. The nurse I have been seeing for information and stuff offered me a little testing machine, which I have been using before and after meals. I've used it to keep track of how I am doing, as well as how different foods affect me, so I can make informed decisions about my diet. I've found it really helpful, honestly.

I spoke to a different nurse today, and was told I should not be using the testing kit, except in rare circumstances, and should stop testing everyday. She said the results will be a little erratic, and because I am on Metformin, I don't need to check for hypos so have no need for the machine. She also said that testing several times a day will lead to finger damage (though I have been careful to switch fingers to avoid multiple test in the same place.)

Honestly, this kinda goes against a lot of the advice I have seen elsewhere, and what the first nurse told me. I was offered the machine, and said I wanted it because I wanted to have access to more information about what is going on in my body, so I could make changes more rapidly than once every three months.

I'm feeling a little thrown now, because I don't know what I should be doing anymore. Can anyone offer any advice?

 

[Pine Marten]

Hi @ExMachina, unfortunately most medics do not like type 2s to test. Your first nurse sounds much more on the ball, and you are very fortunate to be given a meter as most type 2s have to buy their own. I would say continue testing - as you have discovered, it gives you information about different foods and their affect, and you can make decisions based on that information.

It's a no-brainer really!

 

[EllsBells]

Grrrr. That is so frustrating. It's not about hypos - surely it's about you learning how your body reacts to certain types of food/meals and helping you to understand that relationship to your blood sugar (and diabetes). My nurse practitioner loaned me one and told me to only test twice a day at random times. Then I came on here and looked around and started following the test, adjust, test again. I am much happier that I'm on the right track than I would have been otherwise. I bought my own machine so now totally self-fund.

It's up to you how much you test - and what you can afford to spend on strips etc but fwiw your first nurse sounds much more clued up and supportive.

 

[_Sophie_]

Ditto with me, initially, my doctors didn't want me to have a testing machine - I think it may have been down to the cost of the strips etc. But, after some very high figures coming back after regular blood tests they gave me one. Ironically, whilst in hospital they tested me before breakfast, before dinner (tea) and before bed.
I now test before breakfast, before lunch and before dinner (tea).
It really is a good indicator of what is happening.
Just because it says sugar free, don't always believe it!

 

[Andy HB]

Nah! Keep testing. It's important.

However, a caveat to that is start reducing testing when the information you're getting isn't telling you anything new.

My testing regime involved usually testing once per day (I can explain further, if interested). Then, as time went by, knowing that certain foods affected me in a certain way, I didn't need to keep testing. This, of course, relies on things not going haywire and if that is what happens with you then you can stop testing quite so frequently as well. Maybe just do confirmatory tests every now and then and test when you're eating something new.

Andy 🙂

 

[Sally71]

Testing every day “will lead to finger damage”? How does the nurse think that type 1s manage, they have no choice but to bodge themselves several times a day to keep themselves safe! And of course the results will be a little erratic, nobody's blood sugar stays the same all the time, whether they have diabetes or not. Sigh. She just doesn’t want to prescribe strips because they cost money. Carry on doing what you were doing if you are still finding it useful!

 

[Leadinglights]

Absolutely keep testing but make sure you are doing it with a purpose, to check the effect of various food/meals so you can modify your choices or portion size, or if you feel unwell then testing is a good idea.
But as you build up a log of readings and foods you will probably need to test less.

 

[NotWorriedAtAll]

I find testing very important. Especially since I wanted to come off meds completely by controlling my blood sugar levels entirely by dietary choices.

I am lucky in that my GP surgery has a Diabetes Specialist GP who is very interested in reversing type 2 diabetes and he was very keen to support me in my decision to 'go keto' and wean myself off meds as soon as possible. He authorised my testing kit and strips and I've been having the strips on prescription for nearly two years now.

The benefit has been huge because controlling my blood sugars means I not only came off Metformin but also off my beta blockers because my blood pressure sorted itself out too and I don't need pain killers any more on prescription because my gallstone pain also disappeared once I started my keto way of eating and touch wood hasn't twinged once in two years now.

I still test every day because I am always tweaking my health and lifestyle choices and I have now started exercising frequently and that has had some unexpected effects on my levels which I would not have known about without testing and it means I am able to make sensible decisions to keep healthy. It turned out that exercising vigorously for 60 - 180 minutes a day was raising my levels instead of bringing them down and so I now exercise moderately for 30 minutes a day and that is having a better impact on my levels. I hope eventually as I get fitter to be able to increase my time and exercise levels but at least I know what is happening thanks to testing.

 

[Maca44]

No way would I have gotten control of this without testing which I still do but less than I used to.

I have no finger damage at all.

 

[Nick Cliff]

Welcome to the forum @ExMachina !
As others have said testing is a valuable weapon in managing Type 2. Initially my monitor strips and lancets were on prescription but about 5 yrs ago was given the same message your second nurse gave.
I buy my own strips and lancets and test every 6 days to keep a check on things but have previously tested more frequently during diet or lifestyle changes.
I do one morning fasting test immediately I get up then on the same day one before my main meal then 2 hrs after finishing that meal.
It is the trend in your results that is significant not individual results (excepting when testing impact of specific foods).
Hope this helps.
Nick

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Different healthcare professionals have different opinions.

Your first nurse is giving more person-centred advice I think. Giving you the option to find your own information, and use that to improve your choices.

Your second nurse seems not to want to hand over that control (or simply feels that you will be confused and disheartened by the results you might see), and want you to follow the instructions you are given - its a slightly more old fashioned approach.

There is clinical research that suggests self monitoring in people on diet and exercise is associated with distress, and does not improve outcomes, but if I remember right the research (Farmer et al) was based on people recording results and NOT changing what they ate. It was about ‘adherence’ (horrible word) to a diet which it was assumed was right for everyone. And people who checked and found that meal plan gave poor outcomes had to keep going and keep seeing the high BGs however hard they tried to ‘be good’.

BUT

That same research does concede that there is a ‘subset’ of people for whom self testing works very effectively, and improves outcomes.

Experience on the forum suggests that with a test-review-adjust approach that ’subset’ is really quite large!