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USING A METER

To use a meter or not use a meter?  Some doctors and certainly a lot of nutritionists are not in favour of people with prediabetes using meters to monitor blood glucose levels.  They are of the opinion that you are not diabetic and you don't need it.  

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Having said that, yes you can do this on diet alone with nothing else if you choose to.  If you go down a meter route and think it is for you, it is only a guide as to what is going on and nothing else.  

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It is entirely your choice whether you do or do not use a meter.  If you feel it is right for you then use one.  If not, don't.

 

If you do buy into having a meter use it as a guide only to help you see what foods spike your blood glucose and what doesn't.  If you get a high reading it is not the end of the world.  Just use the information to do better the next day.  It doesn't mean you have to exclude foods, just manage how and when you eat them if they give you a high spike.  Also, try not to obsess over readings and don't panic about any readings either, it is an aid to assist your route to healthy eating and any readings can be lowered going back to safe foods like chicken and salad.  Keeping a food diary in Excel can help - mark high spiking meals/foods as red, moderate as yellow and green as safe.  It'll help you see a pattern of foods that are better and those that are worse.  As you get further down the road you can drop off keeping a food diary as you will be more aware of what is going on.

 

Meters and CGMs may give you an "estimated" HbA1c.  We do stress that this is an estimated figure and the only real way to find out your HbA1c is to have a blood test at the GPs.   

 

If you do decide to buy, make sure you buy from a well known UK retailer as both Finger Prick meters, CGMs and FGMs have different settings for the US market and the CGMs work on different software to the UK market.  When you get your meter if it is set for the US market you may not be able to alter the settings to the UK readings.   

 

A word of warning if you buy a meter from Amazon be careful as a lot of retailers on there claim their meter is for the UK market and it isn't.  You can use it, but the readings will be for the US market and you won't be able to change them leading to potential confusion.  Having said that you can buy test strips and lancets from Amazon with no issues known so far.

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​There are three types of meter:

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  • Finger prick test 

  • Continuous glucose monitor (CGM)

  • Flash glucose monitor (FGM)

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These meters are used to give you an idea of how high your blood sugar is.  For a finger prick test it is 2 hours after meals and once before you eat anything in the morning.  For a CGM it is a continuous up to the minute reading and FGMs are similar.

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One thing to note is that as you are not fully diabetic you will not get a "free" meter or the equipment that goes with them.  

 

If you want to go down this road and buy a meter we have listed where you can get different meters in Where to Buy.

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FINGER PRICK TEST

 

The finger prick meters involve using a lancet to prick your finger on a daily basis at regular intervals before food and/or after food as well as first thing in the morning before you've eaten anything.   It is a snapshot in time.  You apply blood to a glucose control strip which is already inserted into the meter.  This then gives you a reading as to what your current blood glucose status is at that particular moment.  There is generally an app you can load up to your phone to help you keep track of things.   Ideally if you go down this route you need to test daily to start with, before you have breakfast or eat anything in the morning, then 2 hours after breakfast, 2 hours after lunch and 2 hours after dinner.  This will give you an idea of your levels and what is going on.

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Finger prick meters are not overly expensive to purchase and are usually around £30.00.  The strips and lancets are an ongoing cost and price varies depending upon where you buy from.

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There are a few brands out there such as Contour and Accu-Chek so you need to shop around and do your homework before purchasing.

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The video below shows the Accu-Chek Instant meter in use to give you an idea of what is involved.  

CONTINUOUS GLUCOSE MONITOR (CGM)

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A CGM works by attaching a small disc to the back of your upper arm or on your stomach if you prefer.  It has a filament that measures glucose levels in the fluid under the skin.  The sensor lasts for 14 days and is water resistant so you can have a shower. 

 

It monitors your sugar levels by the minute (in real time), with alarms to alert you to sugar levels that are too high and sugar levels that are too low.  It also has an app to store all your data so you can go back and review it.  As it measures your blood sugar levels every minute of the day and night you can see instantly what your blood sugar level is.​

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Costs are quite expensive in that the disc pack is approximately £50.00 every 14 days for Libre 2 sensor and approximately £85.00 for a Libre 3 sensor.   It then links to an app on your phone.  However, if you find it isn't connecting to the app on your phone properly, you can buy a receiver which is of course an additional cost.  You cannot use both a receive and a phone it has to be one or the other.

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There are other brands out there such as Dexcom so you need to shop around and do some homework.

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Be aware however, that CGMs may not be as accurate as a finger prick test.

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The video below shows what is involved in fitting a continuous glucose monitor.  Once fitted it will stay in place until it is removed after 14 days.

FLASH GLUCOSE MONITOR (FGM)

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The FGM can only be used on your arm unlike the CGM monitors.  Otherwise they operate the same as a CGM.  They are continuously monitoring your blood sugar, but you need to scan the device to see what your results are. 

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Be aware however, that FGMs may not be as accurate as a finger prick test.

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Costs for a FGMs are similar to CGMs and connect to an app on your phone or a receiver if your phone doesn't work properly with the FGM.  As for a CGM you can have either the app or a receiver, but you can't use both with the FGM.

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Lastly - you certainly won't use all the features of a finger prick test or continuous glucose monitor app as you are not fully diabetic.

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NOTE - if you don't wish to go down this route completely the NHS have a site called Monitor My Health where you can book a blood test which they will send you and you return in the post.   There is a fee for this service. 

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