Why am I high?
Just finished reading a GREAT article in Diabetes Health that shared the experience of someone testing after washing her hands with soap and water vs. after handling a number of foods.
Here's a little excerpt. Do you have any comparable experiences?
"When Young washed her hands with soap and water and then tested, the meter read 80 mg/dl. When she had lotion on her hands, the meter read 87 mg/dl. After she handled the following foods, the meter readings were all over the map:
* Milk: 92 mg/dl
* Raspberries: 92 mg/dl
* Peanut butter: 94 mg/dl
* Red peppers: 117 mg/dl
* Sweet wine: 122 mg/dl
* Grapes: 447 mg/dl
* Grapes, followed by wiping (but not washing) hands: 132 mg/dl"
Here's a little excerpt. Do you have any comparable experiences?
"When Young washed her hands with soap and water and then tested, the meter read 80 mg/dl. When she had lotion on her hands, the meter read 87 mg/dl. After she handled the following foods, the meter readings were all over the map:
* Milk: 92 mg/dl
* Raspberries: 92 mg/dl
* Peanut butter: 94 mg/dl
* Red peppers: 117 mg/dl
* Sweet wine: 122 mg/dl
* Grapes: 447 mg/dl
* Grapes, followed by wiping (but not washing) hands: 132 mg/dl"
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kristin on -
Wow! I had heard about this... and must admit that I don't always wash my hands before testing, but I always use the second drop of blood. I think that I read the suggestion in Cheating Diabetes by James Hirsch that you can get a more accurate reading by wiping off the first drop and using the second one...
But maybe I should just wash my hands :)
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Permalink Reply by Manny Hernandez on -
Good idea. I admit I don't wash my hands before testing either. :\
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Permalink Reply by Carol on -
Who really does? I think not washing hands before testing and reusing needles/finger sticks is something that all long time diabetics do.
But this is really interesting information. I have never heard of this before but it makes sense.
I guess we should all wash our hands when possible.
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Permalink Reply by Starspangled Alien on -
I stopped re using needles after getting lypodystrophy which really messed up my sugar levels. Also whenever possible I wash my hands because I can get a more accurate reading also less germs going into the blood stream.
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Permalink Reply by Lee Ann on -
I'll also use the second drop of blood if I can squeeze that much out. I'll also lick my finger clean, although I admit I have no idea how effective that is. I'll go out on a limb and guess it's not super sanitary either. All that being said, I usually have some general sense of where I'm at (the CGM helps a ton with that too), so if I get a reading that seems off, I'll check again on a different finger that I think is clean.
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Permalink Reply by 1HappyDiabetic on -
Good point. I know I was told to make sure if I was testing when I felt low to make sure I didn't touch any glucose tabs before testing. You might ge a different result as well.
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Permalink Reply by Danny Weems on -
I've had this happen to me several times, no now when I have a high reading I will wash up and test from a differentfinger before I respond to the results.
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Permalink Reply by Misty on -
One time after I had a piece of string cheese and didn't wash my hands, my BG was over 200! It is never REALLY over 200 (knock on wood)!
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Permalink Reply by lane jaeckle santos on -
Let's see...
According to the my coworker who is an endocrinologist- there is normal variability in personal meters. We all assume that a reading of 100 is 100 exactly but apparently there is up to 20 points + or - for each reading. Meaning the actual reading may be as low as 80 or as high as 120. It doesn't have to be that high or low, but that range of variability is common for all meters. So I suspect that has alot to do with it. Technology isn't perfect.
That said, out meters are also incredibly sensitive and handling sugary things or things that may have a sugar in them will throw off the readings.
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Permalink Reply by Lee Ann on
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Ya, if I check and I'm 80 or even 90, but I still feel low, I'll treat it 'cause I just figure I got a higher reading than my BG actually is. Those symptoms don't lie.
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Permalink Reply by Cody Turner on -
I was at a bus station and playing with this little girl. I felt low so I tested and was at 65 so I had some glucagon gel, I tested 15 min later to see if I was higher and my reading was so high it woudn't register on the meter. I was like what the hell. Then I realized she had one of those baby bottle pops which is powdered sugar and she kept handing it to me. I went and washed my hands and retested and I was in the 80's. No way I could have went from the 60's to over 500 in 15 min from 15 grams of carbs.
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