I test anywhere from 3 to 10 a day depending on my needs at the time. Always when I wake up, around 10:30am and before meals.
I think one of two things with your doctor. One, he made a mistake filling out the prescription or two, he/she is an idiot and knows nothing about diabetes. I would ask them why they made that prescription and depending on the answer get a new one or get a new doc.
I’m about 8-10…I micromanage the crap out of being type 1
It is expensive luckily i have amazing insurance but my numbers rarely go past 130 at anytime during the day be it 30mins 1hr 2 hrs after a meal.
I test at least 5-6 times a day, usually more like 8-10. I admit I can get a bit obsessive.
Janet, I don’t know about obsessive, that’s your call. But I do know that testing often or after meals, exercise, in the AM (FBS) is not obsessive, it’s being in control. Once is not, I repeat NOT enough. I am glad that I have a surplus of strips from old meters that have died, and the strips haven’t been outdated. But once those are gone, and even before I will get another script from my new doc for 100 a month, I figure that’s three a day, and 10 left over for times when I am low and need to know how I am doing…it’s ridiculous that we should be regulated to only once or twice a day by the insurance industry. But that’s just my opinion.
Cathy, I didn’t mean to imply that testing as often as I do is bad. I’ve been called obsessive because I test so often (you’re right…it’s totally about control and who/what has it, me or this disease) by folks who follow the mindset that if you just take a pill/shot and do what your doctor says, what more needs to be done.
I agree, once a day is not enough. I had a rather heated discussion with my mom, who is also type2 although she likes to pretend otherwise, because she was fortunate enough to have a doctor prescribe enough strips for her to test at least 4 times a day and she would only test once in a while.
Your opinion is completely valid and one that shows what happens when we allow our health care to be regulated by companies/corporations instead of by the doctor/patient.
Cathy, I have been diabetic for over 11 years. The last three years or so , I test Once every 3 months. Thats when I go to the doctors. To me testing is for if you are going to do something about your numbers. To test just to test seems out of place to me. And I am not saying that you do as I do. But to work on this terrible disease until you won’t need to test so often. My fasting is 96 and my HBA1C is 5.2. You may ask “How do you get numbers so low?” Knowledge is a key step. I searched the web every day until I knew a great deal about Type 2 diabetes. Until I got a computer , I was lost. Here is what I did and do:
There are 4 key steps to controlling glucose levels :
Take care, test what you need to get where you want to be , and then lower the amount of testing.
Sonny
Well, Sonny, I think we all need to find what works for us. Not testing works for you…and I can see that YOUR plan must work for you. GREAT! But testing works for me. I am where I want to be because I have knowledge of what works for me. I appreciate your comments and will check out the sites that you suggested. I may be anal about knowing my numbers, but they aren’t yours, so I guess I have to do what is good for me.
I would think that testing would be important to keep an eye on things? I totally disagree w/ any limitations on test strips for anyone with diabetes and think that this should be one of the most important issues for people with diabetes to lobby and fight for.
My own experiences are a bit different as I am T1 but I think that it should be largely up to the patient to determine how much they need to test, not some idiotic bureaucrat. While the # of tests is perhaps different for T1 vs. T2, the language of limitation employed by insurers and government agencies and, perhaps worst of all, doctors, is the same.
The process that limits strips to 1x/ day is totally flawed since if a patient had some sort of change in their life that caused their BG to get out of whack, they would need more data immediately, not after waiting to see their doctor and then to wait around for some [insert bad word] Medicare agent to approve a change. I know complications are slow to progress but, once that stuff starts the costs increase astronomically and sound investment in data management skills on the front end, like Cathy is talking about, is a political issue and I think that it needs to be the #1 goal of diabetes organizations. The stories we see on message boards, whether it’s a T1 being told “test 7x/ day” or a T2 being told “test once/ day” are not rare and, given the pressure the health care system is under, are likely to become more and more common unless we work to fight it.
I test 8-10 times a day. Fasting, before meals, 2 h. after meals, before bed and when I feel or think I might be low. I do get lows. I do take Lantus insulin and am Type 2. I have been able to keep my numbers below 120 99% of the time by “eating to my meter” …not to mention a lose of 80+lbs. I feel healthier now than I have in years and without test strips, I could not have been this successful and I would probably be in even worse shape. I think if a person can give a valid reason for needing more, they should get them. That way, those who find no meaning in them could get the 1 a day or maybe none.
I test 2 to 3 times a day if there are strips around.First on waking up,second 2 hrs after meals and finally while going to bed.Since i pay for the strips replacing takes its own time
Hi I’m testing four times a day. My doc wrote my script for four times a day and medicare covers it thank God! I did have to flll out a form to “prove” that I actually test four times a day with my results inside! But I did that and now they cover it for me. I can’t believe that doc wanting you to test once a day! That’s crazy! I think four times a day is good because I test before bfast after bfast after lunch and after dinner that’s my schedule. It works good for me! Good luck to you!
I test at least 4 times a day. I use diet and exercise to control my BS. Not too good at times but I wouln't know that if I tested only once a day.
Chelp, I guess that is my point exactly. I know, I KNOW ME, I wouldn't follow my plan if I only got up and got a good reading. I need to know where I am at with the numbers at least four times a day to know that I am on the right track. I am controlling my sugars and doing my body good. I am amazed at those who can do without testing, but I can't. And THAT should be the end of the discussion with the medicaid people and my docs.
It depends if you're on insulin then more times per day, at least 4 to 6. If on oral meds then I would say at least 4 times a day. I am on a pump so I test a lot. I get 700 test strips from Medco and my Rx is for that amount. With that I can test up to 8 times a day for three months. You need to talk to your new doc and have them write the Rx for a lot more.
I am an insulin Dependant Type 2.
I test 3-5 times daily. If I feel dizzy or unusual I test to make sure my BS levels are fine. When you get your prescription done again make sure to tell the doctor to give you enough to test several times a day. I had this problem where my first presciption was for 4 times a day then the next was for 3. My pharmacy told me to make sure my doctor writes a prescription for 4 times a day..... then there is aways ebay for test strips from time to time you will find a deal!!!
It seems like they think Type 2's are very stable and so, don't need to test that often. It could be that some of them are, but certainly not all. I'm not exactly a Type 2 (but not a Type 1, either), but my BGs can be all over the place. I use a pump, so if I find a high BG after a meal, I can easily take extra insulin to bring it down, but it's a lot harder for a Type 2 on pills or d+e.
So the outcome is that I test anywhere from 6 - 15 times a day, depending on where my BGs are and how I feel.
When I was in the hospital, they were trying to treat me like a "Type 2" (sliding scale treatment from the dark ages), not giving me insulin when my numbers seemed reasonable, and it wasn't working because I was doing things like EATING! plus I have a Dawn Effect, and the CDE, bless her heart, finally told them I was a Type 1, just to get them to treat me appropriately.
The need for education about the natural history of Type 2 is desperate, not only among the public, but for doctors, insurance companies, and Medicare/Medicaid officials!
My doctor told me since I am fairly stable I don't need to test everyday, but just a few times a week. I can't bring myself to do that. I probably test 3-4 times a day. I have to pay for my own strips and buy them online. I am so afraid of not testing. I think with all the changes in the healthcare coming, we are going to see lots of limiting of services and supplies to diabetics. It is a shame because I think testing does help us with control whcih saves the insurer money in the long run.
Amen, sister!
I have a CGM, and it has cut down on the number of times I test, because I can see where the trends are going, and even though the numbers themselves are not that accurate, when I see a 70, for example, on the CGM, I know I'm not above 120. I can feel my lows, so I don't worry about low numbers on the CGM if I'm not feeling low. High numbers, on the other hand, are a definite motivation to test, because I can easily bring them down because I have a pump.
And I'm NOT limited in the number of strips I get -- I just order more when necessary -- apparently I have a Cadillac insurance, lucky me! :-)
Unfortunately, it can be very hard to get a CGM, and it means more stuff jammed in your belly, but I love my pump and CGM -- fewer long-time highs and lows, and I bet I'll get a better A1c next time.
I probably do about 6 times a day, usually some because the good readings have to get checked later I tend to have some hypo episodes every so often.
when I was first dx’d i tested at least 8x a day. just so i could figure out how my body works. I did that for 2 months. Then when I went for my A1C which was 6.3, my Dr. said I was doing so well I only had to test once per day. I did that for about 2 weeks but I felt like crap all the time. I couldnt understand why I should have to wait until I feel like crap to test…That makes no sense to me.
I now test first thing in the morning just to see how my day is going to go, then I test after lunch,after supper and before bed. If i go to the gym, I test before and after, and if I drive somewhere I test before I pull out of the driveway. so if I am just at home… only 4x but if i have a busy day… up to 8x
My numbers are always all over the place so I like to be able to adjust my food intake and activity level BEFORE I feel like crap.