Sorry to bother you all again. I am new and keep coming up with questions! I was dxed Aug. 18,(type 2) I am taking metformin. I just started testing last week. I have been testing frequently( more than I was told to) to see what is going on. My question is that before I walked for a half hour my blood sugar was lower than when I finished. I thought exercising lowered it?? :confused: Also my number before I went to bed was a few lower that before breakfast this morning. I thought it would go down during the night with not eating and all.One more(for now :))I got a presctiption for 50 test strips. That won't even cover a months worth of testing, are the doctors supposed to prescribe all I need so I don't have to go out of pocket?? I go in next week and start my classes but until then maybe some of the experienced and kind people here might have some advice or answers.

You need to test some time after exercise, not right after, the reading will be higher. As for the srtips, fifty per script is normal, but needs refills. You need to check when you get a fill, to check for refills. If there is none, talk with the doctor to make several refills with the script. They never last the whole month. I test only twice a day. Good luck the refills.

trekgirl :wave:

You should tell the doctor how many times you will be testing a day. My doctor did not even suggest any testing at first, but I told him I wanted to test 3 times a day and so for a 90 day supply he prescribed 300 strips. Later I increased it to 4 times a day and they give me 400 strips, since they can't break it down any further. I use a mail-in service covered by my insurance.

Rainbowdawn,
Blood sugar is constantly in a state of flux, changing literally from second to second. Add to that the fact that blood glucose meters are only required to be accurate to within 15%, and you will frequently find readings that may not be quite what you expect.

While it's true that exercise has a great effect on lowering blood sugar, it doesn't necessarily occur immediately. Your blood sugar level may have been on the rise from food you had already eaten prior to exercising and, in fact, may have gone up even further had you not exercised. Please don't look to see instant results from exercise, as that will only lead to frustration. Exercise is invaluable in lowering general blood glucose levels and decreasing insulin resistance.

Also, it's not uncommon for blood sugar levels to rise slightly just before we get up in the morning. It's called the "dawn effect", and it is the body's way of preparing itself to face the day with enough energy. Unless it's dramatically different (like 50 points or more), don't worry about it.

It might be a good idea to set up some kind of testing routine for yourself. Then you can figure out exactly how many test strips you'll be needing in a month, and ask your doctor to prescribe enough to cover you.

A good routine for newly diagnosed T2 diabetics is as follows:

AM fasting: Daily
Before lunch or dinner: 2 times a week each (vary the days...2 days lunch, 2 days dinner)
Before bedtime: 3-4 times a week
Post Prandial (this means 2 hours after eating with the timing started when you begin eating, not when you finish): breakfast once, lunch and dinner 3 times each.

This schedule would have you testing about 3 times a day, each day, so you'd need 90 test strips a month (they come in bottles of 50 and 100, so have your doctor prescribe 100). Keep a log (you can get all kinds of log books on line, or your meter company may provide them). After a few months, your blood sugar levels may stabilize, and then you can decrease the testing a bit, getting it down to once or twice a day.

A big advantage of testing like this is that you can spot trends and figure out how different foods (and exercise) affect your blood sugar levels.

Ruth