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When to test help

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
gossamersquare

gossamersquare

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I have been testing two hours after meals but should I be testing an hour before as well to see what happens to bg's as am really confused as to best way to find out what suits my bg's. I tried the atkins diet and my bg's were great but unfortunately this is very hard to sustain and I am just trying to limit carbs at the moment, especially starchy carbs.

Any help would be appreciated - am on diet only and would really like to keep it that way for as long as possible. Thanks
 
Hi test just before you eat and 2 hours after is the norm 🙂
 
Its never been suggested that I test before I eat and then two hours after. What sort of readings am I looking for when I do this? I'm sorry if it sounds a stupid question but really want to be able to control bg's without meds. Thanks.
 
If you don't test before you eat, it's impossible to know how what you eat affects your blood sugar.

For instance, say you test 2 hours after eating something, and your blood sugar reading is 9, you might think that what you've eaten has a bad effect on your blood sugar. But if you also test before you eat, then you can see whether you've actually increased or decreased ie. if you were actually at 11 when you started eating, that puts a very different spin on your result to if you were originally at 5!

As someone not on medication, I would say ideally you want both your pre-meal and two hour readings to be in the 4-6 range. The two hour reading is to see if you return to normal again, so if it's higher, that indicated you may need to cut down on your carb consumption and potentially include more exercise and medication in your treatment regime.
 
DeusXM said:
If you don't test before you eat, it's impossible to know how what you eat affects your blood sugar.

For instance, say you test 2 hours after eating something, and your blood sugar reading is 9, you might think that what you've eaten has a bad effect on your blood sugar. But if you also test before you eat, then you can see whether you've actually increased or decreased ie. if you were actually at 11 when you started eating, that puts a very different spin on your result to if you were originally at 5!

As someone not on medication, I would say ideally you want both your pre-meal and two hour readings to be in the 4-6 range. The two hour reading is to see if you return to normal again, so if it's higher, that indicated you may need to cut down on your carb consumption and potentially include more exercise and medication in your treatment regime.
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Thanks for your reply. Will certainly start my readings from scratch and see how things affect my bg's. Its never really been explained to me how to test correctly.
 
gossamersquare said:
Its never been suggested that I test before I eat and then two hours after. What sort of readings am I looking for when I do this? I'm sorry if it sounds a stupid question but really want to be able to control bg's without meds. Thanks.
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For an adult with T2 such as yourself the recommendations of DiABETES UK are ..

4-7 before meals
less than 8.5 at two hours after.

many t2s actually look to be under 7 at 2 hours though.

check out Jennifer's Smart Advice in the stickies section of the Newbies thread and also in there Alan S's "Test,Review, Adjust" based on that.
 
A before and after reading isn't strictly necessary if you regularly get good readings though.

When I was diagnosed I was told the following guidelines:-

1) 4-7mmol/l before meals
2) 7-9 mmol/l 2hrs after meals
3) Avoid <4mmol/l (hypo)
4) Avoid >10mmol/l (hyper)

I only tested once per day at a time that suited me and so long as I fell within those guidelines I was happy.

Whenever I was a bit high, I took myself out for a quick 30min walk and usually this brought my levels back to something more reasonable.

It worked for me and I got my HbA1c down to 5.8% (in old money). My last one crept up to 6.0% but that's because I'm getting complacent!

Andy 🙂

p.s. Currently, I much prefer readings between 4 and 6 prior to meals and 4 and 7 2hrs after. For the moment, that tends to be the norm for me. I am diet and exercise controlled only by the way.
 
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Andy HB said:
A before and after reading isn't strictly necessary if you regularly get good readings though.

When I was diagnosed I was told the following guidelines:-

1) 4-7mmol/l before meals
2) 7-9 mmol/l 2hrs after meals
3) Avoid <4mmol/l (hypo)
4) Avoid >10mmol/l (hyper)

I only tested once per day at a time that suited me and so long as I fell within those guidelines I was happy.

Whenever I was a bit high, I took myself out for a quick 30min walk and usually this brought my levels back to something more reasonable.

It worked for me and I got my HbA1c down to 5.8% (in old money). My last one crept up to 6.0% but that's because I'm getting complacent!

Andy 🙂

p.s. Currently, I much prefer readings between 4 and 6 prior to meals and 4 and 7 2hrs after. For the moment, that tends to be the norm for me. I am diet and exercise controlled only by the way.
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Thanks to everyone for all the help. My last average was 6.2% which was ok but that was when I was doing the Atkins diet. Nurse told me not to bother testing but how else am I going to find out what suits me and what doesn't? Lately I have fell off the diet wagon due to anaemia problems. Had lots of tests (cameras both ways) so been somewhat stressed as well thinking the worse. Turns out to be a girlie problem so hopefully getting this sorted. My blood test last week said my anaemia levels are at the bottom of the normal range so am getting there. Just need time now to get my energy levels back to normal (along with my hair (been fallingout) and nails (flaky and not nice to look at).

You seem to be doing very well Andy so whatever you are doing is working for you. I need to up my exercise as I have found walking more than a mile at a time is too much but hopefully will be able to gradually get this distance back to normal levels as I used to walk a couple of miles to work but now cant.
 
You should probably only be testing before and after a meal if you haven't eaten that particular meal before as you should get similar readings for similar meals and thus adjust your eating to the readings.
 
Get em to test your Thyroid levels if you can - hair falling out and turedness are two symptoms of that as well as anaemia.

If you ever find a cure for the flaking nails for Lord's sake tell me. Mine have been utterly vile - and very ridged - for years.

Every time someone says Oooh that's a symptom of .... I ask for a test for it!

(So far I only ever have the symptoms and never the conditions themselves ! LOL)
 
trophywench said:
Get em to test your Thyroid levels if you can - hair falling out and turedness are two symptoms of that as well as anaemia.

If you ever find a cure for the flaking nails for Lord's sake tell me. Mine have been utterly vile - and very ridged - for years.

Every time someone says Oooh that's a symptom of .... I ask for a test for it!

(So far I only ever have the symptoms and never the conditions themselves ! LOL)
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I've got the same thing with my nails. I don't think thyroid medication actually stops all the symptoms of hypothyroidism - my consultant told me at the outset that lots of people report never getting their full energy levels back.
 
trophywench said:
Get em to test your Thyroid levels if you can - hair falling out and turedness are two symptoms of that as well as anaemia.

If you ever find a cure for the flaking nails for Lord's sake tell me. Mine have been utterly vile - and very ridged - for years.

Every time someone says Oooh that's a symptom of .... I ask for a test for it!

(So far I only ever have the symptoms and never the conditions themselves ! LOL)
Click to expand...

Hi Trophywench

My nails were always brilliant before, so strong couldnt bend them or anything but now they are rubbish - if hair doesnt settle down will ask for thyroid test so thanks for suggesting
 
Diabetes UK are advising that for a T2, a 2-hour postprandial of 8.5 is good control?

No wonder the NHS is struggling to cope with the number of people with complications.
 
DeusXM said:
Diabetes UK are advising that for a T2, a 2-hour postprandial of 8.5 is good control?

No wonder the NHS is struggling to cope with the number of people with complications.
Click to expand...

2 hours after eating I like to have readings of below 7 and usually manage this most of the time as long as I dont eat too much in the way of starchy carbs
 
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