Diabetes Talking » Diabetics » Recent normalised levels – meter faulty?
Recent normalised levels – meter faulty?
Question:
Lucky bastards…..
Is that similar to "Skinny bastards" Regards Old (chubby) Al
Response:
I take it you were diagnosed T1 as an adult. Adult-onset T1s can go through a "honeymoon" lasting several years, and during that time their beta-cell function can fluctuate quite a bit. At diagnosis, you probably had a fair amount of insulin resistance caused by glucotoxicity, as well as beta-cell function that was suppressed more than usual. As you got things under better control, the glucotoxicity probably went away. One of the effects of that would be that, while your beta-cell function would continue a steady decline due to the autoimmune process attacking them, there would be a one-time jump in their function. IOW, they’d still be declining, but declining from a higher level of function than before.
Lucky bastards…..
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi everyone, Here’s wishing you all a Merry Christmas! :) I have a question and am very grateful for your help. I am T1 and have been using insulin for about 2 years. Recently however i have been experienced what can only be described as normal levels, my meter gives most readings at normal ~100 and below levels. Even post-perandeal, 2 hours after meals are perfect. The meter Average says 83mg/dl. Usually i always higher, always 140mg/dl after meals, and avg of 110. so i cannot understand it. I have even experienced hypoglycemia in the last few days, twice, just after eating very large meals. My last HA1C came at surprisingly 3.8, the doc said this was way too low. So i am wondering, Is it natural that sugar levels and insulin demand can vary this dramatically? Or, is it possible for meters to go faulty? I have a Glucometer Elite.
Not common. Are you male or female? Has your exercise, sleep, or emotional state changed lately? When I was getting married, for example, my bg went through the floor in the days leading up to it: nerves….
Response:
Kevin the answer to this is very simple- yes meters go faulty like anything else. To easily work out the truth either /or 1) get some test solution – will show meter is running correctly 2) test someone else to see if the reading is different to yours 3) take your meter to another close by you say a casualty room or the doctors and test one meter against the other from same prick test. 4) use two meters like most folk – they are so cheap!!!! Then you will know immediately. Your medication levels are wrong if your B1c reading is 3.8
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi everyone, Here’s wishing you all a Merry Christmas! :) I have a question and am very grateful for your help. I am T1 and have been using insulin for about 2 years. Recently however i have been experienced what can only be described as normal levels, my meter gives most readings at normal ~100 and below levels. Even post-perandeal, 2 hours after meals are perfect. The meter Average says 83mg/dl. Usually i always higher, always 140mg/dl after meals, and avg of 110. so i cannot understand it. I have even experienced hypoglycemia in the last few days, twice, just after eating very large meals. My last HA1C came at surprisingly 3.8, the doc said this was way too low. So i am wondering, Is it natural that sugar levels and insulin demand can vary this dramatically? Or, is it possible for meters to go faulty? I have a Glucometer Elite. Thanks! Kevin
Response:
I have a similar question. Yesterday I ate about 8 oz cherry mash. That is chocolate covered pieces of mashed cherries and coconut. Did that in about 20 minutes. Boy they were good. 1PP BG was 101, 2PP was 84. Made no sense. I should have been 200+ at 1PP. At Thanksgiving, I did the same stupid thing and was 250 at 2PP. Yesterday made no sense. Did the meter screw up? Last night I ate about 6 oz of sunflower seeds, this morning FBG was 101. Now that makes sense. Last night at bedtime, I knew this mornings FBG would be somewhat high since hogging sunflower seeds. So it appears the meter is functioning properly. But, yesterday’s chocolate readings leave a mystery.
I’m with you! I ate for me, what would be a normal meal for lunch. On top of this, I ate two almond cookies and several broken pieces of shortbread cookies. It is not like me to do this, but I was just feeling kind of blah today. Have a bit of a cold, it’s snowing and I was just plain exhausted. Lounged around on the couch and tested at 122 at two hours after eating. Was really expecting a high! Not that I’m complaining mind you… — Type 2 http://users.bestweb.net/~jbove/ Julie Bove, posting from new account
Response:
I have a question and am very grateful for your help. I am T1 and have been using insulin for about 2 years. Recently however i have been experienced what can only be described as normal levels, my meter gives most readings at normal ~100 and below levels. Even post-perandeal, 2 hours after meals are perfect. The meter Average says 83mg/dl. Usually i always higher, always 140mg/dl after meals, and avg of 110. so i cannot understand it. I have even experienced hypoglycemia in the last few days, twice, just after eating very large meals. My last HA1C came at surprisingly 3.8, the doc said this was way too low. So i am wondering, Is it natural that sugar levels and insulin demand can vary this dramatically? Or, is it possible for meters to go faulty? I have a Glucometer Elite.
I agree with everyone else who said that a faulty meter can’t cause a lowered A1C or hypos. I take it you were diagnosed T1 as an adult. Adult-onset T1s can go through a "honeymoon" lasting several years, and during that time their beta-cell function can fluctuate quite a bit. At diagnosis, you probably had a fair amount of insulin resistance caused by glucotoxicity, as well as beta-cell function that was suppressed more than usual. As you got things under better control, the glucotoxicity probably went away. One of the effects of that would be that, while your beta-cell function would continue a steady decline due to the autoimmune process attacking them, there would be a one-time jump in their function. IOW, they’d still be declining, but declining from a higher level of function than before. Whatever the cause, it means that your treatment regimen needs readjustment.
Response:
Hi Kevin, I remeber a post a few days ago from you and my reaction was, *too much basal, not enough bolus*. I suggest – and you would do well to see your doc about this first, IMHO – test immediately *before* a meal, cut your bolus 2 units each shot. That should tell about your basal, which is adjust 2 units down, 1 unit up, or vice versa. Your target is between 4.2(US74) and 4.8(US86) each time – not easy, but do-able if you are on the right insulin, Lantus, or beef Lente. Give each change 4-5 days to see how it works. May take 3 weeks to get it sorted. Once the basal is as nearly correct as you can get it, you work on the bolus, testing 2 hours PP. That is how I did it, sleeping hypo`s stopped, PP spikes stopped, and you never know, it might work for you. I would like to stress – please see your doc/nurse/endo first. HTH Al. BTW I`m supposed to be an insulin-dependent t2 – which don`t make a lot of sense to me, but there you go!
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi everyone, Here’s wishing you all a Merry Christmas! :) I have a question and am very grateful for your help. I am T1 and have been using insulin for about 2 years. Recently however i have been experienced what can only be described as normal levels, my meter gives most readings at normal ~100 and below levels. Even post-perandeal, 2 hours after meals are perfect. The meter Average says 83mg/dl. Usually i always higher, always 140mg/dl after meals, and avg of 110. so i cannot understand it. I have even experienced hypoglycemia in the last few days, twice, just after eating very large meals. My last HA1C came at surprisingly 3.8, the doc said this was way too low. So i am wondering, Is it natural that sugar levels and insulin demand can vary this dramatically? Or, is it possible for meters to go faulty? I have a Glucometer Elite. Thanks! Kevin
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi everyone, Here’s wishing you all a Merry Christmas! :) I have a question and am very grateful for your help. I am T1 and have been using insulin for about 2 years. Recently however i have been experienced what can only be described as normal levels, my meter gives most readings at normal ~100 and below levels. Even post-perandeal, 2 hours after meals are perfect. The meter Average says 83mg/dl. Usually i always higher, always 140mg/dl after meals, and avg of 110. so i cannot understand it. I have even experienced hypoglycemia in the last few days, twice, just after eating very large meals. My last HA1C came at surprisingly 3.8, the doc said this was way too low. So i am wondering, Is it natural that sugar levels and insulin demand can vary this dramatically? Or, is it possible for meters to go faulty? I have a Glucometer Elite. Thanks! Kevin
You could still be in honeymoon. Mine lasted over three years, other T1 posters have reported longer honeymoons. That means your normal blood sugar regulatory system is still working and fine tuning bG’s with help from your injected insulins. Of course fine tuning by "adding" insulin doesn’t work if that day’s injections happened to contain more insulin than the meal required. . .i.e. the cause of your hypos. Newly diagnosed diabetics usually are suffering from "Glucose Toxicity" (Glucotoxicity) caused by unsuspected exposure to high bG before diagnosis. Glucose toxicity causes a need for more insulin. Knocking bG’s into a normal range for a bit will reverse the glucotoxicity and drop your total insulin needs. Therefore, newly diagnosed T1’s often display a drop in insulin needs followed by a rise as the honeymoon progresses. Enjoy the holiday. If you are really T1, life will become more complicated as your beta cells continue to degrade. Regards Old Al
Response:
Hi everyone, Here’s wishing you all a Merry Christmas! :) I have a question and am very grateful for your help. I am T1 and have been using insulin for about 2 years. Recently however i have been experienced what can only be described as normal levels, my meter gives most readings at normal ~100 and below levels. Even post-perandeal, 2 hours after meals are perfect. The meter Average says 83mg/dl. Usually i always higher, always 140mg/dl after meals, and avg of 110. so i cannot understand it. I have even experienced hypoglycemia in the last few days, twice, just after eating very large meals. My last HA1C came at surprisingly 3.8, the doc said this was way too low. So i am wondering, Is it natural that sugar levels and insulin demand can vary this dramatically? Or, is it possible for meters to go faulty? I have a Glucometer Elite. Thanks! Kevin
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi everyone, Here’s wishing you all a Merry Christmas! :) I have a question and am very grateful for your help. I am T1 and have been using insulin for about 2 years. Recently however i have been experienced what can only be described as normal levels, my meter gives most readings at normal ~100 and below levels. Even post-perandeal, 2 hours after meals are perfect. The meter Average says 83mg/dl. Usually i always higher, always 140mg/dl after meals, and avg of 110. so i cannot understand it. I have even experienced hypoglycemia in the last few days, twice, just after eating very large meals. My last HA1C came at surprisingly 3.8, the doc said this was way too low. So i am wondering, Is it natural that sugar levels and insulin demand can vary this dramatically? Or, is it possible for meters to go faulty? I have a Glucometer Elite.
If it was your meter, you’d expect it to disagree radically with your HbA1c, but both your meter and your HbA1c say your blood sugars have been low. I don’t know much about Type 1, but going hypo *after* a meal doesn’t sound right. It sounds like reactive hypoglycemia, which tends to be associated with pre-diabetes. Cheers, John Carney.