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Original poster

Finger prick test 39

14 replies

elliejjtiny · 14/09/2023 16:00

I had a thread in general health last weekend about dh being sent to hospital with high blood sugar after his routine diabetes check up (he has type 2). They checked him over, put him on metformin (he was diet controlled before) and sent him home.

Anyway I found out today that his finger prick test, the one that should really be under 7 was 39 at the hospital on Saturday and 44 at the Dr surgery on this last week. I used to do diabetes screening tests many years ago now and the highest I ever saw anyone have on that test was 15. I'm a bit worried DH is going to suddenly collapse on the floor with readings like that tbh. Or is the metformin a miracle drug that will have sorted out his sugar levels by now. Dh has insisted that he feels fine all the way through. He has lost 4 stone since he was diagnosed getting on for 4 years ago now and is now only a little bit overweight.

OP posts:
Sushione · 14/09/2023 17:04

What did the hospital say or his GP? Metformin does help- did he start on 500g? It might need to be increased.

DP can get higher levels but not near that, he is under the lipid clinic and follows a really strict no carb diet with consultant monitoring otherwise his can shoot up.

He had monthly blood tests when he started on metformin but now it's every 3 months.

Original poster
elliejjtiny · 14/09/2023 18:58

Thankyou. He's on 500g metformin. The GP said he shouldn't be able to stand up with blood sugars that high. The hospital checked he didn't have ketoacidosis (hopefully I spelt that right) or something beginning with H that I can't remember. Then they prescribed metformin and told him to go back to the gp. GP has told him to go back to the nurse (not the diabetes nurse as she doesn't have any appointments, one of the practice nurses) to be weighed and have bloods done again next week.

OP posts:
handmademitlove · 14/09/2023 19:16

My Dad had this problem. I think he was the subject of a lancet article - the GP did a finger prick test at the surgery and then asked if he needed an ambulance or if my mum could drive him 🙂 They spent a while sorting out meds but he was okay. His diabetes was very reactive and would regularly go out of kilter so he would often end up in hospital for a few days while they changed his meds. But then he was on a lot of meds for other stuff....

They will keep a close eye on him but make sure you get a testing kit. These are often not given out for type 2 but can be a way of keeping an eye on things - especially if they are unwell or out of routine.

pepsimax00 · 14/09/2023 19:21

Finger prick meters don't go above 33.3 it will just say HI or was it a blood test

Original poster
elliejjtiny · 14/09/2023 21:19

On the discharge letter it said something like capillary glucose test, I can't remember the exact wording. It was definitely capillary something though.

OP posts:
HumourReplacementTherapy · 14/09/2023 23:54

That must be his hba1c? Not a BG test as a type 2.
A BG from finger prick that high would mean you're in a coma!
I am T1. Mine was 19 on diagnosis and they wondered why I was coherent.

Original poster
elliejjtiny · 15/09/2023 08:26

It says on the paperwork plasma glucose level 39 mmol.

OP posts:
Original poster
elliejjtiny · 15/09/2023 08:51

Somewhere else in the paperwork it says capillary blood glucose 39 and it was HHS that they were checking he didn't have before sending him home.

OP posts:
pepsimax00 · 15/09/2023 08:52

I'm thinking a1c too. Mine was 53 on diagnosis of type 1 and in severe DKA very very poorly.

Original poster
elliejjtiny · 15/09/2023 08:59

The only hba1c results in the paperwork was the one from 2019 when he was first diagnosed which was 58 and then the one a few months later which was 42.

OP posts:
Ihatewinding · 15/09/2023 09:16

I think type 2s can compensate better as more chronic and not be as poorly as type 1s with blood sugars in the 20s and 30s tbf, hope he manages to get his sugars under control now.

One thing to be aware of is to make sure his fingers are clean when testing as I've heard a story where someone had been eating grapes, got the sugary juice on their fingers and kept getting super high readings as a result!

pepsimax00 · 15/09/2023 09:45

Needs to get to the GP to clarify all this and well, metformin does work but not sure how quick it works on sugars that high

x2boys · 15/09/2023 10:58

HumourReplacementTherapy · 14/09/2023 23:54

That must be his hba1c? Not a BG test as a type 2.
A BG from finger prick that high would mean you're in a coma!
I am T1. Mine was 19 on diagnosis and they wondered why I was coherent.

Well not necessarily a coma but it's very serious my son wss diagnosed with diabetes after collapsing at home he was just about conscious the paramedics couldn't get a reading his blood sugers were so high he was in severe DKA , which is life-threatening thankfully he recovered but very high blood sugers are a serious condition.

FelicityBeedle · 15/09/2023 11:11

I work on a ward with lots of Type IIs, it’s not uncommon for me to get a CBG of 30+ and they’re still coherent, often they don’t even have high ketones with it. T2DM is a different beast to type I. I agree get a home meter but I’m not qualified, just nice to know what’s happening

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