Will at home fingerprick testing give you an idea if you are pre diabetic?

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silverboss

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Hi just curious to know if at home finger prick testing is good to give you an idea if you are pre daibetic or not. I'm still stressing about being or becoming diabetic and was wondering if you can get a rough indication of you stauts via home testing. For those that have seen my previous posts you will know why. I have a meter and yesterday and today got these readings

MON Fasting 5.5 mmol
2 hours after eating 6.3 mmol
3 hours after eating 4.8 mmol
2 hours after eating (eve) 6.8 mmol
3 hours after eating (eve) 4.8mmol

Today Tues
Fasting 5.1 mmol
3 hours after eating 4.6 mmol
1.5 hours after eating (lunch) 5.3 mmol (I think this was a dodgey reading thus I repeated it half an hour later)
2 hours after eating (lunch) 5.8 mmol
3 hours after eating (lunch) 5.7 mmol (this seems high)

Sun had similar results but never noted them down. The testing schedule I got from info online it seems a lot of testing? I'm new to all this so its a lot of info to take in.

I know the only true accurate way is via an HbA1c test but what im just trying to ascertain is if you were pre diabetic would your at home readings not reflect that and be within the pre diabetic range (Would I not be getting higher readings than the above). I'm just after some straight forward advice (not more comments on my mental health which I am aware is not good at the moment). Just want to know if my readings would or should be higher if I was pre diabetic.

Also if anyone has any advice on how often I should or could check just to periodically check that I am still in the right range that would be appreciated. Obviously the above testing everyday is not sustainable or affordable (and my fingers are sore). Im asking the community because Im tired of trying to get the info online (it's too much) different sites say different things. I'd rather get advice from those who know for themselves. Thanks again Owain
 
You can’t use fingerpricks for diagnosis, it needs to be a HbA1c, if you’re concerned you should speak to your GP to arrange one.
 
I am not a medic but if you are eating 'normal' food with plenty of carbs and getting those readings then I would not be worried about diabetes in your position.
I took three years to get my numbers down to normal levels and they are higher than yours and mine are achieved by eating fewer than 20g carbs a day and being very careful about how much water I drink, how much sleep I get and managing exactly the right sort and amount of exercise. The slightest glitch on those metrics and my blood sugars rocket.
If you are getting symptoms of diabetes - extreme thirst, tingling or numbness in toes and/or feet, itching, unexplained tiredness, weight loss even though you are eating properly - then go see a GP and explain your concerns. If you have no symptoms then just ensure you don't eat too many carbs, get enough sleep, drink enough water and do a moderate amount of exercise (just staying active by doing chores/housework and walking etc) and don't drink too much alcohol or recreational drugs and you should be fine unless you have a genetic tendency that may lead to diabetes eventually no matter what.
But even if you do have a genetic tendency it isn't the end of the world if you manage the condition properly. Many of us live with diabetes quite happily and it can be done.
 
NotWorriedAtAll said:
I am not a medic but if you are eating 'normal' food with plenty of carbs and getting those readings then I would not be worried about diabetes in your position.
I took three years to get my numbers down to normal levels and they are higher than yours and mine are achieved by eating fewer than 20g carbs a day and being very careful about how much water I drink, how much sleep I get and managing exactly the right sort and amount of exercise. The slightest glitch on those metrics and my blood sugars rocket.
If you are getting symptoms of diabetes - extreme thirst, tingling or numbness in toes and/or feet, itching, unexplained tiredness, weight loss even though you are eating properly - then go see a GP and explain your concerns. If you have no symptoms then just ensure you don't eat too many carbs, get enough sleep, drink enough water and do a moderate amount of exercise (just staying active by doing chores/housework and walking etc) and don't drink too much alcohol or recreational drugs and you should be fine unless you have a genetic tendency that may lead to diabetes eventually no matter what.
But even if you do have a genetic tendency it isn't the end of the world if you manage the condition properly. Many of us live with diabetes quite happily and it can be done.
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Thanks I was just a bit worried today as my after 3 hours was 5.7 compared with only 4.6 earlier in the day and 4.8 yesterday. Im guessing that it is normal to have fluctuations like this and that nobody will have the exact same results everyday and everytime they test? As I said i'm new to this and just trying to gain as much info as possible cheers.
 
silverboss said:
Thanks I was just a bit worried today as my after 3 hours was 5.7 compared with only 4.6 earlier in the day and 4.8 yesterday. Im guessing that it is normal to have fluctuations like this and that nobody will have the exact same results everyday and everytime they test? As I said i'm new to this and just trying to gain as much info as possible cheers.
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My blood sugar was approaching 30 when I was diagnosed. Your results above are perfectly normal. In people without diabetes, blood sugar goes up and down within a range. That’s completely normal. It doesn’t signify anything bad. It’s how the body is designed.

You can’t diagnose diabetes or pre-diabetes with fingerpricks. But I suspect that even if you had a normal HbA1C you’d still worry. I know you’ve explained you’re fixated on diabetes and realise that you’re overly anxious about it, but worrying about it is counter-productive. You only have so much brainpower. Why waste it on worrying about a condition you don’t have? It’s of no benefit to you, and I’m sure repeated obsessive thoughts like this can’t be good for your health. I totally get that it’s a pattern of thinking that’s very hard to break out of, but humouring the obsession by repeating the thought patterns can’t be good. Could you allow yourself a few minutes each day to think about it and then no more? That would allow the thoughts to come out but stop them proliferating, perhaps?
 
@silverboss this is not your first thread where you have expressed a concern about having diabetes or prediabetes. The answer has been the same for all threads "we are not doctors but it is very unlikely."
I am concerned by your obsession with diabetes. Please please please talk to someone about this. And I mean a qualified doctor not a bunch of unqualified strangers on a couple of fora
It really seems to me that you need help to resolve your concern
Good luck.
 
silverboss said:
Thanks I was just a bit worried today as my after 3 hours was 5.7 compared with only 4.6 earlier in the day and 4.8 yesterday. Im guessing that it is normal to have fluctuations like this and that nobody will have the exact same results everyday and everytime they test? As I said i'm new to this and just trying to gain as much info as possible cheers.
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I have now spotted that you have worries about diabetes and they are a form of anxiety.
I used to have the same problem only for me the illness of 'choice' was tetanus. I angsted over it for many years and had a number of tetanus injections that probably were not strictly necessary but helped alleviate the immediate fear at the time until the anxiety cropped up again.

In my case the situation was because I had generalised anxiety bubbling away for decades. I did not realise until around six years ago that I was in fact autistic. I found life challenging in ways that it was obvious other people did not and I despised myself for it because I had a documented incredibly high IQ and on my good days was very capable to the point that people often leaned on me and asked me for advice.

But when I realised I was autistic it was like a huge pressure lifted off me. I researched about it (that is always my strategy when encountering new unknown things) and applied various strategies that appealed and which were found useful by other autistic people and my life became much less anxiety ridden and the fear of tetanus entirely vanished.

I think fixating on a specific illness was a symptom of my extreme anxiety and stress that accompanied every part of my life as I struggled along trying hard to be 'normal' and fit in and do all the things neurotypical people manage effortlessly while despising myself for failing over and over.

Personally I didn't sort things out by help from a GP I sorted it out myself by realising what the real underlying problem was and that could have been something other than that but it turned out to be the thing that was running through my whole life like a word in a stick of rock.
I did find a great counsellor and we talked over many things and it helped me find my paths through and I would heartily recommend finding a good counsellor but be prepared to go through a number of counsellors who may not be very helpful - it took me three or four before I found the one who suited me and she was one in a counselling charity that my GP practice recommended I self-refer to.

I hope you can find a way to reduce your anxiety levels and have a more relaxed time. Stuff i find now that help me keep my anxiety levels in check are the same things that keep my diabetes controlled - so maybe if you do those things you can 1. help reduce your anxiety 2. reassure yourself you are staving off diabetes at the same time!!

a. Get the right amount of sleep - 8 hours a night is my minimum
b. Drink the right amount of water to keep yourself hydrated.
c. Do gentle amounts of exercise or simply a bit of activity every day.
d. Find some sort of breathing/meditation exercises that help you relax.
Audible have a Hello Sleep selection which are excellent before sleep - you listen while you are lying in bed dropping off and it helps calm the mind and get rid of worrying thoughts.
There is also one I find brilliant even though it is meant for kids called Bedtime Meditation for Kids by Christiane Kerr on Audible. I never fail to fall asleep and have lovely peaceful dreams after listening to one of her stories.

Good luck.
 
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