# Blood sugar creeping up relentlessly... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 1, 2019, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sugar-creeping-up-relentlessly/842867 "2019-11-01T19:30:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2019, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sugar-creeping-up-relentlessly/842867/21 "2019-11-02T17:03:21Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > …I’m curious why you’re even looking at that number. 89 isn’t high, nor is 115. They don’t even start thinking diabetes before it gets to 126 or so. > > Also, are you taking your blood sugar at the same time every morning? Have you tried taking it during the day, after a meal? Your body naturally produce higher blood sugar in the am to give you energy to wake up with. I’d try taking your blood sugar after a meal, is it high then?.. Well, it is going to be higher after a meal because you just ate. That is normal. A fasting should generally be \<100. 89 is fine; a fasting of 115 is worth examining further. But as QtM said, not by a glucometer only. Needs to be a venous, not capillary, sample. Also, technique comes into play. Be sure your testing finger is completely clean and completely dry. Use alcohol pad or soap and water, then let dry completely. Not clean can = false high, not dry can = false low. (some offices also have a “point of care” A1c machine, which is also not considered diagnostic. An old-school, venous specimen tested by a proper lab is the ticket). ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2019, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sugar-creeping-up-relentlessly/842867/22 "2019-11-03T12:14:04Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > Sure, see your doc, but like **Qadgop** says, none of those numbers really will tell you much. > > I’m curious why you’re even looking at that number. 89 isn’t high, nor is 115. They don’t even start thinking diabetes before it gets to 126 or so. Not that I’m a doctor, but it’s not that the numbers are alarming, it’s that they’re _changing_. Something is going on with the OP. Better to check out it sooner rather than later. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2019, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sugar-creeping-up-relentlessly/842867/23 "2019-11-03T14:00:39Z")
OP, aside from any numbers, how do you feel? The amazing human body has many ways of telling you things are not right. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2019, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sugar-creeping-up-relentlessly/842867/24 "2019-11-03T15:15:29Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Well, it is going to be higher after a meal because you just ate. That is normal. Yeah, but my not-very-scientific study of my husband’s blood sugar right after eating is that non-diabetic blood glucose doesn’t go THAT high. We both eat the same cookie (or whatever). 30 minutes later my blood sugar is at 180, his is at 105. Real pancreases work a LOT better than insulin 😃 I think once he tested at 160 after eating a huge piece of cake, and 15 minutes later it was back down to 110 or something. My kingdom for a working pancreas! ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2019, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sugar-creeping-up-relentlessly/842867/25 "2019-11-03T15:18:22Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Not that I’m a doctor, but it’s not that the numbers are alarming, it’s that they’re _changing_. Something is going on with the OP. Better to check out it sooner rather than later. Maybe it’s changing, maybe it’s not. Spot checks don’t mean THAT much - the exact time might make a difference, what he ate the night before, etc etc. That said, I agree with everyone else, go to the doc! And if you don’t want to wait that long, you can get an [A1C test](https://www.walmart.com/ip/ReliOn-FastA1C-Test-At-Home-A1C-System/39384290) at WalMart or wherever. Not saying the OP should do that instead of going to the doc, but if he’s anything like me I’d want to know RIGHT NOW what my A1c was. ---
**Author:** ![Mdcastle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2019, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sugar-creeping-up-relentlessly/842867/26 "2019-11-03T15:56:06Z")
My niece is a Type 1 diabetic and she’s stayed with us on occasion. I agree with most of the points that have been met: - An isolated reading on a home glucometer doesn’t mean much, and means even less without proper technique. They’re good enough for their intended purpose for giving a ballpark estimate of how much insulin to take, not really good for diagnostics. My niece reported that she’s gotten a 15 point difference with different meters. Accurate enough for taking insulin to get it to an acceptable range. Not enough for diagnostics. - A home A1C test would indeed give you some idea if there’s a problem or not. - As cheap as glucometer starter kits are, you could get a different meter and see what results you get. My niece has personally found the Accu-Chek ones come in closet to her lab values and that the Walmart ones are the least accurate. (Immediately after one of her quarterly blood draws she tested with 4 of 5 home meters she had laying around. - Our advice is obviously no substitute for a doctor. - An isolated 115 reading is probably not overly concerning. I registered a 113 on a real lab test and the doctor was not overly concerned, did not order an A1C or glucose tolerance test or nay followup, just told me that it would be monitored to see if it got worse, and told the symptoms of real diabetes to watch for. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2019, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sugar-creeping-up-relentlessly/842867/27 "2019-11-03T17:15:16Z")
> [@Mdcastle](#): > > - An isolated reading on a home glucometer doesn’t mean much, and means even less without proper technique. They’re good enough for their intended purpose for giving a ballpark estimate of how much insulin to take, not really good for diagnostics. My niece reported that she’s gotten a 15 point difference with different meters. Accurate enough for taking insulin to get it to an acceptable range. Not enough for diagnostics. Yeah, that’s a really good point. At one point I had multiple meters (I was trying to find the one I liked best) and I could go through and put the same drop of blood on multiple strips/meters. The results were all over the place - sometimes as much as 50 points. It’s amazing how inaccurate meters really are, given they dictate how we T1s dose insulin. Again, just yet another reason to go to a doc to get real answers. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2019, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sugar-creeping-up-relentlessly/842867/28 "2019-11-03T20:54:32Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > OP, aside from any numbers, how do you feel? > The amazing human body has many ways of telling you things are not right. I feel fine and normal. Although I get a wee bit paranoid sometimes and wonder if some “prediabetic symptoms” I have are just things that could be something else. For instance, blurred vision, but then again I’ve always been nearsighted and come from a family of bad eyesight. Or “constant thirst” - but maybe that’s just salty diet. Or “tingling in fingers” but that could just be the piano playing, the soccer playing, the pushups I do, etc. WebMD syndrome, where you imagine something malignant as the explanation for everything. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2019, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sugar-creeping-up-relentlessly/842867/29 "2019-11-03T22:23:27Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I feel fine and normal. Although I get a wee bit paranoid sometimes and wonder if some “prediabetic symptoms” I have are just things that could be something else. For instance, blurred vision, but then again I’ve always been nearsighted and come from a family of bad eyesight. Or “constant thirst” - but maybe that’s just salty diet. Or “tingling in fingers” but that could just be the piano playing, the soccer playing, the pushups I do, etc. WebMD syndrome, where you imagine something malignant as the explanation for everything. Well, you’ve gotten some good advice here from more than just me. Now go take it. > [@](#): > > “I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.” Attributed to Mark Twain ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2019, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sugar-creeping-up-relentlessly/842867/30 "2019-11-04T17:17:43Z")
1. You are reading too much into too little data. None of the numbers are individually terrible, and three readings is not enough to form a pattern. 2. Lots of things can raise readings, but this isn’t the place to be listing your medications and diet. Taking steps to reduce stress, stop smoking, reduce alcohol, exercise more, sleep better, worry less and cut down on sugary foods (including juice, but eat more fruit) might help. Supplements might not be needed. 3. As Qadgop said, a blood test called hemoglobin 1Ac can be thought of as measuring your blood sugar over, say, thirty days and is more useful. 4. Discuss your stresses and medications with your doctor. Keep calm. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2019, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sugar-creeping-up-relentlessly/842867/31 "2019-11-04T17:46:47Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > 1. You are reading too much into too little data. None of the numbers are individually terrible, and three readings is not enough to form a pattern. > > 2. Lots of things can raise readings, but this isn’t the place to be listing your medications and diet. Taking steps to reduce stress, stop smoking, reduce alcohol, exercise more, sleep better, worry less and cut down on sugary foods (including juice, but eat more fruit) might help. > > Supplements might not be needed. > > 1. As Qadgop said, a blood test called hemoglobin 1Ac can be thought of as measuring your blood sugar over, say, thirty days and is more useful. > > 2. Discuss your stresses and medications with your doctor. Keep calm. Nitpick: A1c gives a snapshot of your blood sugar over the past 90 days, not 30. To ballpark convert your A1c to average blood sugar, multiply it by 30, then subtract 50. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2019, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sugar-creeping-up-relentlessly/842867/32 "2019-11-05T02:16:30Z")
I’ve seen various estimates from 1-3 months; which is why I imply it is approximate (“say”). But you are correct three months is a more commonly used value. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2019, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sugar-creeping-up-relentlessly/842867/33 "2019-11-05T10:43:58Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > I’ve seen various estimates from 1-3 months; which is why I imply it is approximate (“say”). But you are correct three months is a more commonly used value. Thanks. The reason 3 months is given is because glucose binds to the red blood cell. This glucose is what the A1c measures. The life of an RBC is 90 days. Not trying to be a know-it-all, just trying to inform. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sugar-creeping-up-relentlessly/842867/34 "2019-11-07T02:54:28Z")
Medicine is seldom simple. The average red blood cell lasts 120 days. But adding a glycol group to the beta-chain, as in Hb1Ac has a lot of variability. There are different types of hemoglobin (fetal, sickle cell, thalassemia) and the bond is affected by iron deficiency, uterus, race, age, individual genetics and other factors. The DCCT trial showed it is less variable than glucose and corresponds to risk of diabetic complications. But the exact duration of Hb1Ac does vary. Some studies show great correlation between daily blood sugars checked for 1 month and Hb1Ac levels; as the time increases to 60 or 90 days the correlation is less good, but sometimes acceptable. I’m not going to argue your point, which is valid for many people (but which ones?). A check on Google Scholar would confirm this; not going to start quoting papers. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sugar-creeping-up-relentlessly/842867/35 "2019-11-07T03:02:26Z")
Or even uremia (although uterus affects it too). Damn you, autocorrect! The RBC lifespan can vary from 70 to 140 days, and up to 30 percent in two individuals. Not being a smart ass, just informing. ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sugar-creeping-up-relentlessly/842867/36 "2019-11-07T05:45:00Z")
I would be interested to understand how COPD meds, AKA steriods, can affect A1c. We’re currently dealing with this. Is a glucometer something you can buy OTC?? All this is new to us. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sugar-creeping-up-relentlessly/842867/37 "2019-11-07T17:34:32Z")
Talk to a pharmacist about glucose testing and ways of measuring glucose. If you are diabetic, there are diabetes education programs which efficiently teach important information. Stress (including that of a chronic disease) can increase cortisol, and glucose. Some medicines affect sugar and your pharmacist or doctor can help here too. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sugar-creeping-up-relentlessly/842867/38 "2019-11-07T17:52:06Z")
> [@DummyGladHands](#): > > …Is a glucometer something you can buy OTC?? All this is new to us. Yes, no rx needed. The glucometers are relatively inexpensive, it’s the price of the test strips that will kill you. But get a prescription. Some of the expense will likely be covered by your insurance or Medicaid/Medicare. Some meters are better than others, but you are typically limited to whatever meter/strips your insurance allows. It’s a complicated, ever-changing system. The accuracy of a meter is not the only consideration. Some have specific quirks or glitches that would make me steer clear of them. Good meters: Accu-Chek, Contour, OneTouch, FreeStyle. Try to avoid: True Metrix, Reli-On, Glucocard, Prodigy, any store brand. ---
**Author:** ![Mikkel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikkel/32/13151_2.png) [@Mikkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikkel)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sugar-creeping-up-relentlessly/842867/39 "2019-11-07T18:02:39Z")
Actually my doctor get the glucometers for free from the different manufacturers. I got one for asking when I got diagnosed with diabetes 2. As mr. Mustard said, it’s the test strips they make the money on. Check the importers or manufacturers. Many of them give one away to start on (at least in Europe they do). ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sugar-creeping-up-relentlessly/842867/40 "2019-11-07T20:20:15Z")
I really recommend that folks avoid buying a glucometer for their own use unless they’ve been advised to by their doc to get one to help confirm a suspected diagnosis of a bona fide blood sugar abnormality or to help manage a confirmed diagnosis of the same. Even then, the diagnosis of diabetes is NOT made based on glucometer readings. It’s made on serum derived from a venous blood draw. To diagnose diabetes, you need one of the following: > [@](#): > > 1. A1C ≥6.5%. The test should be performed in a laboratory using a method that is NGSP certified and standardized to the DCCT assay. > > OR > > 1. Fasting Plasma Glucose ≥126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L). Fasting is defined as no caloric intake for at least 8 hours. > > OR > > 1. 2-hour plasma glucose ≥200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) during an OGTT. The test should be performed as described by the World Health Organization, using a glucose load containing the equivalent of 75 gram anhydrous glucose dissolved in water. > > OR > > 1. In a patient with classic symptoms of hyperglycemia or hyperglycemic crisis, a random plasma glucose ≥200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sugar-creeping-up-relentlessly/842867.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-sugar-creeping-up-relentlessly/842867.md?page=3)