When to test (split from other thread)

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scootdevon

scootdevon

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I brought an Accu Aviva nano tester and used it twice today, when is the best time to test and how many times a day do i test my levels?? results = 12.12pm level 14.4mmol/l and 19.00pm level 7mmol/l :confused: lol
 
scootdevon said:
I brought an Accu Aviva nano tester and used it twice today, when is the best time to test and how many times a day do i test my levels?? results = 12.12pm level 14.4mmol/l and 19.00pm level 7mmol/l :confused: lol
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Talk to your team as to exactly when is best, but a lot of people look to test before each meal to keep an eye on what your levels are doing. Do you take insulin?
 
I havent got a team ....i dont think?? thanx fer the tip eating b4 meals..... no im not on insulin just started taken metformin 500mg tablets, thanx again 🙂
 
scootdevon said:
I havent got a team ....i dont think?? thanx fer the tip eating b4 meals..... no im not on insulin just started taken metformin 500mg tablets, thanx again 🙂
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In theory, your team will be your GP and DSN (Diabetic Specialist Nurse) at your local surgery. For me, because I had other complications, my 'team' were based in the hospital (but I'm now in the process of transferring to my local surgery too).

As to testing, there are many ways to do this. But the main thing is to learn as much as you can from any readings that you take. Personally, I took my time and just tested once a day at different times (e.g. Before breakfast, 2hrs after breakfast, before lunch, 2hrs after lunch, before tea, 2hrs after tea and before going to bed).

Before meals, the readings should ideally be between 4 and 7 mmol/l and 2hrs after they should be between 7 and 9 mmol/l. If you're getting on top of things, the readings should not be above 10 mmol/l (but initially they may be).

To help your readings get down where they should be, you should start doing some regular exercise, if you're not already doing so. I have found that to be extremely useful.

Andy
 
Diabetes UK have a leaflet called "what to expect from your care team" or something like that. That'll explain about specialist nurses, GPs, retinal scans, feet specialists, dietitians and how they all are "supposed"to work together for you.
Depending on where you live and stuff, you may find it hard to get your "team" to advise you on testing. It's generally thought of (especially by us here, but also increasingly by researchers and the medical establishment) that testing is a good thing because it helps us feel in control of our conditions. On the other hand, this information hasn't reached Northamptonshire yet, where i live and anybody outside the Hospital diabetes centre will tell you not to test at all, unless you're ill.
Andy's advice is good, the one time i saw a consultant at the hospital about my diabetes, he said the same thing.

Rachel
 
thank you both for the info, i gave up smoking last october and joined a gym which i train 3 times a week, im 18 st and 5ft 10ins, since given up smoking ive added 1/2 a stone in weight lol according to bmi 😱 i should be 6 stone lighter (yeah rightee) :D Im a taxi driver (self employed) and work silly hours 6 days a week and a split shift on a sat day and sat night, i do love my grub especially take aways which is very convenient, i am trying to address my spare tire and watch what i eat but work comes first and now my health must come first!!! Ive been on the volvic 1.5 ltr challenge a day fer 3 weeks now to rehydrate and keep my fluids up as i hardly drink much (tea and coffee) but now i have the problem peeing fer england in the middle of the nite lol any suggestions or is it the diabetes dehydrating and is this common?? many thanx on the replies 🙂
 
oops thank you all :D
 
I recommend ditching the taxi and buying a pedal rickshaw! :D

I used to be a take-away junky too. Cutting that down to a minimum is an easy way to start the weight loss.

By the way, I was over 18 stone at diagnosis too (but am 6ft 1ins). I have found that since losing 2.5 stone, I have been able to get off the medication (initially I was on gliclazide and then metformin). This was possible because of something called insulin resistance.

Being overweight, my body could not use the insulin that I was still producing properly. The good news for me was that losing the weight meant that my body started to use the insulin properly again. The same could possibly happen for you too. But, whether you come off the medication or not needs to be discussed with your GP because it does have other benefits (e.g. metformin can help guard against heart problems)

Increased peeing is a sign of uncontrolled diabetes, but that should be reducing if you get your blood glucose under control. It could also just be a consequence of drinking all that water! If it continues to bother you, you're best having a chat with your GP.

Andy 🙂
 
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Andy HB said:
Thanks for that VBH! I'm still learning about this moderating malarky! 🙂
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Looks to me like you're doing fine mate🙂 I've just collected a bunch of links and blogged some regular stuff over the last few years which cover some of the most frequently asked stuff so I don't have to type em all out again 😉
 
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