Hi I was diagnosed pre-diabetic in November with an HbA1c level of 6.2 (or 45). I've been really cutting down on the carbs but I have a really sweet tooth and love sweet tea and chocolate. I've been weighing everything and stick to less than 130g of carbs a day although still taking 1 sugar in my tea and a couple of squares of chocolate in the evening (both accounted for in the130g). I have lost just over a stone which I am really pleased with. Would I benefit from getting a blood glucose monitor to keep me on track? Or would it make me unnecessarily paranoid? I have noticed that my legs and feet have a 'buzzing' sensation, I nod off at the drop of a hat in the evening and I sometimes have blurred vision although I'm not sure if I'm noticing these things now as I'm better informed about this or if they were always there? I'm not due to see the GP about this again until May.
-
Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
-
Learn more about joining the Diabetes UK Support Forum team here: https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/volunteering-opportunities-why-dont-you-join-us.112862/
Pre-diabetic needs some advice
- Thread starter Tea Lover
- Start date
- Status
42istheanswer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hi @Tea Lover those symptoms you report could be caused by high blood glucose, so having a home monitor and checking what it is when you get them could help you to work out if it is that (and then push for an earlier GP appointment), but there are other things that can cause those symptoms (quality of sleep for instance - several years ago when I was not diabetic or pre-diabetic I noticed that I had more blurred vision in the evenings which I concluded was due to regularly not getting enough sleep, and often fell asleep on the sofa for the same reason).
Whether it will make you more paranoid or help you to check blood sugar at home isn't something that we can know. If you do decide to get one, then look at cost of strips (the bit you have to keep buying!) more than cost of meter. You would then be hoping to see readings of 4-7mmol/l before meals, and usually below 8-8.5mmol/l (with hopefully no more than 3 mmol rise) if checking 2 hours after starting to eat your meal.
Whether it will make you more paranoid or help you to check blood sugar at home isn't something that we can know. If you do decide to get one, then look at cost of strips (the bit you have to keep buying!) more than cost of meter. You would then be hoping to see readings of 4-7mmol/l before meals, and usually below 8-8.5mmol/l (with hopefully no more than 3 mmol rise) if checking 2 hours after starting to eat your meal.
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
If your reduction in carbs is being successful then a sudden drop in blood glucose can cause blurry vision as your eye environment changes from being a bit too sugary back to the normal salty. It should settle after a while, how long that while is depends on the individual.
Thank you for replying. I might just get one just to see. Fore-warned is fore-armed I guess then at least I could push for an earlier appointment.
Ahh that makes sense. I never thought of that. Sugary tears!
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Welcome to the forum @Tea Lover
Whether to self-monitor is an individual thing - some people will find it helpful, informative and motivating; while for others it will feel painful, burdensome and anxiety-inducing!
There’s no right or wrong answer. It‘s your diabetes - only you will know the toolkit and set of strategies and approaches that fit well for you, and which you find it easier to maintain. 🙂
One benefit that checking BG for yourself can bring though, is a sort of source of impartial feedback. A BG meter doesn’t know the rules, it doesn’t have a preferred approach, and it hasn’t read the textbook. It will just tell you what happens when you eat a particular food or meal if you check immediately before eating and again 2hrs after the first bite.
It sounds like you are getting on really well with some general principles and common approaches (eg aiming for 130g a day), but your BG meter might be able to tell you that 170g or 200g is perfectly fine for you as long as you avoid high-fibre-starchy-carbohydrate x, and opt for either high-fibre-starchy-carbohydrate y or low-fibre-fairly-refined-carbohydrate z.
Alternatively it might show you that 110g or whatever is a better level to aim for.
You might be feeling ‘naughty’ for your squares of chocolate, but a meter could offer reassurance or guidance that theres no need to worry about it, because your body copes perfectly well with it.
Some forum members have a brief period of intense research-style BG checking and measuring, and then feel not need togo back to it… others like to keep up an occasional check every so often… still others never like it and choose not to.
Those are all completely valid and fine approaches. Your diabetes - your rules 🙂
Whether to self-monitor is an individual thing - some people will find it helpful, informative and motivating; while for others it will feel painful, burdensome and anxiety-inducing!
There’s no right or wrong answer. It‘s your diabetes - only you will know the toolkit and set of strategies and approaches that fit well for you, and which you find it easier to maintain. 🙂
One benefit that checking BG for yourself can bring though, is a sort of source of impartial feedback. A BG meter doesn’t know the rules, it doesn’t have a preferred approach, and it hasn’t read the textbook. It will just tell you what happens when you eat a particular food or meal if you check immediately before eating and again 2hrs after the first bite.
It sounds like you are getting on really well with some general principles and common approaches (eg aiming for 130g a day), but your BG meter might be able to tell you that 170g or 200g is perfectly fine for you as long as you avoid high-fibre-starchy-carbohydrate x, and opt for either high-fibre-starchy-carbohydrate y or low-fibre-fairly-refined-carbohydrate z.
Alternatively it might show you that 110g or whatever is a better level to aim for.
You might be feeling ‘naughty’ for your squares of chocolate, but a meter could offer reassurance or guidance that theres no need to worry about it, because your body copes perfectly well with it.
Some forum members have a brief period of intense research-style BG checking and measuring, and then feel not need togo back to it… others like to keep up an occasional check every so often… still others never like it and choose not to.
Those are all completely valid and fine approaches. Your diabetes - your rules 🙂
- Status