Glucose Monitoring

[silver&gold]

Hi,

I am still  quite new to diabetes and have been put on the drug Byetta, I am already taking metformin . My Doctor has given me a glucose monitor to take test s randomly. When would be the best times to test? and also what sort of numbers should I be looking for that are ok?.  I am from the UK and we don,t seem to get much info here.
Any advice  would be great, thanks very much.

Angie

[Zoelula]

You might want to test your fasting blood sugar first thing before any food which should be under 100. Then try two hours after a meal, do a different meal each day. Those numbers should be under 140. This is very useful to tell you which foods you can eat which allow you to be in target range and which spike your blood sugar too high.

[silver&gold]

Thankyou so much for your help, I guess it will take some time to learn what and what not to eat etc.  Thanks again.

Angie

[Ken812]

The acceptable range for fasting blood test is 70 to 120, but the ideal one is 70 to 90. If your cholesterol level is also good then you will be in perfect health.

[silver&gold]

Thankyou very much for the info, I am struggling a bit trying to control my blood glucose and hoping the Byetta my GP has recently started me on will help me.
Thanks  again

Angie

[sadyboo]

Be diligent with your diet, excercise, and montoring your blood sugars.  I chose to ignore the disease until I no longer could.  I am now dependent on two insulins, but I have worked hard the last six months, and I am almost off of one. The sooner you modify your life style to meet the diabetic needs the better you will feel.  You should check them first thing in the morning. Before you eat, and two hours later at least breadfast and dinner.  Try eating smaller meals more often, and include protein in your meals and snack.  It balances out how you digest your carbs.  Nuts are excellent, and peanut butter.  Try to stay away from animal made products.  Peanut oil for oil, or olive oil.  There is so much more to choose from compared to 50 years ago,

[caregiver222]

My two cents worth is that for a few weeks you should perform intensive testing and log all your foods, and meds, taking an effort to each a balanced small meal with a specified number of calories. Take sugar levels upon awakening, before breakfast, two hours after breakfast. Before eating lunch and two hours after eating lunch. Before supper and two hours after eating supper. And at bedtime. Experiment a bit and fast during the morning. Take your blood sugar and eat a single apple or 190 calories of yogurt. Take your blood sugar an hour after and an hour after that. Make note of the drop.  Do the same and exercise for a half hour. Then check your sugar. Perform these tests without medication for a day and then with medication. "Random" tests are pretty pointless. You can plan your own testing program, but you should know how much 500 mg of Metformin, for example, will drop your blood sugar after an 800 calorie meal. Once you have an idea about what is going on the number of sticks can be reduced.

[silver&gold]

Thankyou both so much for helping me with all of the information, I am trying to work out a routine so that I eat at more regular times and fit in more excercise (which I am not great at ).
All the advise on when to test etc  has helped me a lot.

Thanks again

Angie

[caregiver222]

Eating meals with a known number of calories at specific times and a moderate amount of measured exercise (i.e. walking fifty blocks) , also at specific times would be ideal. Few people can do this. You have to resolve yourself to the fact that, if diabetic, you can't have whatever you want whenever you want without paying the penalty. At a senior citizen center, for example, the standard daily meal for lunch is 1400 calories. A diabetic senior takes his blood sugar and knows that if he takes 750 mg Metformin, for example, after two hours the glucose levels will be near normal. Once he establishes that routine, he need not take the blood stick. You need to plan meals to establish a "standard" meal...at least in theory. I believe that "intensive" blood sugar sticks are necessary until you get a "handle" on exactly how your body deals with food.