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A DiabetesTeam Member asked a question 💭
Woonsocket, RI

Last I heard, I am still prediabetic.

5 days ago
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A DiabetesTeam Member

It shows how your body does going long periods without food. I sometimes have nocturnal lows and have to get up and eat a snack. But, I always try to check my numbers before bed so I can adjust accordingly. If I'm low I eat a protein snack
If I am in range I don't eat. It helps the doctor to understand what therapy plan you need.
My glucose meter is linked with my doctors office and she can get real time readings.

4 days ago
A DiabetesTeam Member

A single finger stick every morning doesn't give you very much usuable information particularly if you are just pre-diabetic or even a decently controlled Type 2

A morning test, if done correctly and tracked over time can be indicative of when the disease starts to progress but there are so many factors it's more about looking at trends

If you wanted to be as (clinically correct) as possible when taking your fasting sugar it should be done almost "immediately" when you wake up "while you are still LYING IN BED" because movement, and feet hitting the floor "jacks your fasting number" and every minute you wait after waking, the reading you get was NOT your fasting number

Take a drink of water, brush your teeth, walk to the kitchen - any of those thing cause your blood sugar to bounce around

Many may tend to think that our numbers are relatively stable and they smoothly climb or fall as we eat or burn off sugar, but it's not like that - you blood sugar can jump or fall 20 or 30 points in a few seconds

So unless your Doc specifically asks you to test at some interval, there is little need to test unless you just want to know

There is 86,400 seconds in a day - that single stick test you do accounts for 1 of those seconds and doesn't tell you where your blood sugar is the other 85,399 seconds, so it really is of limited value unless you are using it for a specific purpose

Now with wide acceptance of CGM's, really, if you need monitoring (because of meds etc) you should wear a CGM that does measure "continuously" - the stick tests should be more for the casual user that checks when they feel light headed (or whatever) or if you just want to check and see if "your plan" is still working - do an after meal check once in a while to see if your diet is still working etc

While I believe you can never have too much information about diabetes, if you are sticking your finger every morning and your Doc doesn't want to see the results And YOU don't really use the data for anything, then it's not worth doing...

2 days ago (edited)
DiabetesTeam

Great question! For prediabetes, daily morning blood sugar testing isn't always required — it really depends on what your doctor recommends based on your specific situation.

People with prediabetes may only need an A1C test once a year to track their average blood sugar levels over time. This is less intensive than the Show Full Answer

Great question! For prediabetes, daily morning blood sugar testing isn't always required — it really depends on what your doctor recommends based on your specific situation.

People with prediabetes may only need an A1C test once a year to track their average blood sugar levels over time. This is less intensive than the monitoring routine for someone already managing diabetes. That said, morning blood sugar readings (taken before eating or drinking anything) can be useful because they show how your body manages glucose overnight. If your doctor ever does recommend home testing, here are the key numbers to keep in mind:

- Normal blood sugar: 70–140 mg/dL (3.9–7.8 mmol/L)
- Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia): Below 70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L)
- High blood sugar (hyperglycemia): Above 180 mg/dL (10 mmol/L)

The best move is to ask your doctor directly whether home monitoring makes sense for where you are right now. They can tailor a plan to your specific needs — and since prediabetes can progress, staying in close contact with your care team is always a smart idea.

5 days ago
A DiabetesTeam Member

@A DiabetesTeam Member Since I've been prescribed my Continuous Glucose Monitor and Sensors I take a reading every morning upon rising. When I had the finger stick most mornings I would wait until later in the day because I was usually too sleepy.

3 days ago
A DiabetesTeam Member

I just saved it to my Favorites

5 days ago

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