Should blood tests be more frequent?

[Sidlers]

I keep reading about the importance of a correct blood sugar level! However, I’m under the impression that I’ll only be getting tested once a year from now on! Surely, a lot of damage can be done in the year between tests. Thinking of going down the road of testing sugar levels at home! Has anyone else taken the decision to home test? If so, what test kit would you recommend?

[cavalover]

I get tested twice year just before I see my cardiologist for my check ups. If he changes any of my medication I then have a blood test 10 days after starting the change of tablets. If you think you should be tested more than once a year ask your heart team.

[Happyrosie]

You think bloods need testing more often, and I’m sure you know it’s your responsibility to keep your blood sugars as normal as you can.

so are you a bit unsure about your diet? Overweight? Sedentary lifestyle? Yes, a lot of damage can be done in twelve months so, as cavalover says, you should ask.

[Sidlers in reply to Happyrosie]

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, I did ask my rehab nurse whether she thought once a year was sufficient? I was told that it’s fine as long as nothing changes, ie meds etc. Trust me when I say that I’m on top of my diet and lifestyle! However, without knowing what’s going on under the bonnet it’s leaving things in the lap of the gods!

[Hidden]

If you want to know your blood sugar then buy a cgm. It costs 50£ for two weeks of monitoring. It can tell you what food causes elevated blood sugar.

[Sljp0000]

Have you asked your diabetic nurse if she can supply you with a finger price test unit? The test straps are quite expensive so they may or may not give you them on prescription. If not you can buy the kit easily online. It's up to you then how many times you test keeping on going costs down. The ultimate way of testing is a patch on your arm which constantly monitors your blood. Type ones get them free on the NHS, type 2s have to pay. I pay £48 for a two week patch which then transfers all my reading to an application on my phone.

You can get a two week trial completely free on Free Style Libre so is worth doing that to see how it helps you (and how it works!)

My original idea was to buy some patches and only wear it for 2 weeks here and there (once on you can't take off or it's ruined) but now I bite the bullet and spend £96 per month, every month just to monitor my blood. Its invaluable to me. My bloods are more in control although I've learnt I can't really eat any carbs at all without causing a storm.

I think testing HBA1c annually is ridiculous but I understand more and more people are getting diabetes and it just costs the NHS more money. As individuals we really do need to take responsibility. However what erks me more is the feeling that all type twos don't eat healthily and don't move. That gets me angry and then my bgls go up! Anxiety is my worst enemy..

Any questions please ask.

Love

Susie x

[Sidlers in reply to Sljp0000]

Thanks Susie, some great information.

🙂

[Judithdalston in reply to Sljp0000]

Are you over worrying about diabetes when the body only slowly shows symptoms and a yearly blood test should pick up prediabetes well before any damage is done? Even diabetics generally only get their HbA1c tested once a year on the NHS. The Libre 2 continuous blood glucose ( CBG) monitor is given to diabetics injecting with insulin twice a day, so not just type 1 diabetics, but their use is really linked to adjusting your injected insulin to the carbs you consume, plus adjusting for the body’s other relevant responses like the ‘dawn dump’ of glucose from the liver, or response to exercise, anxiety, other meds etc etc. There is complicated fine tuning for those with no , or limited, supply of their body’s own insulin. For less complicated type 2 diabetics high HbA1c is most likely linked to too much carb consumption, there are plenty of Low Carb advice, resources, recipes and diets on the internet…look at the two Uk diabetes charities websites and their excellent forums. Look at the Freshwell site created by a medical practice, with recipes and tips: for eg eat British type of grown fruit rather than tropical. Getting a free Abbott’s Freestyle Libre 2 for two weeks monitoring might be useful if you patiently record how your BG reacts to everything you eat/ drink, and exercise ( including the housework, walk to work etc not just the gym/pool) etc, but you will have no method to respond to high BG except to learn not to eat fish and chips, or 4 chocolate biscuits etc. You might learn specifics to your own body’s response to certain foods, for eg plain crisps have minimum effect on your BG but coffee cake makes it soar, but there are more subtleties to explore like what happens if you eat the cake with cream ( fat consumption slows down carbs)…it can take far longer than the 2-weeks lifetime of a single CBG monitor. Try a low(er) carb diet if you do eat a lot of carbs now, but it tends to substitute them with fat and protein to make you feel fuller longer, which is rather difficult if you have heart problems, while much more protein gets rather pricey too!

[Sljp0000 in reply to Judithdalston]

I appreciate your reply but you've responded exactly as people generally do to type 2s which ive got to be honest really upsets me.

I know an awful lot about diabetes and how my body works with regard to blood glucose levels. I'm actually quite an intelligent person.

I've been type 2 for 10 years. My mum is type 2, my brother is, my grandma was.

I know all the latest findings on eating veggies first, then fats, proteins and then carbs. I try to avoid carbs altogether. I understand the importance of exercise.

I found your reply a typical example of talking to type 2s if they know nothing.

The free style libre has helped me tremendously and I would recommend it. Its helped me to understand my insulin resistance, when my liver kicks in (not just in the morning by the way) and it helps my Diabetes consultant review my levels as he can access my readings and patterns at any time. I am border line needing insulin and taking responsibility for my levels has kept it away up to now.

[Judithdalston in reply to Sljp0000]

I am sorry to have upset you, I thought I was replying to the original poster, Sidlers, and hope the post thus makes sense. Actually I am a type 3c , which is very uncommon, due to a routine bile duct procedure that went wrong and gave me acute pancreatitis and septic shock over a decade ago. My diabetes behaves more like type 1 generally but have dissimilarities too re.glycagon, and a take both a long lasting Toujeo and short lasting Fiasp insulin. I obviously use a Libre 2 CBG monitor. I don’t get a dawn dump either, but used to get a BG rise late am/ noon which complicated my dosing of insulin around daily swimming, and with 16 hour intermittent fasting, a late lunch. I too have had years of being treated as type 2, as there are so few type 3c, and unfortunately never, despite two emergency hospitalisations before diagnosis, seen a diabetic dr/ consultant and have had to rely on help from surgery nurses, and DIY controls and treatments. You are obviously well informed and practice good type 2 control, but as Qualipop’s husband, mentioned below, many struggle. Good luck with your diabetes journey.

[Qualipop in reply to Sljp0000]

My husband's type 2 and gets a machine for finger prick testing free on the NHS but he has to pay for the test strips so he's given up testing. It was a daft idea to charge so much for them when it puts people off using them. His diet is terrible. He buys several cakes and packets of biscuits every week, eats tons of bread. He gets his blood tested twice a year.

[LaceyLady]

Good decision 👍🏻 I developed T2D virtually over night, no symptoms, no idea for Definite what caused it, I’ve a genetic disorder that might have. I think a mix of things. I was given a ‘kit’ and testing yourself is a good idea. You can find info on Diabetes UK.

Change your diet, I am low carb high protein. Carbs = sugar.

[aardvark68]

Hi Sidlers. Having looked back over your previous posts I didn’t see any mention about you being diabetic or even pre diabetic?

Unless you have already had elevated blood sugar levels in high enough to put you into those categories, annual testing should be perfectly adequate.

If you are still concerned speak to your GP but as long as you are following the usual guidelines from your cardiac rehab you should not be at all worried about suddenly having high blood glucose levels.

Even if you are already pre diabetic, in which case your GP would perhaps have you tested more often, it can take years to develop to Type 2 diabetes and even then it’s possible to reverse it with weight loss and good diet and exercise.

I saw from your last post that you are already doing plenty of exercise and assume also have a healthy diet. Well done and keep it up 👍🏽

[Hidden in reply to aardvark68]

The worst thing that you can be prescribed if you are a Type 2 diabetic is insulin.I have reversed my Type 2 with diet and excercise. My Hb1 was 33, in 2020 it was 98.

My triglycerides last blood test was 0.5.

I take diabetone supplement and apple cider vinegar which reduces blood glucose spikes.

I have been checked for Insulin sensitivity which I am.

I have lost 5 stone following a Keto diet, I now eat fruit berries, bananas and apples as well as red meat, butter and full fat cream in my coffee.

Because of previous bad diet ( high sugar =carbs), I went through cabgx2.

Also get tested for lipoprotein (a) that will tell if you have a genetic condition that causes atherosclerosis.

I would also advise to get a fasting insulin blood test.

On Wednesday, I am going for my second angiogram to see if I have reversed any of the atherosclerosis.

I also use CGM, but I don't use Libre as they tend not to be too accurate. Sibionics, I find to be way more accurate.