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Diabetes?

Started by DouginUtah, April 09, 2012, 01:22:12 PM

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DouginUtah


Can I determine if I have diabetes by using a Blood Glucose Meter?
If so, when do I take a measurement? How long after eating a meal?
My wife says it won't get back to normal for two hours.
If it is back to normal what does that tell me?
(106 first thing in the morning.)
Usually one hour after eating I cannot stay awake if just sitting.

-Doug
When you hang around with good people, good things happen. -Darrell Waltrip

There is no need to say 'unleaded regular gas'. It's all unleaded. Just say 'regular gas'. It's not the 70s anymore. (At least that's what my wife tells me.)

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doctorb

The standard glucose test is a FASTING blood glucose.  That means not eating or drinking ANYTHING for 8 hours.  Most people do this in the morning after sleeping all night.  Normal fasting gluciose levels are thought to between 70 - 100.  I think I heard that the normal fasting sugar levels were being lowered to less than 90, but I have no confirmation of that.

So stop over-thinking it.  Test it in the morning after you've had nothing BY MOUTH for 8 full hours.

Other important issues are the potential risk factors that might predispose you to diabetes.  Being overweight and having a family history are big.  Your docs may order other tests, including a glucose tolerance test or urine tests.
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

beenthere

My blood labs require 12 hour fasting. Maybe that is for a cushion for them.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

clearcut

Diagnosing diabetes is not a DIY situation. Your blood glucose changes significantly over a short period of time due to factors such as what and how much you have eaten, how much activity you have had, how much you drink, and so on. Inflammation from an injury, a cold or the flu can increase your blood glucose temporarily. A single measurement tells you your blood glucose at that time only. You need a trend over time to establish whether you have diabetes or not.

A blood test, with fasting blood glucose, and an A1C test is used for diagnosis. The A1C estimates your average blood glucose over the last 2 months or so. The results of the A1C might indicate additional testing.

While home A1C tests are available, their accuracy is questionable at best.


Carbon sequestered upon request.

BBK

Good advise from Clearcut - "A blood test, with fasting blood glucose, and an A1C test is used for diagnosis. The A1C estimates your average blood glucose over the last 2 months or so. The results of the A1C might indicate additional testing."

I agree X2. As a type 2 diabetic for 30 years my best advise is to have your Dr. order your bloodwork. Once is not enough to really determine if you have a diabeties problem but it is a good indicator. The A1C is the monitoring test used to judge long term diagniosis and treatment.

If you do have type II and you catch it early enough there is a lot you can do to controll it with simple diet and exercise.

Don't wait and good luck.

I love Farming, Logging, Sawmilling, Fishing, and Hunting.

DouginUtah


Thanks for the replies.

I had a fasting blood glucose a year ago and it came up that I was hypoglycemic.

Suppose it is determined that someone is diabetic, what good is a blood glucose meter? When would you test yourself?
-Doug
When you hang around with good people, good things happen. -Darrell Waltrip

There is no need to say 'unleaded regular gas'. It's all unleaded. Just say 'regular gas'. It's not the 70s anymore. (At least that's what my wife tells me.)

---

Ianab

Hypoglycemic means low blood sugars, and is kinda the opposite of diabetes.  It has all sorts of causes, a side effect of medications, especially ones to treat diabetes. But also infections, diet problems etc.

The quick fix is to eat something sugary, or drink a glucose drink, but you should probably try and work out the root cause and treat that.

Diabetes is hypERglycemia, where you have too much sugar in the blood, and not enough insulin being produced to control it.

Both can cause serious effects so it's best to get it checked out properly. Treatment for mild diabetes is usually just a few tablets, and occasional testing to make sure you have the balance right. But untreated you get all sorts of side effects, nerve and circulation damage leading to all those nasty things that diabetics are prone to. Blindness, infected ulcers, organ failure etc.

By diagnosing and getting treatment before the damage is done you limit the damage to your body and can stay much healthier.

A home test meter just lets you monitor your actual levels. You can look for trends over time, like you test each week and watch the average reading each morning. If it's creeping up or down you probably need to get the meds adjusted.

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

doctorb

Doug -

Let's back up a minute.  Blood glucose meters are usually not used as routine patient-directed home  screening tools.  They are used once someone has been diagnosed with diabetes to help monitor the disease and modify the daily treatment of it.  The assumption I read in your initial post is that you are concerned about whether you have diabetes and that you want a home test to be the definitive diagnosis of it.  I don't think many medical professionals are going to agree with that.  Lots of variables in home testing including time of day, fasting versus not fasting, diet, and the accuracy of the meter.  Not to mention that there are quite a few other tests involved in the diagnosis.

This is a diagnosis that requires some confirmation with those other tests and repeated tests over time.  Sounds like you don't want to do it, but my advice is to see your doctor on a regular basis, tell him of your concerns, and have him run your testing and care, not you.  Just my opinion.  I am not saying this to support the doc.  I am saying this because, while patients should be very involved and proactive in their health care options, patient's shouldn't be the sole decision maker.
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

Bibbyman

Just take your nap and enjoy it!
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