blood glucose levels

[jayney 12]

i have bee given a home testing kit to moitor my blood glucose levels in the hope that i can reduce it before the end of january, ( further testing if i cant lower it) i cannot get my level below 6 at all but this evening i feel very lethargic, and have a dry and sore mouth i tested my blood sugar and ut reads 12.6 should i be concerened or could this be just a blip??
many thanx for any advice in advance

[Buenchico]

My blood sugar levels go 'all over the place' so your reading might just be a blip. (I frequently struggle to maintain a level much above 2, despite being a sugar addict!).

However such a high reading suggests that you MIGHT need an insulin injection. (NB: Please note my use of capitals. It's only a possibility but it still ought to be checked out). Phone NHS Direct on 0845 4647 for far more expert advice.

Chris

[jayney 12]

thank you chris i will call them now, this is all very new to me and i dont fully understand the ins and outs of how to get my levels down apart from the obvious excersise and diet regime, i just hate feeling so damed lousy with it. thak you again

[looobylooo]

hi jayney
had you eaten a meal or anything when you checked your levels and they read 12.6? if so, thats ok as its expected to go up when youve eaten.
i think they like levels to be around 5/6ish before eating and expect them to rise to around 10/11/12ish after a meal.
do you take metformin with each meal as that will help your levels.
different foods will have different effects on your blood sugar levels.
and sometimes you can feel tired and lethargic if your levels are high.
keep a note of your readings before a meal and say an hour after food, thats when they will show at their highest, and then maybe a couple of hours later and hopefully they will have gone back down to normal again.
like buenchico said, you might need an insulin injection to help things along - your diabetic nurse will be able to advise and help you.
im type 2 diabetic and i just inject once a day at night, its a slow release 24 hour insulin, and since introducing that to my medication my levels have been relatively good.
hope ive been of some help jayney,
take care :o)

[jayney 12]

thanx loobyloo, i dont have any form of medication as yet as i am still waiting to be diagnosed, the reading i took was well over 3 hours after i had eaten and that was spag bol, i have called nhs direct and they are going to get a nurse to call me, i am hoping that i dont need an injection as our doctors here work on a cuedoc scheme and they have to travel over 40 miles to get to us and the nearest hospital is 30 miles away, we dont have an emergency service in our area as such, so fingers crossed i will be ok till the morning at 9am when our local g.p surgery opens, thanks again

[puternut]

I have been type 2 diabetic for 10 years plus and (thankfully) have kept to taking meds only - no injections.

I Assume you have been checked by your GP/Nurse as regards the readings you are getting? They usually insist on a fasting blood test. This is usually taken first thing in the morning - before you have eaten or drunk anything - and varies but is a minimum of 8 hours and I have to go 14 hours fasting to get a true reading. THis then gives the GP/Nurse your average reading over the past three months and not an 'instant' reading you get with a monitor.

So at a minimum try using your machine when you first get up or just before your evening meal - assuming thats when you have your main meal

These machines can be a bit tempremental if you do not wash the area you jab first - you might have something food wise on your finger. I was also told that even then they tend to register a little high.

Having a sore throat and feelng lethargic are not the only sign of diabetes. Do you find yourself going to the loo a lot? An indeed drinking more?

Whatever the outcome you should get it checked out ASAP And if possible go to your GP BEFORE you eat. However don't make your self ill if you cannot get to see him/her soon

[looobylooo]

well dont worry ok, youll be fine,
spaghetti/pasta raises my levels quite a bit, so it couldve been that, especially if youd had quite a generous portion lol.
its all a bit daunting at first isnt it, but youll soon get in the swing of it and youll know which foods 'suit' you and which dont and you work around it.
have a good chat with the nurse when she rings you, jot down a few questions to ask her beforehand and maybe make some notes as you talk to her.
ask her what kind of foods will be best for you to eat. i know brown/wholemeal bread is better for you than white.
and its not just the obvious 'sugar' things we need to watch either, ie biscuits and sweets etc, its also the carbohydrate content too.
just do your best with your diet and exercise and keep a regular note of your levels, even maybe keep a food diary too, then if the nurse or doc wants to have a look at how youre doing, they can see at a glance what it is youre eating and they will be able to advise you on how to change and improve on a few things.
but please, dont worry about things attall ok, youll soon get it sussed, and it will all be second nature to you.
and once you get your levels nicely under control youll start to feel loads better - ie less tired and sluggish and just generally 'unwell' - its a horrible feeling that isnt it, but youll get there, i promise you :o)
let us know how you get on wont you, i will keep checking the thread to see if theres any updates from you.

[Jemisa]

If you do need Insulin you'll be taught how to inject yourself, no doctor needed I've been doing it for 25 years.
It becomes part of your daily routine like cleaning your teeth.
Don't worry you'll be fine.

Jem.