Blood glucose question.... what's a good one?

I recently ran across a screaming good deal on a blood glucose monitor. Since I believed I was a prime candidate for Type II diabetes (middle aged, overweight, apple-shaped, PCOS, diabetic aunts and uncles) I bought it. I went out for mashed potatoes and gravy and had chocolate cheesecake for dessert and took a reading three hours later and it was 148. In the morning the fasting reading was 62. I read online that these monitors give a reading that’s 30 points less than one drawn from a vein. So it would seem that I must be in terrific shape, diabetically speaking. Or on the other hand, if my fasting reading was actually only 32, does this constitute an overabundance of insulin and what they call reactive hypoglycemia? Am I “insulin resistant” and really on my way to glucose intolerance? I am so confused…

You’ll have to get yourself to a doctor because it looks like you likely have either pre-diabetes or possibly even fully-developed Type 2 diabetes. A non-diabetic’s blood glucose usually will not exceed 130 mg/dl no matter what they eat, so a reading of 148 is definitely not a good sign. A glucose tolerance test can be used to identify pre-diabetes, but only a hemoglobin A1c test can confirm a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis.

If you are diagnosed with pre-diabetes, the good news is that several studies have shown that you can ward off the development of Type 2 diabetes through exercise and dietary modifications.

If your fasting reading were 32, you’d have noticed, if you weren’t comatose. You certainly would have had symptoms of hypoglycemia – dizziness, shaking, nausea, etc. 62 is actually pretty low, too, though. I’m not sure, but I think most normal folks have a fasting blood sugar of somewhere between 75 and 100. Mine rides around 95-110, but then I’m officially “pre-diabetic.”

148 isn’t a hideous reading, but it is probably a sign that all is not well. As cynic said, most normal people will never have a blood glucose reading over 130-140. (I tested MrWhatsit once after eating a bowl of Corn Pops, and his was 126.)

See a doctor and have a hemoglobin a1c test done. It’s the only way to be positive, and if you are diabetic or even pre-diabetic, now is the time to start modifying your diet and exercise habits.

Get yourself checked out by a physician. We don’t know whether you went to sleep right after eating all those calories; nor do we know whether you went to the gym and worked out for two hours. Both will have a significant impact on your sugar readings.

I’m a diabetic and do readings twice a day [getting up and before eating dinner]. Generally my readings are between 90 and 100. But that does NOT give the most accurate assessment of my blood sugar levels because you are taking a “snapshot” when you really need a video…

You need to have an A1C test which measures your blood sugar levels over a period of six to eight weeks. You want to have a reading of 7 or below. There are homekits, but I don’t know what their accuracy rate is…

But I can tell from your question that you need to educate yourself about diabetes and the best way to go about it is:
a. see a doctor - maybe an internist or one who knows the latest about diabetes.
b. have a physical done; diabetes effects your nerves, eyesight, heart, circulation etcetcetc. There are all kinds of horrible effects which may happen if your diabetes is totally uncontrolled. Include a diabetic eye exam by an opthomalogist not an optician and check your cholestrol and blood pressure. Make sure that you get a urine test for protein.
c. also have an A1C test done.
You might find that you are borderline which means that you can control your sugar levels by eating healthy and exercise [walking is a great way and so is swimming]. Or you might need a boost by taking oral meds. Or you might need insulin but probably not unless you ignore the possibility of diabetes.

You might be primed for diabetes; the thick barrel stomache and genetic family history, overweight are indicators. Look for thirst, headaches, bathroom visits to pee more than a few times a day, tired, grumpy or mood swings, achy “rusty” feeling joints, blurry vision, dry eyes. These are signs that your sugar levels are too high.

Will diabetes change your life? prevent you from doing what you want to do? No way… especially if you are diet controlled or on pills. I have lived in Africa for a gazillion years and I basically do what I want to do other than eating a whole box of Godiva Chocolate\Champagne truffles in one 20 minute sitting.

And, as Mswhatsit said, it is time to start modifying your diet and exercise habits. Youll appreciate your gift to yourself in later years.

Don’t see a general doctor. See an endocrinolgist. This is one of his specialties.

I’d recommend starting with a family physician or internist, who should certainly be well qualified to assess your state of glucose-handling at this stage. I generally don’t refer patients to the endocrinologist unless the disease doesn’t seem to be garden variety insulin resistance, or we’re having problems attaining control with basic diet, drug and exercise interventions.

QtM, MD

Okay, now I am really confused. The website linked above says that a fasting test of less than 110 indicates a normal metabolism. Remember mine was 62.

This link http://www.vmmc.org/dbBenaroya/sec68178.htm says that two hours after heavy glucose consumption it should be less than 140, which granted, mine was not. But it wasn’t THAT bad. But it certainly wasn’t 200. But I’ll start checking more often. By the way, I have a physical job, so I’m not an inactive lump, and I try not to eat starches and sugars very much. I’ve low-carbed on and off for about 10 years, (not for reasons related to diabetes, but to help keep my weight from getting ridiculous) and have awareness of my risk from researching PCOS. But thank you all for your replies, it’s probably good that you took away my sense of well-being. Incentive to avoid the bad stuff is a little stronger!

I’d definitely still recommend that you see a doctor and have a hemoglobin a1c test done. It will show a sort of “average” of your blood glucose levels over the past few months, and it a much better indicator of a diabetic or pre-diabetic condition than any single reading can be.

That site said that two hours after a glucose challenge, your reading should be 140 or lower. A glucose test like that involves drinking a set amount of a very sugary liquid (glucola).

Your fasting level does seem fine, although as I said before, maybe a little on the low side. Your post-meal level isn’t terribly bad, either, although it’s a little higher than what I’d think of as “normal”. To be on the safe side, I’d definitely see a doctor and have the hemoglobin test done.

You might also want to talk to a diabetes educator/nutritionist about what sort of diet to follow. In managing diabetes, it’s not only important to monitor your carbohydrate intake, but to space out the carbohydrate intake across your day, and make sure you always get protein with your carbs, etc. At least, that’s what I did when I had insulin-dependent gestational diabetes during my pregnancy.

Good luck!

Well gang, I just took it again after working all day. Thusfar I’ve eaten a sausage egg and cheese biscuit from Mr. Jack N. Box, a bologna sandwich, and some peanut butter filled pretzels. My reading was 86. Not bad, I think. If anything, it seems low. But it wouldn’t surprise me at all to find out I was insulin resistant and therefore make lots of the stuff (while the old pancreas is still able). It’s almost ubiquitous among women with PCOS. If I ever have health insurance again, I’ll go to the doctor and get some real tests. :slight_smile:

As a post script, it doesn’t seem to me that the recommended diet for diabetic people makes much sense. Lots of fruits and vegetables and whole grains? Sounds like a gigantic carbohydrate infusion to me, which one would think would be the LAST thing you’d want to do. But not surprising since only know are some of the university researchers beginning to suggest that the FDA food pyramid might just be upside down. But, so as not to start a debate, I’ll shut up about that.

I think you’ve done your math backwards. If the monitor that you bought has been found to give results that are 30 points less than when blood is drawn from a vein and tested, your fasting BG was 92, not 32. This would also mean that your BG after eating all of that carby stuff was 178, not 148.

I’m assuming here that the blood drawn from a vein and tested directly (i.e. not with one of these quick-read monitors) is accepted to be the most accurate method?

Sorry Jadis. I read it correctly and typed it wrong.

"Normative blood sugar values are based on venous blood samples - i.e. blood drawn from your arm and tested in the laboratory. At home you prick your fingertip and test blood from capillaries under the skin. The sugar content of capillary blood is higher than venous blood so that a correction is necessary.

Capillary blood sugar values may be 1 to 3 mmol/L or 20 to 70 mg/dl higher than venous blood. For practical purposes, subtract 1.5 mmol or 30 mg/dl from the capillary values to compare home test values to venous blood values."

Quotes taken from this site:
http://www.nutramed.com/diabetes/diabetesmonitor.htm

If this is the case, then things look better for me than would appear at first blush.

I used a home meter, and when my diabetes nurse got me set up, she did not instruct me to subtract 30 points from the reading. I think that the target range is designed for people checking their blood with home meters. I think you should consider the numbers your meter gave you to be accurate, without subtracting 30 points. Of course, I must once again give the caveat that of course I am not a doctor and my best recommendation would be to see one and have a blood test done. I know how insurance can be, though. Ugh.

… that wants to rely upon information that satisfies you. Don’t be a dumbnut. Take the A1C test. You can purchase them from www.flexsite.com or www.metrika.com for testing at home. … cost is about !2.95 or $18.50 for the test, $395 for shipping. Both are FDA approved. There are phone numbers that you can call for information HOWEVER it is the marketing dept that gives the information…

If one really wanted to know they would go to a physician…I go to an internist. Half of the diabetics in the US don’t know that they have diabetes. You might not… You might… it seems the only way you will know is to talk with an expert.

I don’t know where you live… there are free clinics around as well as diabetes centers and medical schools attached to universities.