Self testing at home

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Eagle147

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Type 2
As a new member, I am just feeling my feet with diabetes. Could anyone let me know if there is a testing method that I can do myself to see if my number (58) has gone down.
 
It's good you can still feel your feet, as numb feet are side effect of high bloody sugar. 🙂.

You can get meters that will test your blood sugar 'now' and also home test kits that you send off to get a hba1c. I believe you can get kits that will tell you there and then, but they are expensive.

Taking BG readings with a tester should give you an idea of what is going on.

How long hav eyou been diagnosed?
 
No there isn't! that 58 will presumably be you HbA1c level last time you had blood from your arm sent off to the lab, and it measured roughly how much glucose has adhered to your red blood cells over the last approx 3 months. You can however check your blood glucose right now this second, at home and we highly recommend that's what people with Type 2, do. Type 1s are automatically prescribed one togther with the test strips they use, and it is the latter which are the ongoing cost, not the little machines themselves.

About the cheapest, reliable one people on here have found is the Gluco Navii one. Test immediately before eating and again 2 hours after the first bite, and you're looking for an increase between those 2 of no more than 3.0.
 
harbottle said:
It's good you can still feel your feet, as numb feet are side effect of high bloody sugar. 🙂.

You can get meters that will test your blood sugar 'now' and also home test kits that you send off to get a hba1c. I believe you can get kits that will tell you there and then, but they are expensive.

Taking BG readings with a tester should give you an idea of what is going on.

How long hav eyou been diagnosed?
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I got diagnosed yesterday evening, I believe that I got mixed up between 'finding my feet' and 'feeling my way'
 
You can get a home kit called ‘ac1now’ now or something like that.
 
If you buy a Gluco Navvii monitor from Home Health online you can get a discount on strips the code is Navvii5 for 5 boxes of strips of Navvii 19 for 10 boxes of strips I think it is 20 % discount .Also tick the box that says I have diabetes so that you won't pay VAT
Carol
 
@harbottle - of what use is having such a test, to you day to day when you are very newly diagnosed? I agree we all need one every so often but day to day to ensure you're eating the right things, it has to be the glucometer you'd want to spend your money on!
 
It would be pointless doing an hbA1c test within 3 months of your diagnosis, but a home BG meter such as the Gluyco Navii or the Spirit Healthcare Tee2 can be invaluable in helping you to adjust your diet and find which foods cause your diabetes problems and need to be restricted or avoided perhaps... or kept for very special occasions ..... and which your body can cope with and in what quantity. Most people here on the forum find it an invaluable tool in managing their diabetes both insulin dependent diabetics for whom it is essential and therefore on prescription and other diabetics who are diet and/as well as oral meds controlled. Being able to see what certain foods do to your BG levels can give you more motivation to avoid them but seeing your levels steadily reducing over the weeks can really be really encouraging in keeping you focused and on course with your diet.... and exercise..
 
trophywench said:
@harbottle - of what use is having such a test, to you day to day when you are very newly diagnosed? I agree we all need one every so often but day to day to ensure you're eating the right things, it has to be the glucometer you'd want to spend your money on!
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I have no idea what use it is, I was just answering the question. It seems pointless to me as well, as the NHS gives us tests (That are probably better than a home device, and I just roll up at the surgery and ask for the form and get one given to me) and there's no point doing it regularly anyway. I think the products only give you a couple of tests anyway.

They're also quite expensive. I agree, a glucometer is far more useful for day to day use. Although for the 3 months I just went on the diet and didn't do any testing at all!

I guess some people might want to get a private hba1c test done by numan or other private companies like that to avoid their GP seeing any result?
 
EmmaL76 said:
Yes and they are a rubbish, I had wildly varying results with one of those. Something like 4.1 and 5 point something. Doctors result 7.2!
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Yes, the feedback I've seen for those tests is that they aren't very accurate.
 
harbottle said:
Yes, the feedback I've seen for those tests is that they aren't very accurate.
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Bordering on dangerous… same with the one that tests your lipids. On the other hand I’ve always found the online companies for blood testing very good. Tested my hba1c that way a few times. They have been very accurate. Thriva, medichecks etc.
 
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