In theory I should test about 4 times a day as I take insulin 4 times a day. However, I generally do one when I get up before breakfast as I sort of know how good or bad my day is going to be in controlling my sugars (not the same for everyone). I tend to do them before my meals so I know how much insulin I am going to give, but sometimes it doesnt hurt to do them 2 hours after you have eaten to actually see how much your sugars have gone up and what certain foods do to them. Then before bed I do one so that I know what my night insulin amount is going to be, and also if it is low that I have to have a snack so I don't go ypo during the night. I find though that somedays I will do my sugar once (slapped wrists) and just adjust my insulin as to how I am feeling or what I am eating. I generally try to do it about 3 times a day.
Depending if you are diet or tablet controlled, once or twice a day should be fine. You will get a feel for whether you are high or low, when I head towards a hypo I get agitated and confused, i feel more sick than i normally do, my hands get the shakes badly, i lose concentration, i get very snappy and think that i am fine and what the heck is everyone on about, and my best friend said that she often knows when i am going low as for some reason i tend to rub the back/top of my head over and over... sometimes i get sleepy and just go out like a light. I tend to run high more than low, again i get confused, i get a major headache like no other i have had, and very very sleepy, and i get a thirst from hell.. sometimes though i find that on the odd occasion my symptoms just all roll into one and i think i am low and it turns out i am high or vice versa, then i keep a close eye on my sugars.
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45(feels like 99 some days)
Dx - pcos 1982
Dx - diabetes 2 1999,
Tx - metformin slow release 2000mg. Insulin 5 times a day
Loads of other medications.
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Aristotle... |