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Yesterday I Was Thinking About My Health And Was Curious
Question: Yesterday I was thinking about my health and was curious to see how my blood sugar levels are. So when I was at the store I brought a device with the test strips. I probably did over 20 different samples. I ate a lot of crackers and pretzels around 130-2pm. I started testing around 5 and finished around 530 just to get a string of numbers and to get the hang of it. I’ve never been diagnosed with diabetes or have symptoms but here are my values.
137
130
203
215
100
110
90
112
129
142
118
145
118
129
145
118
46
142
Those are some of the values I started recording. I know the numbers vary a lot. I’ve been trying to get the right amount on the test strip. Sometimes I would flood it, some times I would almost fill the entire little box up, fill it, and not fill the strip all the way. Later on 3 hours after I ate my dinner I tested my sugar again. I got a reading of 97,112,120, and before I went to bed it got a reading of 116.
The next morning I woke up and got a reading after not eating for 12 hours a score of 107. Which is above the recommended fasting range of 80-100. So I tested a few more times ten minutes later and scored 112,108,86,99,94, and 92. A few hours later I ate a frozen dinner for breakfast and had my coffee and two hours after eating I tested again and got another series of numbers. I got many numbers in the low 100s, some in the 110-120 range and two in the 130s. I guess that’s in normal range.
I also was looking at my blood test results from my doctor from the past years. Here’s what they had.
February 2016 fasting glucose 94 (they put it in as fasting but I know I wasn’t at the time)
October 2016 random glucose 79
January 2018 random glucose 86.
They were all in normal range but the thing I’m worried about were the higher values I got at home when I first did it and the 107 when I first got up. Should I worry about being diabetic or am I putting too much thought into it. I’m so worried about my health and I can’t help it because I have OCD so I keep on obsessing. Sorry this is so long but I’m just worried about my health. Am I fine or do I have something to worry about?
137
130
203
215
100
110
90
112
129
142
118
145
118
129
145
118
46
142
Those are some of the values I started recording. I know the numbers vary a lot. I’ve been trying to get the right amount on the test strip. Sometimes I would flood it, some times I would almost fill the entire little box up, fill it, and not fill the strip all the way. Later on 3 hours after I ate my dinner I tested my sugar again. I got a reading of 97,112,120, and before I went to bed it got a reading of 116.
The next morning I woke up and got a reading after not eating for 12 hours a score of 107. Which is above the recommended fasting range of 80-100. So I tested a few more times ten minutes later and scored 112,108,86,99,94, and 92. A few hours later I ate a frozen dinner for breakfast and had my coffee and two hours after eating I tested again and got another series of numbers. I got many numbers in the low 100s, some in the 110-120 range and two in the 130s. I guess that’s in normal range.
I also was looking at my blood test results from my doctor from the past years. Here’s what they had.
February 2016 fasting glucose 94 (they put it in as fasting but I know I wasn’t at the time)
October 2016 random glucose 79
January 2018 random glucose 86.
They were all in normal range but the thing I’m worried about were the higher values I got at home when I first did it and the 107 when I first got up. Should I worry about being diabetic or am I putting too much thought into it. I’m so worried about my health and I can’t help it because I have OCD so I keep on obsessing. Sorry this is so long but I’m just worried about my health. Am I fine or do I have something to worry about?
Brief Answer:
I think these reading are quite reassuring that u don't have diabetes
Detailed Answer:
Hi and Welcome to "Ask A Doctor" service. Thanks for using this app. I have read your question and here is my advice. I can understand your worries about DM because of it being very common disease and silent many times people do worry. I appreciate that you take good care of your health but here I think you have taken it too much on your mind.Whatever I understand these readings are quite re assuring that you don't have diabetes and you can relax.. Yes few readings are above normal, like the one fasting that your mentioned, and a random that went over 200. However a lot of readings are normal.the few readings are always possible becouse of error that do occur with sugar being checked by strips and for the same reasons we don't recommend diagnosing DM by strips.
The clinic readings are absulutely normal that make me quite confident to say that the few readings that went high were because of error.
To be absulutely sure, we Can do a test called HBA1c which shows the last 3 months sugar that would settle the issue for sure. But even if not done, I understand your readings do not indicate that you have DM.
Hopes this answer help you understand your query. Let me know if you have any further questions about it. I would be glad to answer.kind regards Dr Rahman
I think these reading are quite reassuring that u don't have diabetes
Detailed Answer:
Hi and Welcome to "Ask A Doctor" service. Thanks for using this app. I have read your question and here is my advice. I can understand your worries about DM because of it being very common disease and silent many times people do worry. I appreciate that you take good care of your health but here I think you have taken it too much on your mind.Whatever I understand these readings are quite re assuring that you don't have diabetes and you can relax.. Yes few readings are above normal, like the one fasting that your mentioned, and a random that went over 200. However a lot of readings are normal.the few readings are always possible becouse of error that do occur with sugar being checked by strips and for the same reasons we don't recommend diagnosing DM by strips.
The clinic readings are absulutely normal that make me quite confident to say that the few readings that went high were because of error.
To be absulutely sure, we Can do a test called HBA1c which shows the last 3 months sugar that would settle the issue for sure. But even if not done, I understand your readings do not indicate that you have DM.
Hopes this answer help you understand your query. Let me know if you have any further questions about it. I would be glad to answer.kind regards Dr Rahman
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
thank you. im just concnered with those two really high readings i got yesterday afternoon and the fasting reding i got this morning that was over 100 or the normal fasting range. however the few readings i got after were in the 80s and 90s. are those readings that accurate?
also i was looking at my past blood work from my doctors and on my glucose readings i got 79 in 2016, 94 in 2017, and 86 this past january. is it safe to say that im fine and dont have any signs of diabetes and pre diabetes? thank uou sir
also i was looking at my past blood work from my doctors and on my glucose readings i got 79 in 2016, 94 in 2017, and 86 this past january. is it safe to say that im fine and dont have any signs of diabetes and pre diabetes? thank uou sir
Brief Answer:
See details below.
Detailed Answer:
Hi. I am really sorry for getting too late with this reply.had been busy in some hospitals works.
Yes These readings are quite reassuring. You should not worry. You don't need to check your sugars daily. Just you can check it at clinic in an year time.
If you have any symptoms like increased frequency of urination, or increased thirst. You can check it early as well at your clinic. Best is to do the hbac level that shows 3 months of blood sugar in a single test.
But your readings are least likely to be of any concern.
Please do not hesitate to ask any thing else.
See details below.
Detailed Answer:
Hi. I am really sorry for getting too late with this reply.had been busy in some hospitals works.
Yes These readings are quite reassuring. You should not worry. You don't need to check your sugars daily. Just you can check it at clinic in an year time.
If you have any symptoms like increased frequency of urination, or increased thirst. You can check it early as well at your clinic. Best is to do the hbac level that shows 3 months of blood sugar in a single test.
But your readings are least likely to be of any concern.
Please do not hesitate to ask any thing else.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Remy Koshy
Doctor,
Thank you for your input and reassurance. I appreciate your patience with this. I did a few more tests yesterday after eating 2 hours later and I got results of 90,92,96,98,110,103,100,102,116. All of those are perfect for two hours after eating.
However when I went to bed the reading was 98, fine within the normal and random range. But this morning when I woke up I got numbers of 107,112,96,110,108,105,106. Those are in the pre diabetic fasting range. Why are those numbers higher? Is it just morning horomones or anything?
Now are those $20 home meters accurate? I know they say their +/20% or something like that, but is it normal for those to post higher than normal numbers. When I had a random score in 2/2016 I got 79, a fasting in 2016 94, and a random this past January of 86. Based on what my numbers were from my doctors lab test being lower than anything I got at home on this meter, is it conclusive to say that I am not pre diabetic?
I am so concerned about this. I have OCD and have bad anxiety when it comes to my health so I always need reassurance and I need to check and check, it’s a vicious cycle but that’s how I live everyday and I hope you understand.
Thank you for your input and reassurance. I appreciate your patience with this. I did a few more tests yesterday after eating 2 hours later and I got results of 90,92,96,98,110,103,100,102,116. All of those are perfect for two hours after eating.
However when I went to bed the reading was 98, fine within the normal and random range. But this morning when I woke up I got numbers of 107,112,96,110,108,105,106. Those are in the pre diabetic fasting range. Why are those numbers higher? Is it just morning horomones or anything?
Now are those $20 home meters accurate? I know they say their +/20% or something like that, but is it normal for those to post higher than normal numbers. When I had a random score in 2/2016 I got 79, a fasting in 2016 94, and a random this past January of 86. Based on what my numbers were from my doctors lab test being lower than anything I got at home on this meter, is it conclusive to say that I am not pre diabetic?
I am so concerned about this. I have OCD and have bad anxiety when it comes to my health so I always need reassurance and I need to check and check, it’s a vicious cycle but that’s how I live everyday and I hope you understand.
Brief Answer:
Please see details.
Detailed Answer:
Hi..
Yes you are right, we sometimes get anxious about health issues. And to be very honest the readings you have today, s fasting are not that perfectly normal. Though your random sugar is normal without any doubt. So this is not prediabetes. But the fasting sugar little higher, may indicate something what we call "impaired fasting sugar" that is fasting sugar of more then 100.. But this is not what we say after only single days readings.
What we should do now is that you should fast for full 8 hours, then check your blood sugar at clinic if possible, if that's normal, you should then forget this and get relax and don't check ig again before 6 months.
However if that reading was abnormal, that is if your fasting sugar was over 100 in clinic as well, that means " impaired fasting glucose".diagnosing impaired fasting is good this means diagnosing DM years before it starts and hence we can plan to avoid DM. In such patients we recommend to loss weight of about 7 to 10 kg, and do regular exercise of about 150 minutes a week. This most of the times riverse the changes and avoid DM. However first we should confirm by another day fasting readings to be sure if there is any "impaired fasting glucose" as above.
I can truly understand the anxiety associated with this.
But let's hope the best.
Please do not hesitate to ask more questions. I will be glad if I could help some how.
Please see details.
Detailed Answer:
Hi..
Yes you are right, we sometimes get anxious about health issues. And to be very honest the readings you have today, s fasting are not that perfectly normal. Though your random sugar is normal without any doubt. So this is not prediabetes. But the fasting sugar little higher, may indicate something what we call "impaired fasting sugar" that is fasting sugar of more then 100.. But this is not what we say after only single days readings.
What we should do now is that you should fast for full 8 hours, then check your blood sugar at clinic if possible, if that's normal, you should then forget this and get relax and don't check ig again before 6 months.
However if that reading was abnormal, that is if your fasting sugar was over 100 in clinic as well, that means " impaired fasting glucose".diagnosing impaired fasting is good this means diagnosing DM years before it starts and hence we can plan to avoid DM. In such patients we recommend to loss weight of about 7 to 10 kg, and do regular exercise of about 150 minutes a week. This most of the times riverse the changes and avoid DM. However first we should confirm by another day fasting readings to be sure if there is any "impaired fasting glucose" as above.
I can truly understand the anxiety associated with this.
But let's hope the best.
Please do not hesitate to ask more questions. I will be glad if I could help some how.
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Answered by
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