Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Natalie ._c- on June 10, 2011 at 9:34pm

I don't think there is any set number of times one should or should not test their BG. Some people who are very stable and predictable can test less; others who have wacky schedules and wacky bodies need to test more.

I think the acid test is, is the testing making you feel more secure, or is it feeding on anxiety? For me, knowing where my BG is makes me feel more secure, and more in control. But there are other people who just freak out at minor differences, and need to back off a bit. You can't let diabetes take complete control of your life, but you have to have a way to control IT, and still live your life to the fullest in the best emotional state possible. You are the only one who can decide what is a comfortable place for YOU, and I just hope you have a doc who will cooperate!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on June 10, 2011 at 9:34pm

Acid likes around 12-15? Some may be a bit superfluous but it's better to know than not to know. :-)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Magnifmeggers on June 10, 2011 at 9:42pm

I like to test 5-7 times a day as a minimum. Even when I'm slacking off, I test when I wake up, before I sleep, and before I drive/go out somewhere. Sometimes I test more when I've eaten a big meal or if I'm not sure if I bolused correctly for something new, but 5-7 is my ballpark number.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kд§$ị (ИσvΔ) on June 10, 2011 at 9:58pm

I wouldn't say that's too often. That's a little bit more than I do. I check my blood sugar every two hours or so, more if I feel weird at all, and definitely if I hit a low. I worried I was being compulsive, too. But honestly, if that's what it takes to keep your sugars under control (I have trouble with mine, and I too am trying to lower my A1C) then you do what you need to. Glad for extended medical or it would be a really costly habit.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by BMD on June 10, 2011 at 9:58pm

Hmmmm....7-10, and more when I feel it necessary.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sandpirate on June 11, 2011 at 12:12am

5-10

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Elizabeth on June 11, 2011 at 3:02am

Well, I think the number of readings that's appropriate really depends on your situation. Before he got his CGM (which helps reduce how often we need to test because we can see his trends better), when my son's BGs had been stable, I tested 6 or 7 times -- first thing in the morning before breakfast, midday (snacktime), noon, mid afternoon (snacktime -- little kids eat a lot!), dinner, before bed, and *occasionally* during the night at bare minimum. Those are the tests we still do, even with the CGM, because the CGM isn't always accurate. Sometimes he gets an additional test at 4-5, between his pm snack and dinner, because he does a lot of running around in the afternoons and often burns off the glucose in his system before dinnertime, and more often than not I forget to put a temp basal on during those hours... although it depends on the weather how that affects him. But when his BGs aren't steady, he gets tested more often. Before we got his CGM, 12 times in a day wasn't uncommon when he'd been all over the map--especially at night. Often he'd go high after 10 PM and I'd have to test him to figure out where he was at so I could dose him, then test him again an hour later to make sure the dose was working.

Since you're in a situation right now that you're working to stabilize your BG, I don't think 10-15 tests daily is unreasonable. You can't put a stop to your highs if you don't know they're happening, and right about now you're probably not even sensitized to them -- you may even be feeling hypoglycemic even when your BG is in the lower end of normal (that is to say, if you were to go to, say, 75 or 80, you might feel pretty crappy and think you're low). So don't worry about it too much (you know that stress raises blood sugar, right? Sad but true...) and test however often you think you need to in order to reach your goal of a lower A1c.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Leo2 on June 11, 2011 at 6:00am

Maybe when they're really good and you know you have your basal right on, you can cut back! I test about 7 x. I think 102 is great. If I eat something, I give insulin, so ask me how many syringes I use! That's 7 a day, too.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Tim on June 11, 2011 at 6:28am

If I feel like things are under control, probably about 3-4 times a day. If it's a rough patch, 6-7.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Cyndi P on June 11, 2011 at 2:52pm

I can keep my A1C at 6 to 6.2 if I check at least 14-15 times a day. It can be more depending on what's happening that day with meals, etc. I feel you should do as many as it takes for you to know "where you are" rather than "where are you?"

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by still_young_at_heart on June 11, 2011 at 8:23pm

I test about 10 times per day on average but if I'm having a tough day - today was one - I may go for closer to 15. If you can get the strips (and can afford them) there is no reason not to test 15 a day if it is providing you with useful information. Once you have some confidence that you can keep your numbers in your desired range most of the time, you may be able to cut back.

Maurie

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Terry on June 11, 2011 at 9:33pm

I've been using 15-16 strips/day for the last several years. I also use a CGM but like to confirm its accuracy with fingersticks. Especially when making food and insulin dose decisions I prefer to use a fingerstick rather than the CGM.

I dropped from 8.5 A1c to the low 6's over the last three years with abundant monitoring of my BG. More data points make for better overall decisions.

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page