Testing question

[princesslinda]

I've been talking to several folks that I know are T2 diabetics and when the conversation gets around to testing, I always ask "how often do you test?"

I'm finding that the majority of those I talk with only test 1-2 times a week!!! and a few "never" test except for the one the doctor does. This was unbelievable to me.

So, I'm asking you all....what is the longest time that has passed without you testing your blood sugar?

For me, i've not missed a day since diagnosis, and usually check 4-5 times a day.

[mzizgayle]

I test a minimum of 3 times a day, on weekends I tend to test more often since we are out and about and I tend to ignore snacks or the hunger feelings that indicate I am going low.

I had mentioned to my new doctor about the other mentioning not testing and he looked at me like I was nuts (well he does think I am lol) but said, it is my only way to know how I am doing and I had better test at least 3 times daily and I have not missed a time. I always do morning and right before bed, and then vary my 3rd time, ex before a meal or after a meal

[larryg]

I test between 2 and 4 times a day. However, if the test results do not determine any change in medication, and the
A1C is stable and low, I think that a case could be made for less frequent testing. Check with your doctor.

Larry G.

[Gordonm]

I'm finding that the majority of those I talk with only test 1-2 times a week!!! and a few "never" test except for the one the doctor does. This was unbelievable to me.

Those are the people that in a few years when they are having problems or amputations will say, I always took care of myself. Yea right. They do not want to know the numbers because they are always bad and don't want to face the facts. I have no patience with these people. If they do not want to take care of themselves that is their fault. When it becomes a problem they want a magic pill to cure it.
I test anywhere from 8 to 14 times a day. Also a type 1 and on the pump.

[Larry H.]

For myself since I am uninsured, and now have tested fairly regularly for several months I am more confident in doing it some less. Four months ago my fasting readings were in the low to upper 20's.. Now I get them in the upper 90's to low 100's. So as they dropped I am a bit more confident that I can test somewhat less. I changed my diagnosis from type II to Pre-diabetic. I would say that each persons situation may vary depending on what kind of readings they are seeing.
I am most interested in checking several times every couple days to see if things are stable or changing.
Since I have done my reduction though mostly exercise and diet control, I don't have to worry about how medicne may be effecting my readings.

[hannahanne]

My insurance covers a little more than three times a day, and I'm always counting how many strips I have left at the end of the month. I'd test more often if the insurance covered it.

[sweetcheeks]

Well i was testing as much as up to about 6-8 times a day for awhile... now my numbers are on check, and can give up testing so much, i really really prefer to test more often, but I need to try and "save" up some strips, since its close to the end of the month, So i've not tested as much, maybe 1 or 2 times a day.... this really hurts my averages on my meter tho! lol

so now it depends on the day and what I eat etc...

at least once a day but up to about 8.

I do feel that I eat better when I test more, and I wouldnt say i eat terrible when I dont test, but its not as healthy as i would if I did test....


it does bother me, that most type 2 diabetics in this area DONT TEST or test less often! But you know what, its their body, none of my business, I'm gonna be healthy regardless! Who cares what other type 2 diabetics think of me and my "over" testing lol

[ladytaz]

I have gone a couple/few days without testing, but not by choice! It was because I'd ran out of strips and couldn't afford to buy more. I don't have insurance, so it all comes out of my own pocket, and those lil suckers are the MOST expensive part of having D for me!! Before insulin, I normally tested 4 - 6 times a day, now being on insulin, I normally test 6 to 12 times a day, altho for the past week or so, I've been testing less often, trying to make my strips go as long as I can get them to .... I SO wish there was a place that helped with paying for them! I just find it SO unfair to those of us who don't have insurance. :(

[Jill-O]

Right now, I test 6-8 times a day -- which my doctor said is "too much" but I am doing it because I'm stll learning what different foods and activities do to my glucose levels.

[sweetcheeks]

Right now, I test 6-8 times a day -- which my doctor said is "too much" but I am doing it because I'm stll learning what different foods and activities do to my glucose levels.

I hate those kinds of doctors

[chaimbu]

My endo recommends that I test every two weeks or so a complete day; fasting at wakeup, before each meal, and two hours after each meal.

This is of course if my levels are under control. When things aren't under control, then she usually wants the same regimen for 3-4 days one after the other.

[lewsterr]

My endo recommended testing at least 3 times per day...first thing in the morning, then before and after a meal. I find that if my diet and numbers stay the same week after week, I'll tend to slack-off a bit with the testing, and test once or twice per day. However, if there's any change in diet, health, exercise, etc., I'll increase the number of daily tests to ensure that I'm still maintaining control.

[MJB]

Usually first thing in the morning and 2 hrs after dinner. I only test at other times if I don't feel right which doesn't happen often.

[kgm0612]

Those are the people that in a few years when they are having problems or amputations will say, I always took care of myself. Yea right. They do not want to know the numbers because they are always bad and don't want to face the facts. I have no patience with these people. If they do not want to take care of themselves that is their fault. When it becomes a problem they want a magic pill to cure it.

I couldn't agree with you more, Gordon! I have a cousin who's a type 2 and tests when "she feels like it". She claims her doctor says she only needs to test "several times a week". She has insurance, so not having coverage to pay for test strips isn't the issue. She'll ask for advice, yet it goes in one ear and out the other. She drives me crazy!

Karen

[mindylee]

My dr said once a day. She said that's all insurance will allow. She did recommend that if I'm eating tried & true foods to skip that day and do more on a day when I'm not as comfortable of what I'm eating. But like she said since I cannot change my meds based on numbers and I know how the food affects me that what's the use in knowing

[larryg]

[QUOTE=Larry H.;207645]
[I changed my diagnosis from type II to Pre-diabetic.]

Larry H, If you had fasting blood sugar in the 200s ( I assume 20s was a typo) You have diabetes.
Because your excellent control has resulted in dropping your blood sugars to normal levels, this does not mean that you no longer have diabetes.

The term pre-diabetes is usually used for people with fasting blood sugars between 110 and 126 mg/dl. Fasting blood sugars over 126 mg/dl is one of the diagnostic criteria for diabetes.

Larry G.

[blacklightmike]

I test six times a day now.

[slipperyelm]

Mindylee, you ask what is the use in knowing? Well do you have good control? How good? Do you want better control?

If you test and find that you don't have control as good as it could be, then that tells you that you could change either your medication, your activity level, your weight level, your muscle bulk level, or your food to get better control. These things may need to change if you are getting highs, lows, or both. Some factors can be changed in a general day in and day out way. Some can be changed immediately, as needed.


Here are my readings from two days ago, when I needed to work outdoors at home all day.

(night before, bedtime) 81

8:15am....89
9:40.......121
10:25.......83
11:18.......90
11:49.......85
1:46pm...102
2:40.........90
4:02.........84
6:58.........89
8:25.........86

This is twice as much as I test on a normal day, even a day that includes deliberate excercise. But the kind of work I was doing was more energetic and sustained over a longer time than my usual exercise. But the day before I had done the same work, not tested, and gotten my blood sugar too low relative to the amount of insulin resistance I have. :( When that happens, my blood sugar can be fairly quickly brought up to a decent level, but it leaves me with a glucose deficit within the muscle cells that have been doing all the work. It took hours for me to recover and I was not able to work the whole day as planned. I was exhausted when I need not have been if I had only monitored my blood sugar and taken meals, glucose tabs or snacks, and rest as indicated by the reading and trend (headed up or down on the meter).

So the readings I gave you from two days ago reflect a better day. I was able to work for twelve hours, breaking as appropriate to eat and keep my blood glucose levels in a good range and my muscles well supplied with energy. My average for that day was 91. You'll notice some of my readings were taken close in time. That is because I needed to make sure I was on track with the glucose I'd taken. (Glucose tabs are a reliable way to get a known amount of sugar in, so as not to over do it.)

If I had not tested, I might have gone too low on the blood glucose and "conked out" as I did the day before. Or I might have had to just overeat to drive my blood sugars up a lot higher for the whole day.

But I do not want to drive my blood sugars up just to make it through the day. In the days when I had a n average BG of just 120 I had mild neuropathy in the feet. So even 120 is not an average I am will to accept at this point in my disease. I want better readings, but to do it, I need the halp of my meter.

Now today, I am home again and want to work outside. But I have only tested once today, upon waking, because so far I have been sedentary. (I'm waiting for the stupid air pollution to lift--I live across from a printing plant.) So I won't get in as much work today. I know that my breakfast foods keep me evenly around 85-93 mg/dl till lunch time when I'm sedentary. So I won't test until I go out to work, most likely. And I will have a little extra carbohydrates with my lunch if it looks like I will get to go work right after luch. If I eat those extra carbs and then the air pollution blows back in, leaving me unwilling to work outdoors, then I will come back inside and do a little dance excercise :) to burn off the unneeded carbohydrates that will have added glucose to my system.

[ProudNanaof5]

I test 1st thing in morn upon waking...then before each meal and 2 hours after each meal. Then right before bedtime. That's normally 8 times a day. Some days I only get to eat 2 meals a day so that does cut a couple of tests out but then of course there are those days which I am running high or low for no reason and I have to keep checking which may result in 12 to 14 times a day. But that is what I MUST do to stay in control. I'm sure that being a type 1 is different than type 2 in many ways. But I still think testing is most important for a Diabetic.

[Jill-O]

I hate those kinds of doctors
Well, the good news is "he's not the boss of me." http://smilies.sofrayt.com/^/aiw/wink.gif I think I will get to the point where I don't need to test this often, but for now, I want to.

[gelchick]

I have insurance, and having it doesn't mean that your test strips are cheap- I have to go through my prescription coverage because the carrier dropped test strips as a durable medical good. My big discount is 7.00/50 strips (and I can only get 50 strips in a month even though no month is 25 days long!).
I test 3-5 times per day: AM; PM; after exercise; and before and 2 hrs after 1 meal ( some days I don't do the meal readings- esp if it's a meal type that I eat often - ie homemade soup- and have tested it many times before.

[Dervish]

I hate those kinds of doctors

Indeed.

Last week, my doctor cut my Lantus dose significantly because I was having multiple hypos on a daily basis. A few days later, I tested 2 hours after breakfast and got a 422, which I figured was well into "call your doctor" territory, so I did. He had the day off, so I ended up talking to one of the other doctors who told me to increase my dose a bit and that I should only be testing before meals and before bed. So it's better that I not know when my BGL skyrockets? I don't think so...

[Jill-O]

Ooooh, now I'm feeling kind of bad for my Doctor. I like him A LOT! I think what he really meant to impart was that I did not need to test that often if I did not want to (since it gets expensive, hurts your fingers, etc.). I've found my doctor really easy to talk to and I understand what he's telling me and how he's helping me :) He's a good one.

[MJM]

I test anywhere between 6 - 10 times daily. If I don't, how am I going to know what's going on. Some of it is just plain curiosity on my part, but I fluctuate so much, I just have to do it. I'm type1.

[MJB]

I've already answered with my test frequency but I have another 2 cents to add.:D

I think the number of times you *should* test varies with the individual. I can understand why a type 1, or anyone using insulin, would want to test more often than a T2 on metformin.

I pretty much eat the same lunch every day at work. A healthy choice meal of about 50 carbs and water to drink. I don't know what good it would do me to test 2 hrs after lunch, what could I reasonably do with that information?

The evening is different. Dinner is more varied and I ususally exercise between dinner and my 2hr postprandial test.

So, I guess IMO it depends your individual needs, medication and lifestyle how often you should test.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it. ;)