When Retesting Your Blood Sugar Level Is 100% Necessary
By freak369
@freak369 (5113)
United States
February 21, 2016 6:49pm CST
There are times when, for whatever reason, I get a weird reading from my blood sugar monitor. I have had it give me single digit numbers as well as "HI" (meaning "high") and other oddities in between. The meter I have now is good but I miss the smaller rectangular one; the last time I was in the hospital they upgraded me to a meter that is so complicated that I dreaded testing my blood with it.
When I got the "HI" reading I knew that I needed to check it again and when I got the same readout I grabbed the spare and got 127. I took the batteries out of the first one, cleaned out the inside and powered it back up. Thankfully I bleed like a stuck pig so I was able to clean off my finger with an alcohol pad and squeeze out another drop. The meter I usually use read 132; that's a big difference from "HI" (which I have to assume is higher than 450 because that's the highest I have ever seen this one go to).
If you are a newly diagnosed diabetic or are a seasoned vet, when you get a wonky reading you need to retest it and if possible with another meter. Keep in mind that old or outdated test strips could be part of the reason you are getting odd numbers so don't count that out as a possibility.
If you're a diabetic, how often do you test your sugar?
What do you prefer, insulin pens or bottles / syringes?
Do you put a lot of faith in your A1C test results?
Photo: Me
8 people like this
7 responses
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
22 Feb 16
I have to admit that I'm pretty lax about checking mine, but I get my A1C tested by the VA, and I do trust that.
2 people like this
@freak369 (5113)
• United States
22 Feb 16
The A1C seems to be reliable but I only get it tested every three months; they have the kits in the stores now that you can buy (out of pocket) but I have no idea how close they are to your actual true reading or if you have to send it to a lab to have it tested then wait for the results.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (325651)
• Rockingham, Australia
22 Feb 16
My husband is a Type 2 diabetic and tests his sugar several times a week. He only has the one device but doesn't often get strange readings. They must have a different system in Australia as he always hopes his reading is under 10.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130066)
• India
22 Feb 16
I thought i did a wise thing when I invested in a digital blood pressure monitor. I was wrong. I do not know when I get readings that are haywire whether the machine has gone haywire
1 person likes this
@kobesbuddy (74528)
• East Tawas, Michigan
20 Mar 18
I thought the A1C was the golden rule, at keeping an accurate glucose average. I test my sugar twice a day, usually. If it's high, I retest it ten minutes later. I take medication(Metformin) but not insulin.
