Blood glucose checks for people with type 2 not on insulin

[Helen-EdwardsMember]

Good morning. Having just been to meeting as the consumer advocate for a Commonwealth review looking at diabetes products in Aust. starting with test strip use for people with type 2 not on insulin- todays question is if this is you, (type 2 not on insulin) do you check your blood at home? And if so how often?

bye for now

Helen

• This topic was modified 5 months ago by  Helen-Edwards.

[VivParticipant]

I tend to forget to do it first thing in the morning most of the time and probably end up checking on average about once per 2-3 weeks. It seems to ranges from 8-13 when I do remember.

[LavenderParticipant]

I normally check up to 4-6 times a day but the DE has told me to go down to twice a day but I like to know where I am at. I’m so worried I’m going to have a huge high that I check before and after ever meal… most likely it’s insane but I feel more comfortable doing it that way.

[BitterSweetParticipant]

I usually check it to see how high I’ve made it after a binge session or out fear. sometmes 2-3 times a day but not I just don’t bother because it scares me to think of my disease as it progresses

[TonyParticipant]

Newly diagnosed so I test 8 times a day at the moment

[Imagine_DavidParticipant]

Hi Tony,

Welcome to the forum.

Sounds like hard work testing 8 times a day?

It may not be needed to test this often. Testing as you wake up in the morning, and 2 hours after meals is often all that is required.

Do you have a plan as to what to do with the results i.e. see you GP in a week / talk to your diabetes educator about interpreting the results.

Reagards,

David

 

 

[NigelParticipant]

I was diagnosed in 2007 and I have been testing my BSL at least four times a day ever since.

Cheers

N’oz

[Imagine_DavidParticipant]

Hi Nigel,

6 years of testing 4 times a day.

That’s a lot of testing for someone who has type 2 diabetes and is not using insulin. Is it correct to assume you test fasting and 2 hours after your meals? One of the main reasons to measure your BGL is to help you determine if your treatment plan is working well. Has this amount of testing helped you keep on top of your diabetes?

I sometimes meet people who have been advised on diagnosis to test 4 times a day – but never told when to stop, how often to test once the treatment plan starts to work, or how they can measure and assess the results themselves as time goes by.

I usually suggest people test minimum 4 consecutive days every month, on waking and 2 hours after meals. Of course this is a general foundation for testing, but as a minimum can give a monthly snapshot of how the treatment plan is going. Combine this with a 3 monthly HbA1c (pathology test) and you will usually have enough information to assess the treatment plan.

 

Nigel, would you be kind enough to share with us why you have tested so much? And how you use these BGL results please?

Do you ever take a ‘holiday’ from testing?

Regards,

David

[NigelParticipant]

Hi David,

When I was diagnosed I was told to test 6 times a day for the first 30 days then 4 times a day after that,and I was told that I would need to continue testing 4 times a day for the rest of my life,I test on waking ,then 1 and a half hours after breakfast,lunch and dinner,I think that the level of testing I do has helped me know when things are “in balance” and when I maybe haven’t been as careful about my diet as I should be.

Cheers

N’oz

 

[Helen-EdwardsMember]

Hi all
great discussion. One of the things we find very helpful in our work is to change our language as it helps people feel less stressed by their diabetes management – this includes talking about blood glucose checks, rather than tests. it sounds small but it can make a huge difference about how we see our diabetes management. Using blood glucose monitoring as a guide and a way to check in on how you are going rather than a test can be a really positive change.

In general people with type 1 diabetes are checking blood glucose often and every day. This varies betwee individual preference, type of insulin regime and lifestyle. People with type 2 diabetes may vary even more from no checks at all, to 4 or more per day. Some people on insulin or medication that can lead to low blood glucose need to maintain a good picture of what is happening with their blood glucose across every day. Other people get told to check a few times a day at the start and never have a review to see if it is really needed on an ongoing basis.

There is no need to check for checking’s sake.

That said, checking 4 times a day (or more) because you personally choose to do so, to feel safer, to feel more in control, to keep an eye on how you are going – this is your right and can be helpful even if you are not necessarily doing anything other than knowing what the levels are.

If you are checking because you were told to however and do not feel it is helpful, find it confusing or even worse, depressing (which we see when people find it a chore, or because they do not like the process of it) then it is time to talk with the doctor about looking at how often you check.

If you are depressed and have stopped checking on the other hand as you do not like the results, or are frustrated, then it is also time to go and see your health care team for a review – if things are not working it is not your fault and giving up on checking is not helping, it just increases your stress.

Helen

[Imagine_DavidParticipant]

Hi All,

The only thing I would add is – not to simply follow what you are told, but to find the purpose for you to check your blood glucose levels, and be able to interpret the results.

As diabetes is managed primarily by you, this is an essential part of blood glucose measuring.

David

[Author]

Posts