Blood test for diabetics

[Carlosm]

I am diabetic and go to to hospital to do a fasting blood sugar test once a month (they also check my urine). I dont think its a good way to test as it only checks blood sugar levels for the last 24 hours.

So, was wondering if anyone uses a home test kit to check your hemoglobin like this one :-

 

https://shopee.co.th/Accugence-5-in-1-Multi-function-Blood-Glucose-meter-Uric-acid-meter-เลือดคีโตนเมตร-glucometer-ชุดเบาหวาน-Gout-Tester-เลือดคีโตน-Uric-acid-น้ําตาลในเลือด-monitor-พร้อม-Test-Stri-i.364666565.28319890559?sp_atk=7389d809-4867-4b2d-b1bb-21decfc40522&xptdk=7389d809-4867-4b2d-b1bb-21decfc40522

 

I'm on a low budget unfortunately so this seems to fit my needs. Thanks in advance.

[Sheryl]

As OP has diabetes, moved to the main health forum.

 

As you seem to realize, the preferred test is the Hb1ac which is a measure of average blood glucose over a 3 month period (and thus  is usually done at 3-6 month intervals depending on how stable it is.)

 

Unfortnately the hand held meters for Hb1ac are, in my experience, very unreliable.  Best to have it done at a hospital or (large) lab.  

 

Where in Thailand are you and what hospital do you use?  If it is a government hospital that you rely on for inexpensive medications you may have to put up with their system even if also getting periodic Hb1ac elsewhere . 

 

Note that while the Hb1ac is best overall measure of blood sugar control, there is still a need for onetime blood sugar monitoring in some situations e.g. if on insuln or if oral medication dose has been recently adjusted. ..or experiencing possible symptoms of hypoglycemia. In contrast to the Hb1ac,  hand held meters to test blood sugar are accurate and readily available, Accucheck being recommended brand. 

[Carlosm]

14 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

As OP has diabetes, moved to the main health forum.

 

As you seem to realize, the preferred test is the Hb1ac which is a measure of avetage blood glucose over a 3 month period (and thus  is usually done at 3-6 month intervals depending on how stable it is.)

 

Unfortnately the hand held meters for Hb1ac are, in my experience, very unreliable.  Best to have it done at a hospital or (large) lab.  

 

Where in Thailand are you and what hospital do you use?  If it is a government hospital that you rely on for inexpensive medications you may have to put up with their system even if also getting periodic Hb1ac elsewhere . 

 

Note that while the Hb1ac is best overall measure of blood sugar control, there is still a need for onetime blood sugar monitoring in some situations e.g. if on insuln or if oral medication dose has been recently adjusted. ..or experiencing possible symptoms of hypoglycemia. In contrast to the Hb1ac,  hand held meters to test blood sugar are accurate and readily available, Accucheck being recommended brand. 

Yer, everything i've read states that home Hb1ac test kits are unreliable. My local hospital is goverment, though very good do not do the test nor would they draw blood and send it off. They told my that the nearest hospital that would do it is 40 minutes north of me but told me that every day the queue starts at around 4am and by the time it opens at 8.30am there are hundreds waiting and dozens if queue jumpers. TiT.

[Sheryl]

9 minutes ago, Carlosm said:

Yer, everything i've read states that home Hb1ac test kits are unreliable. My local hospital is goverment, though very good do not do the test nor would they draw blood and send it off. They told my that the nearest hospital that would do it is 40 minutes north of me but told me that every day the queue starts at around 4am and by the time it opens at 8.30am there are hundreds waiting and dozens if queue jumpers. TiT.

Again, where are you located? Might be able to do this at a private lab. 

[OneMoreFarang]

My regular diabetes doctor visit in a private hospital in Bangkok cost me 2,200 THB including laboratory (A1C, Blood Sugar, LDL-C). nurse service (blood pressure, etc.) and doctor fee (maybe 10 min).

Just the laboratory cost 940 THB.

It's not really that expensive.

 

I buy my medication outside of the hospital.

 

[Carlosm]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

Again, where are you located? Might be able to do this at a private lab. 

Near Wichian Buri, Phetchabun.

[Sheryl]

Is Petchabun the nearest provincial town  or are you closer to Lopburi?

 

Google shows 2 private medical labs in Petchabun town not far from the hospital. I don't know anything about them, you'd want to verify they do real Hb1ac not use handheld device. (Often these sort of provincial labs send things out to the hodpital through a sort of privste arrangement).  There'd be no wait and no need to arrive early morning. Hb1ac does not require fasting.  Cost probably a few hundred baht and no need to do very often, every 3-6  months is fine. 

[still kicking]

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[Mentors65]

11 hours ago, Carlosm said:

Near Wichian Buri, Phetchabun.

Govt. Hospital Wichian or Govt. Petchabun, in Main Petchabun.

The two Hospitals work together. My wife goes there for Hb1ac tests every 3 month

 

[moose7117]

There is a thing called a CGM.

I use the Freestyle Libre 2

It is a small device that sticks to your upper arem and constantly monitors your blood sugar levels, they pair with an app on your phone.

I have been using them in Australia for about a year and it allowed me to get a good understanding of what foods affect my sugar levels, also how certain foods give a rapid spike where others are more gradual.

this has allowed me to set a diet for myself and as of my last blood tests the endocrinologist has taken me off all meds.

[Carlosm]

5 hours ago, moose7117 said:

There is a thing called a CGM.

I use the Freestyle Libre 2

It is a small device that sticks to your upper arem and constantly monitors your blood sugar levels, they pair with an app on your phone.

I have been using them in Australia for about a year and it allowed me to get a good understanding of what foods affect my sugar levels, also how certain foods give a rapid spike where others are more gradual.

this has allowed me to set a diet for myself and as of my last blood tests the endocrinologist has taken me off all meds.

Thats interesting. Did you find it easy to use/set up ?

[KhunBENQ]

21 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Hb1ac

I hesitate to challenge you but isn't it spelt:

 

HbA1c

 

I did this test twice (5.x result) and will do again this month.

It cost me 350 Baht at Lifecarelab in Pattaya.

 

[Carlosm]

1 hour ago, KhunBENQ said:

I hesitate to challenge you but isn't it spelt:

 

HbA1c

 

I did this test twice (5.x result) and will do again this month.

It cost me 350 Baht at Lifecarelab in Pattaya.

 

I hesitate to challenge you but isn't it spelt:

 

Lifecare lap ? 😝

[moose7117]

18 hours ago, Carlosm said:

Thats interesting. Did you find it easy to use/set up ?

Set up is Very straightforward, buy it, download the app, Stick the Monitor on your Upper arm, synch the monitor to your phone.

 Job done.

The monitor continuously talks to your phone and plots in real time your sugar levels.

I did not notice ant effect to my phone as far as battery life goes.

You can export results to Excel so you can send to a doctor, 

 

Each monitor lasts about 3 weeks. it warns you before the battery runs out.

They are disposable and one use only.

 

I wear mine high up on upper arm so i can wear a t-shirt and it is not visible.

[KhunLA]

On 2/2/2025 at 5:06 AM, moose7117 said:

There is a thing called a CGM.

 

You might want to lead with cost, as probably the most expensive monitoring system.

 

On 2/1/2025 at 1:55 PM, Carlosm said:

I'm on a low budget unfortunately so this seems to fit my needs. Thanks in advance.

 

You could get the 'urine' litmus strips, as I sampled them, and were surprisingly accurate, along with very inexpensive.

[moose7117]

20 hours ago, KhunLA said:

 

You might want to lead with cost, as probably the most expensive monitoring system.

 

 

You could get the 'urine' litmus strips, as I sampled them, and were surprisingly accurate, along with very inexpensive.

 

As i work in Australia and i am on the Diabetic register, it is cheap as chips for me, Like 200 baht a month.

I cannot give any idea as to cost in Thailand as i bring mine in From OZ.

 

I was simply making a suggestion.

[tomazbodner]

On 2/2/2025 at 5:06 AM, moose7117 said:

There is a thing called a CGM.

I use the Freestyle Libre 2

It is a small device that sticks to your upper arem and constantly monitors your blood sugar levels, they pair with an app on your phone.

I have been using them in Australia for about a year and it allowed me to get a good understanding of what foods affect my sugar levels, also how certain foods give a rapid spike where others are more gradual.

this has allowed me to set a diet for myself and as of my last blood tests the endocrinologist has taken me off all meds.

Something similar but way cheaper is CGM from Ottai. I'll put link below, but main thing is that it connects to your phone (no reader needed, but they have a watch for people who don't want to connect them to their phone), it reads every 5 minutes, has 30 minutes warm up time, lasts 14 days and costs below 1000 baht. A 1 piece sensor like Libra, just no yogurt cup assembly needed before installation.

 

In their app, there's "average level" and from looking at what it showed in there vs test done in hospital, it was within 0.1 margin a few times now. Hence CGM, costing below 2000 baht/month for 2 sensors, could well give you what you're looking for, and on top of that, show you real-time glucose level (it's very close to blood check), has a little bubble that can show all the time on phone screen, compares with previous days, allows you to enter meals and exercise to make sense of how your body reacts to it, etc.

 

Below is a kit of 2 sensors for 1 month. You'll just need an Android or Apple phone to install app from Playstore/Appstore.

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/ottai-glucose-monitoring-set-2pcs-continuous-glucose-meter-no-finger-pricking-m8-cgm-monitoring-sensor-i5469004482-s23190036584.html

[Sheryl]

On 2/3/2025 at 9:37 AM, KhunLA said:

 

You might want to lead with cost, as probably the most expensive monitoring system.

 

 

You could get the 'urine' litmus strips, as I sampled them, and were surprisingly accurate, along with very inexpensive.

 

Litmus strips test pH, so I assume that is not what you actually mean.

 

There are urine test strips that measure glucose in the urine.  They are indeed inexpensive but  of limited use since glucose in the urine reflects prior blood levels not necessarily current ones.  They are also a single point in time test, and if one wants that it makes more sense to just do a home blood glucose test. But the whole point of OP is that he wants not a one-time test of blood glucose but the more meaningful test of a 3 month average.