[SHIBOLETHDUDE]

Hi everyone...

I am fairly new to the forum and only diagnosed a little over a week ago. Can anyone tell me what the normal blood glucose range is? I believe most of mine have been low. I have only taken my readings 5 times. Here are the readings- 126, 97, 133, 102,81.

I am on 500mg of Metformin in the 2X per day. I would appreciate any help anyone can offer.

Thanks,
Wes

[A.Z.]

I would say 90-120 but 90-110 is even better. I dont like anything beyond 150s

[JediSkipdogg]

As close to 90 as possible. However, remember the lower you go the more chances you have of going low and have less of a bumper in the low range where instant danger can occur. Also keep in mind that you want it to be as steady as possible. So having numbers jump all the time from 80-140 is actually more harmful than just running 130 continually.

[Roy Gardiner]

Originally Posted by JediSkipdogg

So having numbers jump all the time from 80-140 is actually more harmful than just running 130 continually.

First time I've read that spiking is worse, especially as the steady figure is so close to the spike max.

Why is this?

[JediSkipdogg]

Originally Posted by Roy Gardiner

Why is this?

One of the top causes for diabetic retinopathy is fluctuating BG levels. The other cause is high BG levels over a long period of time. The reason the fluctuating BG levels cause a problem is because they cause the blood vessels in the eyes to expand and contract, thus causing them to swell and eventually pop, leading to diabetic retinopathy.

This same principle applies to some other conditions as well, but usually it's not as severe or as much of a cause as high BG levels. Fluctuating BG levels affects the eyes the most.

[pauloft]

Originally Posted by SHIBOLETHDUDE

...Can anyone tell me what the normal blood glucose range is?..

Normal is also relative. One of my doctors told me that 70 - 120 seems to be quite normal for me because I don't seem to have any functionality impairment even at 70 mg/dl. There seems to be slight variations on "normal" depending on your physical make-up. I have been in the low 60's before and did not sense hypoglycemic symptoms because I was working at the computer. It would have been a different story though, had I been more physically engaged at the time.

Just try to learn as much as you can and don't be satisfied with anything else other than your "normal."

[Keezheekoni]

90-120 for me. This is another YMMV thing though. Normal for one person is different for another. However, I would think that most doctors say 90-120, pre-meal.

[SHIBOLETHDUDE]

So does that mean if you start your day at 102, like I did this morning, that you should not eat much until lunch time? For people who aren't on insulin it sounds like the only control we have is our food intake.

I imagine I will continue to be a bit confused until I have my appt with the diabetes educator on 8/17 and also with the dietician. My numbers don't seem wildly out of the norm to me. I guess I will find out what it all means when after my appts.

One more question... how helpful is advice from Type 1 diabetics to type 2 diabetics, and vice versa? It seems like type 1's have the option to increase insulin if their BG's are too high... So they have a little more freedom to err on intake than type 2's. Either way I appreciate everyones help, I just wondered if the differences in the types makes enough difference to make counseling between types unhelpful?

Thanks for all your insight everybody.
Wes

[4519]

Originally Posted by SHIBOLETHDUDE

One more question... how helpful is advice from Type 1 diabetics to type 2 diabetics, and vice versa?
Wes

We probably will get more(and better)advice from fellow diabetics no matter if they are type 1 or type 2 than we will get from doctors or diabetic educators. Yes, you do get some advice that does not fit because there still is a lot that each type has to learn about the other type - that's life. I would rather get advice that is not exactly right on from a friend than a professional that is saying it with some "god-like" authority. On this forum people learn about all aspects of diabetes and not just their own particular situation - and are willing to venture into unknown areas to learn more. Doctors don't do that, they just have an opinion and state it like they are experts, we don't do that.(Well, sometimes)

Short answer - there are enough experiences that cross the types to make sharing knowledge very useful.

[seacomp]

A common misconception is that T2s do not take insulin. The treatment for T2 starts with diet and exercise, then adds oral medications, and may at some point require insulin. I don't know the statistics but there are likely more T2s on insulin then there are T1s altogether (about 90% of diabetics are T2).

[4519]

Seacomp-

You are correct, I think. Bernstein even prefers to start with insulin from the start to get into control sooner - and then back down if possible. Insulin is feared by the average person. It is "Not natural" or it is a sign of more severe problems. Both are not true. Using insulin therapy for a type 2 is for better control, and at some point for some people survival. The area between better control and survival there is an area of 'necesary to control.'

[Ronin]

Hi Wes!

I'll throw in my $0.02 on the topic as I had the same quandary about a year ago. The answer is that there is no precice answer.

You mention that you have taken five samples at the time of your message but you did not say what period of time was covered by those samples. Was that all in the same day, or five consecutive days at a prescribed time?

The simple fact of the matter is that your BG levels will fluxuate over the course of a day, and from day to day. To find the direct corelation between eating, exercise and BG is a holy grail that few of us has found.

Tell us a bit more about yourself. For starters, what were the results of your Glucose tollerance test? What about your last HbA1C test? These are better indicators than random testing.

Once we have a better understaning of you, the members here can relate their experience and offer some guidance.

For me, I only test once a day now -- FBG (Fasting Blood Glucose) in the early AM. I run between a low of 80 and a high of 110 but have an overall averge of just around 100. However, my HbA1C is a 5.1% which is boringly normal. I test because I was diagnosed as Pre-Diabetic and have a family histoy of diabetes. So, I'm being safe.

I've also undertaken a lot of lifestyle changes to get my BG steadier. This includes daily exercise, grazing (small meals through the day) and now I'm working on organizing the protien versus carbohydrates in relationship to my exercise routines. However, with all my tracking I still cannot find any 1:1 relationships between the mix of food, exercise and FBG levels -- yet over successive HbA1C tests I have remained a steady 5.1% Go figure.

[SHIBOLETHDUDE]

Sorry... posted the same comments twice.

Wes

[SHIBOLETHDUDE]

My readings were as follows:

8/12- 2:30pm- 126
5:40pm- 97 before meal
7:45pm- 133 after meal

8/13- 7:45am- 102 upon waking
9:00pm- 81 before dinner
11:50pm- 103 after meal

8/14- 7:18am- 107 upon waking
6:45pm- 124 after dinner

I have been going on a brisk 30min walk every day either when I first wake up or after work. Today I did both. I have only missed walking one day since I was diagnosed. I must admit that I really feel a lot better since I have been forcing myself to walk every day.

I have a Boston Terrier that needs the exercise as much as I do, and she helps me keep up the pace. I tried doing it with my Dachshund... but I ended up have to carry her about 3/4 of the way. I wasn't looking for that much exercise. LOL.

Wes

[labob]

Those look like pretty decent readings to me! It's a good idea to keep track of what you're eating so that you learn what your system can handle, and, on those occasions when the readings are not so good, what it can't. In fact, I've got to admit that I only record what I had when things don't go so well after meals, but over time I've amassed a fairly decent record of what works and what does not, at least for me. Which doesn't mean that I still don't get the occasional nasty surprise, darn it.

The one thing that I would suggest is that you test occasionally around lunch. If you're going to test three times per day, I would that you test upon waking, and then alternate before/after lunch one day, and before/after dinner the next. For reasons that I believe are very strongly related to the fact that I typically have a glass of wine with dinner, my post-dinner readings are almost always fine, whereas my post-lunch readings (when iced tea or water are the typical drink du jour) are almost always the most problematic for me. Your mileage may vary, but it can't hurt to check.