T2 test strips

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hotchop

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Type 2
I saw a different doc at the practice last week who told me to stop testing.

I only tested maybe 4 times a day and felt that this was the minimum I can realistically test, being insulin dependant.

He wants me to do a full test, once a month, testing throughout the day but i felt that this had very little benefit and i lose the control

In stubbourness maybe, i stopped testing completely for a week and my fasting levels are now up to 8.9 this morning, 9.7 yesterday and 9.1 the previous day.( they were between 6 and 7 )

hmmmmm...

I had thought it may had been air con issues at work but im not so sure
:confused:


how am i meant to control the insulin if im not supposed to test?
 
The NICE guidelines are quite clear for once. If you're on insulin, you should be permitted to test as necessary. Ask your doctor to explain how he expects you to manage your dosages if you're not allowed to test.
 
Hotchop, my lantus requirements have gone from 7 units a few weeks back, up to 11 units (over 50% increase), and back down to 8 units currently. If I hadn't been testing regularly, I wouldn't have known that I needed to make adjustments, and by how much.

Perhaps your doctor is under the misapprehension that basal insulins like lantus and levemir are fixed doses that never need to vary. This is very wrong, as my example shows. There can be numerous reasons why you need to keep an eye on it, not least of which is a big swing in temperature such as those we have experienced lately. You should at the very least be testing your waking and bedtime levels.

Ask him if he ever taught his grandmother to suck eggs! 😱 😉
 
Northerner said:
Hotchop, my lantus requirements have gone from 7 units a few weeks back, up to 11 units (over 50% increase), and back down to 8 units currently. If I hadn't been testing regularly, I wouldn't have known that I needed to make adjustments, and by how much.

Perhaps your doctor is under the misapprehension that basal insulins like lantus and levemir are fixed doses that never need to vary. This is very wrong, as my example shows. There can be numerous reasons why you need to keep an eye on it, not least of which is a big swing in temperature such as those we have experienced lately. You should at the very least be testing your waking and bedtime levels.

Ask him if he ever taught his grandmother to suck eggs! 😱 😉
Click to expand...

I aggree with Alan, I am on Lantus and I inject in the mornings.
About 2 months ago my BG's were starting to creep up again so I had to increase my dose.
If I wasn't testing I would never have known about the increased BG's and they would have continued to get higher and higher.

I think your doctor needs to get real and realise you don't just stay on the same dose for ever and that BG's can flutuate alot over time.
 
Mmmmm I'm gonna make an appointment to see my regular doc and clarify with him.

It made me feel like I was some leper but I'm going to keep testing bedtime and waking.

My hba1c came in at 6.9... Down from 8.8 and I'm convinced its due to good control.

Thank you all for your input, its much appreciated
 
I'm sure that great reduction is due to you taking a close interest in your diabetes management hotchop - they should be glad you're doing so well! Congratulations! 🙂
 
hot chop go see you regular GP and explain what you are getting from testing ..i think the thing with them is is that if you explain what benefits you can get from testing it will prove your need for testing more often ... good luck xx
 
Congratulations on your improved HbA1c. That's fantastic! As for the advice not to test any more...

If you were on diet and oral meds alone it would be extremely questionable, but for a diabetic on insulin it's wholly irresponsible. Do you drive? Presumably the GP in question knows the DVLA advice to test before and every 2 hours during driving?

Interestingly my basal requirements during the hot weather have gone down quite significantly. It's not just bolus insulin that can send your bg levels dangerously low either.

As far as I'm aware, the NICE guidelines for every diabetic (regardless of type) suggest that testing should be supported if part of a systematic approach to improve blood glucose control. It's just a shame that some GPs try to save budget by denying T2s the best weapon we have to avoid complications.
 
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Everyone's said it already, but it's crazy.

6.9 is brilliant but I bet you couldn't maintain it if you didn't test.....

Think you're very right to go back to go back to your normal doctor!
 
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