[Evergrean]

Question about my Onetouch Ultramini Blood Glucose Meter and testing.

I have been washing my hands with warm water and no soap and then drying the hands with a towel. Then I hit the "eject" button from my device into top of my finger for testing. I keep the needle in for about 2 seconds to make sure I get enough blood which is very small amount. I then let the blood spot (without a smear) guide into the test strip which is located in the meter. I then keep the strip in the meter and the meter counts down from 5 seconds to read my results.

Please advise if this is the correct way to test because I want to make sure my below readings are accurate.

Last 3 days of results at night:
128 = 2 hours after eating a whole medium pizza
102 = 2 hours after eating chicken with mushrooms and 4 no sugar cookies (~ 25 carbs).
103 = 2 hours after eating chicken with half plate of egg noodles (pasta) and 2 scoops ice cream and 3 sugar free cookies.

 

[diabetes86]

Keep the needle in for 2 seconds?
It's NOT the sugars... Its the carbohydrates (carbs) and sugar is a carb That raise BG... so sugar free cookie can still be loaded with carbs (flower), pasta is also very high in carbs.

I use soap and rince well, dry, lance the SIDE of my finger tip, squeeze if necessary.

Your numbers look good, now try 1 hour and 3 hours after eating. You dont have to test each meal. some meals test at 1 hour others at 2. also what were you before you eat?

 

[Shanny]

If your meter isn't giving you error messages, I think you could safely assume you're doing right. I wash hands with warm soapy water, dry on a clean towel. My lancing device does what it does, which is a very quick prick & it pops right back out by itself; there's no option of holding the lancet in for 2 seconds. If there's a mistake anywhere, it could be in not using soap. Just check the label to make sure your brand of soap doesn't contain honey or some other goofy ingredients. Just plain soap won't compromise your test results and it will surely remove other contaminants that CAN affect your results.

And as Diabetes86 says, it's about the carbs & yes, the sugar-free cookies are loaded. Start reading the labels. You seem to be avoiding sugar (except for ice cream - whazzup with THAT? ) and that has no doubt helped lower your A1c, but you're eating pizza & pasta which can't be helping. If I were you, I would start checking at the 1-hour interval after meals, and that will show you how much damage these carby meals are really doing. If you can't live without pizza, then have a slice or two but not the whole thing.

 

[Carolina]

If your meter isn't giving you error messages, I think you could safely assume you're doing right. I wash hands with warm soapy water, dry on a clean towel. My lancing device does what it does, which is a very quick prick & it pops right back out by itself; there's no option of holding the lancet in for 2 seconds. If there's a mistake anywhere, it could be in not using soap. Just check the label to make sure your brand of soap doesn't contain honey or some other goofy ingredients. Just plain soap won't compromise your test results and it will surely remove other contaminants that CAN affect your results.

And as Diabetes86 says, it's about the carbs & yes, the sugar-free cookies are loaded. Start reading the labels. You seem to be avoiding sugar (except for ice cream - whazzup with THAT? ) and that has no doubt helped lower your A1c, but you're eating pizza & pasta which can't be helping. If I were you, I would start checking at the 1-hour interval after meals, and that will show you how much damage these carby meals are really doing. If you can't live without pizza, then have a slice or two but not the whole thing.

if I ate that food my #### would be 500.

oops this went on the wrong quote..

 

[jwags]

Different meters require different amounts of blood. I found the One Touch needed a bigger blood sample. I now use the Bayer Contour meter and I use the lancing device on the sides of my finger and prick quickly, I don't leave the needle in. I barely touch the strip to my finger and remove immediately. The Bayer then counts down and gives you a reading. I have only had one error reading and that was my fault. My one touch gave me error readings all the time. Also be aware all meters, no matter what the brand could be as much as 20% off.

 

[Patdart]

Yep, I wash my hands, but then they are cold, so I have to wait a few minutes to test.

I make a very tasty 'pizza' from a low carb tortilla using all the normal ingredients otherwise and it's really good. When I'm with friends at a pizza parlor, I eat all the toppings and allow myself only one small piece with crust.

i make all my ice-cream and other sweet foods so I don't have to worry. Our recipe section is very good, by the way!

 

[Cadydid]

I use the same meter and I do it basically the same way you do except I use alcohol wipes because I can not always wash my hands, expecially at work. The key with those is you have to let the alcohol dry otherwise you will get a false reading.

My other question would be what kind of meds are you on?

 

[Evergrean]

I use the same meter and I do it basically the same way you do except I use alcohol wipes because I can not always wash my hands, expecially at work. The key with those is you have to let the alcohol dry otherwise you will get a false reading.

My other question would be what kind of meds are you on?

I am not on any meds. My Doctor office A1C readings during the past year have been 5.8 and 5.9. Doctor fasting blood draw from my arm was at 95. His reading of 95 says I am "okay". But I want to prevent myself from entering into Type 2 category.

I am 48, male, very thin since I was born and excercise 4 times a week. Family history is mother is at same pre Diabetic numbers as mine.

Hoping accurate meters can tell me what high carbs give me high readings. I assume I should check at 1 and 2 hour after meals.
One post says meters could be off by 20% and I assume it could be higher or lower?

 

[Patdart]

You are wise to monitor yourself. Yes your assumptions are right...about the meter readings so they are not perfect, but good enough to guide you.

Good luck and stay in touch,

 

[Evergrean]

You are wise to monitor yourself. Yes your assumptions are right...about the meter readings so they are not perfect, but good enough to guide you.

Good luck and stay in touch,

I am concerned about my meter readings because they might not be accurate.

Went to buffet this evening and had alot of steak, 2 small portions of corn, tiny amount (1/8 of a plate) of pasta, 2 small helpings of mashed potatoes, diet drinks, decafe coffee with splenda, 2 slices of carrot cake along with 2 small bowls of ice cream. An hour and 1/2 later I check reading with my Onetouch Ultramini Blood Glucose Meter. Left hand finger reading was 102 and did a second on right hand finger using different needle and test strip and it showed 108. Right hand is always 6 above left hand on my meter readings. Overall I assume my numbers should be higher since i just came from buffet and ate high carb meal.

Any advise or should I assume the numbers might really be 15 to 20 higher due to meter variances.

 

[Shanny]

I can't speak for your meter, but I do wonder why you would eat so much corn, pasta, potatoes, cake & ice cream. Two small portions of each is prob'ly equal to one oversize portion of each. Next time you jump off the deep end, test at one hour & see how well you're tolerating this many carbs.

 

[lushaboom_ragdoll]

.me and my hubby both ate chinese one night we both ate the same meal and so i decided i wanted to test his sugars when i tested mine.. 2 1/2 hours after meal my sugars were 278 my hubbys was 87 with the ultra mini touch one .

 

[moon]

That's one way to get your average glucose down per your meter

 

[Shanny]

.me and my hubby both ate chinese one night we both ate the same meal and so i decided i wanted to test his sugars when i tested mine.. 2 1/2 hours after meal my sugars were 278 my hubbys was 87 with the ultra mini touch one .

Will you now be avoiding chinese food to better control horrendous spikes like this?

 

[lia]

I am concerned about my meter readings because they might not be accurate.


Left hand finger reading was 102 and did a second on right hand finger using different needle and test strip and it showed 108.

Those 2 readings are quite close and should be a good indication of your bg. Note that there is less than 6% difference between them.

I think the meter inaccuracy thing gets overblown. If I remember right, 20% is the most they can be off and still be marketed. In practice, I've never seen any indication they are off much at all.

I once did 2 tests as quickly as I could with my super cheap Relion micro, and they came out to exactly the same number.

Good work Relion

 

[silvertiger]

Testing only once after a meal won't tell you much. Especially when the meal contains carbs ranging from pure sugar (carrot cake) to delayed carb (pasta). I'd test 1/2 hour from the start of eating and then every 1/2 hour to three hours, then if you ate pasta, at the four hour mark as well. I bet you'll find your spike!

 

[Shanny]

Salut. <snip>

Forum policy explicitly stipulates that all posts must be in English, so this post will be deleted.

 

[mbuster]

Forum policy explicitly stipulates that all posts must be in English, so this post will be deleted.

Didn't they use to say that on HeeHaw??

 

[Evergrean]

Testing only once after a meal won't tell you much. Especially when the meal contains carbs ranging from pure sugar (carrot cake) to delayed carb (pasta). I'd test 1/2 hour from the start of eating and then every 1/2 hour to three hours, then if you ate pasta, at the four hour mark as well. I bet you'll find your spike!

Its interesing that since I first started testing I only did it around 1 hour after eating and my results 98% of the time below 120. I figured those numbers were not bad so there must be a spike right after meals. Sure enough after having 6 hard shell tacos (taco bell) and 3 small candy bars my 5 minute reading was 204. I was so stunned by the high reading I did it again 3 minutes later and it was at 178. Around 15 minutes after that meal it was in the high 140s. It took around 70 minutes to get it down to the 115 area. I read that anytime my readings should never go above 200 right after a meal? Or it should never go above 140 right after a meal?

 

[Shanny]

Candy bars??!!!

140 is my outer limit - I don't want mine going over 140 EVER.