Do you test twice a day? When?

[Ritehsedad]

Assuming you're T2 and probably not on meds...

My doc told me I can back off on testing, so I'm gonna test twice a day for a year. I'm testing first thing in the morning and 2 hours after a meal. Are you doing the same or something else?

[maxnew40]

I test in the morning for a fasting number and then before lunch or before dinner.

[amccrazgrl]

I'm type one but I'd suggest testing before meals. I test before breakfast and before dinner. Then if I don't feel right.

[Ritehsedad]

I'm not on any meds or insulin. I am more concerned with my readings after meals, which is why I am testing first thing in the morning (good baseline info) and after a meal.

When I was testing 4 times a day I would test before lunch and supper only once a week and the rest of the week would be first thing in the morning then after each meal. My readings before lunch were almost always 90-100 & before supper between 90-110.

[Erin]

I would maybe switch it up a bit. Testing before meals and in the morning gives you an idea of what you're doing while fasting, testing after meals shows how your body is reacting to food.

You'll see nicer results before meals, but the after meal test (2 hrs after) gives a more realistic view of how you are doing.

Maybe check in the AM and before a meal on Monday Wednesday and Friday
and after a meal on Tuesday Thursday and Saturday or something like that.

But as I'm type one and test about 10 times a day, this has been an exercise in logic, rather than any advise based on real life experience. It is, however, what I think I'd do if I were in your shoes.

[Harold]

Assuming you're T2 and probably not on meds...

My doc told me I can back off on testing, so I'm gonna test twice a day for a year. I'm testing first thing in the morning and 2 hours after a meal. Are you doing the same or something else?
I'm testing first thing in the morning and 2 hours after each meal 3 days a week. That was what my CDE recomended, but my current gp doc said that was too much. Ignored him of course, the CDE is the expert in the field of diabetes not my gp doc. Testing less than this would make it difficult to pick up on problem periods for too long, and it allows one to lose their discipline which way too easy to do.

[MYDEAR]

hi

my Dr. wants me to test less, but i want to test 4 times a day. once when i get up, 2hrs after breakfast, 2 hours after lunch, 2 hrs after dinner and just before bed. until my numbers are out of the 200's. then i'll try testing less. but the only way to get in control is to test, test, test........,take your meds, eat low carbs and exercise :biggrin:

[LC7]

Only been testing for a short time, but testing before and after dinner, my biggest meal.

[Fenway]

My doctor said I didn't need to test at all, unless I was experiencing some problems. I'm T2 - on no meds. He did say I should have an A1c a couple of times a year.

Personally I feel better about things if I do test a couple of times a week. I'm going to some classes starting next Thursday - will see what they have to say about it - testing, that is.

[Valarie34]

My dh is a Type 2 not on meds and the CDE told him to test first thing in the AM and before bed. He tests more than that though, first thing in the AM, after lunch, after dinner, sometimes after exercise too.

[nufznuf]

My Dr recomended to me I test 2 times per day ...but I should mix it up...
One week I should test first thing on Morning then 2 hours after breakfast..
next week, beforew lunch and then 2 hours after...
third week just before dinner then 2 hours after...

I should do this for about 3 months , then I will be able to cut back to testing 2x per day only 3 or 4 times a week.
I feel like the more I test the more control I will have. I will be able to track how foods effect my blood sugar levels..and then I will know what I can avoid eating as well. knowing the certain carbs effect people differently.

[Ritehsedad]

My Dr recomended to me I test 2 times per day ...but I should mix it up...
One week I should test first thing on Morning then 2 hours after breakfast..
next week, beforew lunch and then 2 hours after...
third week just before dinner then 2 hours after...

I should do this for about 3 months , then I will be able to cut back to testing 2x per day only 3 or 4 times a week.
I feel like the more I test the more control I will have. I will be able to track how foods effect my blood sugar levels..and then I will know what I can avoid eating as well. knowing the certain carbs effect people differently.

I started out testing 4 times a day for my first year. My doc has told me I can cut back (A1C is 4.6, control is generally good, ave 127 after meals). I've cut back to twice a day for the next year (I've got enough test strips for this - mail order Rx), then if my control is still good, I'll cut back to once a day. Time will tell, as will my numbers and A1C.

Thanks for all the replies.

[Grant]

I test before breakfast, and before afternoon dinner. If I have been having higher numbers on my readings I test before lunch as well and between one to two hours after my evening meal.

[spiketvl]

When first diagnosed I was testing when I woke up, before and after each meal and before bed. But my first aic was 6.4 (I only knew I had diabetes for 55 days of it) and my sugars have been around 6 every day (around 5.5 fasting) so the doctor said I could drop back to three times a day. So I do one upon waking and one before and after tea. I find the lunch one hard as I always seem to forget my monitor!!:flute: But I think I will keep this up everyday as it keeps me honest and from everything I have read the person that monitors their bsl daily is the one that has the best control over it!

[Tokyo Cate]

Assuming you're T2 and probably not on meds...

My Mom is T2 (controlled with diet and exercise) and she tests in the morning and at bedtime and OCCASIONALLY post meal. When she came to visit me here last year, it was kind of fun to have our diabetic rituals together :knuddel: .

[brandyelf]

My GP told me to test "a couple of times a week". I was pretty freaked out at first, but managed to do first thing in the morning, and 2 hours after supper for the first couple of days. Yesterday I threw in an after lunch one because I got really dizzy earlier in the day, and I also tested right before bed. My levels were still high this morning (125, compared to 110 yesterday morning) so I tested 2 hours after breakfast (still 120).

I think I need to figure out how often my (crappy) insurance will pay for strips, because I can see how I can be testing quite often in the immediate future while I figure everything out.

[seacomp]

I think I need to figure out how often my (crappy) insurance will pay for strips, because I can see how I can be testing quite often in the immediate future while I figure everything out.
Get your doctor to write a script for the brand of strips you use for at least your minimum testing. Your doctor's script (even if he's dork) is more powerful than you are Vs. the insurance company.

[sydneya]

I'm T2 but on meds and insulin. I test first thing in the morning, before each meal and before bed. I can see where I should change one to two hours after a meal. You posters always make me think. :idea:

[fighter71]

I am controlling only by excercise and diet and test it once a week, every week at a different time. I also check it whenever I feel something might be wrong.

It all depends on how confident you are about your readings. Mine is usually and consistently around 100 in morning and around 140, 2 hours after meals. Once it starts varying I would check it more often.

[Penny]

I test in the morning and before each meal.....how do you know how much insulin to take if you do not? If I am high or low, I often test more.