Wissanu Rebuts Allegations of Assisting Thaksin's Hospital Stay

[tropo]

The two ways to avoid the above are to either do repeated tests at home on subsequent days or to get the A1C test result which avoids the false readings. The message however is clear, having a single finger prick test once a year does not provide any assurances whatsoever.

HbA1c results can be very unreliable.

From here:

http://chriskresser....reliable-marker

Why is hemoglobin A1c unreliable?

While this sounds good in theory, the reality is not so black and white. The main problem is that there is actually a wide variation in how long red blood cells survive in different people. This study (http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/4/931.full) for example, shows that red blood cells live longer than average at normal blood sugars. Researchers found that the lifetime of hemoglobin cells of diabetics turned over in as few as 81 days, while they lived as long as 146 days in non-diabetics.

This proves that the assumption that everyone’s red blood cells live for three months is false, and that hemoglobin A1c can’t be relied upon as a blood sugar marker. In a person with normal blood sugar, hemoglobin will be around for a lot longer, which means it will accumulate more sugar. This will drive up the A1c test result – but it doesn’t mean that person had too much sugar in their blood. It just means their hemoglobin lived longer and thus accumulated more sugar. The result is that people with normal blood sugar often test with unexpectedly high A1c levels.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's what I posted on another thread and is worth repeating:

ALERT

A large proportion of prediabetes and diabetes goes undiagnosed when only fasting plasma glucose and/or HbA1c are measured in overweight or obese patients.

70% of cases go undiagnosed when only FBS and HbA1c is tested.

Read an abstract of the study on PubMed:

http://www.ncbi.nlm....9?dopt=Abstract

Edited January 20, 2013 by tropo

[tropo]

All very interesting.

Now can we get back to the original question? Being a diabetic and low carbing every day is boring. I'd love to get something low carb and sweet sometimes.

Online stores don't appear to deliver to Thailand.

There are a lot of "diabetic" foods available at Villa Market (Avenue).

Edited January 20, 2013 by tropo

[davejones]

Because they don't need specialist food shops. Just eat proper food that you can buy at any decent supermarket. All you need is to eat low-GI food. That is available almost everywhere. Not sure why you think you need a special shop.

[davejones]

Here in Thailand it is difficult to get a cup of coffee without sugar . I have had some undrinkable cups of coffee here just because they cannot understand that some of us are either diabetic or do not want to develop diabetes thu the overuse of sugar..

I've had coffee without sugar all over Thailand. No different to back in the UK. In fact I've never had coffee anywhere in Thailand that had sugar in it. Have you tried asking for coffee without sugar?

[davejones]

edd,

the treatment, testing and dieting for diabetes in Thailand is still in the dark ages. these products are costly to manufacturer and import. looks like a good business opportunity for someone.

You must be joking. Testing here is easy. Treatment is cutting out the crap in your diet, just like in the rest of the world. It's not in the dark ages at all. Many people in Thailand are aware of diabetes and what causes it. I don't think the situation here is any worse than the USA, where huge numbers have diabetes.

[davejones]

Eating a handful of nuts (almonds, walnuts, etc) every day is a great way to bring down your blood sugar level. Whenever eating fruit, always eat a few nuts with it.

Get a meter and you'll see quite clearly what makes your blood sugar go up. Don't rely on what other people say, or think it's too complicated or confusing. In my case I tested a few things. A bag of crisps at night makes my blood sugar very high (95-100) next morning. A handful of walnuts and it's down to 85-90. By eating nuts every day I've brought my levels down from 95-105 to 85-90. That is what works for me. So it doesn't matter about any theories or whether anyone else agrees or disagrees. Just get tested and eat the food that works best for you.

I also eat a fair amount of fruit, and it doesn't do much at all to my blood sugar levels, as long as I have a few nuts at the same time. And I usually avoid the sweetest fruits, such as pineapple, mango, watermelon. But I do have them at least once a week, but not every day. Once you get your blood sugar down, you can be a little flexible.

The foods that give me higher blood sugar levels are things like bread, cakes, crisps. In other word, foods with lots of carbs.

[tropo]

Here in Thailand it is difficult to get a cup of coffee without sugar . I have had some undrinkable cups of coffee here just because they cannot understand that some of us are either diabetic or do not want to develop diabetes thu the overuse of sugar..

I've had coffee without sugar all over Thailand. No different to back in the UK. In fact I've never had coffee anywhere in Thailand that had sugar in it. Have you tried asking for coffee without sugar?

Most good coffee shops here in Pattaya have Equal. If you don't want to use Equal, carry your own sweeteners.

[tropo]

edd,

the treatment, testing and dieting for diabetes in Thailand is still in the dark ages. these products are costly to manufacturer and import. looks like a good business opportunity for someone.

You must be joking. Testing here is easy. Treatment is cutting out the crap in your diet, just like in the rest of the world. It's not in the dark ages at all. Many people in Thailand are aware of diabetes and what causes it. I don't think the situation here is any worse than the USA, where huge numbers have diabetes.

I'd agree with that and probably a much larger percentage of people in SE Asia go undiagnosed.

[endure]

If you're from the UK and/or use a UK calibrated meter you need to divide al the numbers in this thread by 18.

[tropo]

Eating a handful of nuts (almonds, walnuts, etc) every day is a great way to bring down your blood sugar level. Whenever eating fruit, always eat a few nuts with it.

Get a meter and you'll see quite clearly what makes your blood sugar go up. Don't rely on what other people say, or think it's too complicated or confusing. In my case I tested a few things. A bag of crisps at night makes my blood sugar very high (95-100) next morning. A handful of walnuts and it's down to 85-90. By eating nuts every day I've brought my levels down from 95-105 to 85-90. That is what works for me. So it doesn't matter about any theories or whether anyone else agrees or disagrees. Just get tested and eat the food that works best for you.

I also eat a fair amount of fruit, and it doesn't do much at all to my blood sugar levels, as long as I have a few nuts at the same time. And I usually avoid the sweetest fruits, such as pineapple, mango, watermelon. But I do have them at least once a week, but not every day. Once you get your blood sugar down, you can be a little flexible.

The foods that give me higher blood sugar levels are things like bread, cakes, crisps. In other word, foods with lots of carbs.

You're a bit off track with regards to what you consider "very high". FBS of 95 - 100 is not very high. It's actually considered normal. A doctor will give you a clean bill of health with those numbers. Mine is usually in this zone and I'm quite happy with it.

It doesn't pay to stress too much about FBS numbers because you don't have much control over it. It's possible to have great FBS numbers but very bad postprandial numbers. I'm the opposite... I have good postprandial numbers but not so great FBS. The former situation is worse.

You are at worst borderline prediabetic and it's not surprising you can handle fruits. Very high FBS would be 200 plus. People with more advanced diabetes will not be able to handle fruit even mixed with nuts.

You're at a stage where dietary control is still very easy and you still have a good tolerance to carbohydrates.

[chiang mai]

Thais may not know much about diabetes now but considering how much sugar is thrown into everything along with an ever increasing sedentary lifestyle this place will be a diabetes hub within the next 10-15 years.

They'll start doing something when people start dropping like flies. (After initially denying there is a problem, and then trying to point the finger at someone else for letting it happen of course).

I would argue that the majority (food) cause of diabetes in Thailand is white rice, added sugar really doesn't have a lot to do with it..

[tropo]

Thais may not know much about diabetes now but considering how much sugar is thrown into everything along with an ever increasing sedentary lifestyle this place will be a diabetes hub within the next 10-15 years.

They'll start doing something when people start dropping like flies. (After initially denying there is a problem, and then trying to point the finger at someone else for letting it happen of course).

I would argue that the majority (food) cause of diabetes in Thailand is white rice, added sugar really doesn't have a lot to do with it..

This is a theory, but it could also be lack of essential nutrients. Having lived among the poor populations of the Philippines I would put it down to malnutrition rather than rice. If you took away the rice they would starve to death rather than suffer from diabetes in their later years.

This is interesting.... healthy people with diets very high in carbohydrates....

http://chriskresser....ient-or-a-toxin

"There are literally billions of people eating high-starch diets worldwide, and you can find many examples of cultures that consume a large percentage of calories from starch where obesity, metabolic problems and modern, inflammatory disease are rare or nonexistent. These include the Kitava in the Pacific Islands, Tukisenta in the Papa New Guinea Highlands and Okinawans in Japan among others. The Kitavan diet is 69% carb, 21% fat, and 10% protein. The Okinawan diet is even more carb-heavy, at 85% carb, 9% protein and 6% fat. The Tukisenta diet is astonishingly high in carbohydrate: 94.6% according to extensive studies in the 60s and 70s. All of these cultures are fit and lean with low and practically non-existent rates of heart disease and other modern chronic disease."

Edited January 20, 2013 by tropo

[xen]

Here in Thailand it is difficult to get a cup of coffee without sugar . I have had some undrinkable cups of coffee here just because they cannot understand that some of us are either diabetic or do not want to develop diabetes thu the overuse of sugar..

I've had coffee without sugar all over Thailand. No different to back in the UK. In fact I've never had coffee anywhere in Thailand that had sugar in it. Have you tried asking for coffee without sugar?

Yes i have asked for no sugar.

[tropo]

Here in Thailand it is difficult to get a cup of coffee without sugar . I have had some undrinkable cups of coffee here just because they cannot understand that some of us are either diabetic or do not want to develop diabetes thu the overuse of sugar..

I've had coffee without sugar all over Thailand. No different to back in the UK. In fact I've never had coffee anywhere in Thailand that had sugar in it. Have you tried asking for coffee without sugar?

Yes i have asked for no sugar.

If coffee is already sweetened that would have to be the 3-in-1 coffee. I couldn't imagine a coffee shop pre-sweetening a coffee before serving it.

[borisloosebrain]

Two friends of mine - guys in their sixties -Aussie and a Brit were moaning about having to get up an piss all thru the night because of their diabetes - then someone recommended they take some apple cider vinegar every day and they did and I'm told they were able to sleep thru the night as a result and their blood pressure normalised....

[tropo]

Two friends of mine - guys in their sixties -Aussie and a Brit were moaning about having to get up an piss all thru the night because of their diabetes - then someone recommended they take some apple cider vinegar every day and they did and I'm told they were able to sleep thru the night as a result and their blood pressure normalised....

People will only piss all night if their blood sugar is well over 180 mg/dl. because over that level the body starts eliminating excess blood sugar through the kidneys. It sounds great that they didn't have to get up to piss all through the night, but that doesn't indicate that they were normal. I'd have to see some numbers before I get excited about this.

[ignis]

Two friends of mine - guys in their sixties -Aussie and a Brit were moaning about having to get up an piss all thru the night because of their diabetes

Maybe it is what and when they drink something...

Myself never drink anything after 7pm, never need to get up in the night, even at this very cold time of the year............odd times I have had a Pepsi Max at say 9pm then found I would need to go at 2 - 3 am........

Day time when it is cold like now need to go every 2 hours or less................. not sure if Air Con makes any difference? myself never use Air Con at any time of the year, just find I need to go a lot more when it is cold.

[ThaiBob]

edd,

the treatment, testing and dieting for diabetes in Thailand is still in the dark ages. these products are costly to manufacturer and import. looks like a good business opportunity for someone.

You must be joking. Testing here is easy. Treatment is cutting out the crap in your diet, just like in the rest of the world. It's not in the dark ages at all. Many people in Thailand are aware of diabetes and what causes it. I don't think the situation here is any worse than the USA, where huge numbers have diabetes.

I was referring to the local population. I have seen and witnessed how Thais detect, monitor and treat diabetes. Yes, all the tools are available but associated costs seem to be the determining factor. Proactive programs are limited. Treat the symptoms and not the underlying causes (diet, exercise, etc,). I test 6 times a day, the average Thai has no meter and test strips are costly when you are poor. The pattern is the doctor says you are diabetic; eat this and don't eat that, come see me in 6 months or year for another test (often no A1C). This is the way my diabetic mother was treated 30 years ago in USA.

[chiang mai]

Two friends of mine - guys in their sixties -Aussie and a Brit were moaning about having to get up an piss all thru the night because of their diabetes - then someone recommended they take some apple cider vinegar every day and they did and I'm told they were able to sleep thru the night as a result and their blood pressure normalised....

People will only piss all night if their blood sugar is well over 180 mg/dl. because over that level the body starts eliminating excess blood sugar through the kidneys. It sounds great that they didn't have to get up to piss all through the night, but that doesn't indicate that they were normal. I'd have to see some numbers before I get excited about this.

Or if they've been drinking alcohol, then the liver stops processing glucose and trues to rid the body of toxic alcohol. Which means extra peeing, extra sugar in the system for longer and lots of false readings in the meantime, I never knew the liver could only do one thing at a time but now I do!

[chiang mai]

This is what my fasting blood glucose levels look like for the past 35 days, for me this is a problem that I'm only just begining to tackle and as I said earlier, my A1C level is a not too bad 5.7% so no need to panic. But some may find the numbers interesting and demonstrates the big swings in sugar levels that can take place without us being aware or doing much of anything differently, I'm still trying to fathom it all out.

I'll be back with the chart when I figure out how to upload it

Edited January 21, 2013 by chiang mai

[chiang mai]

double post

chart.docx

Edited January 21, 2013 by chiang mai

[chiang mai]

Chart attached.

[ignis]

diabetic with a reading of 5.7 ?

When I had a UK meter my Dr said to try and aim for 12 or under......... that was about 12 years ago..

​used it here for some years until no strips or needles left [make not sold here but came with 4 yrs supply] than got a Thai one....... here the Dr says to try to aim for 130...

Between the UK meter and buying the Thai one used [very old] Pee strips that I had from some years before in the UK, all looked fine every morning, only when going into Hospital for an Opp and a proper blood test found I was something like 280, the 5 days in Hospital they put me on a drip for 4 of them, some kind that made the level come down and said was fine @ 125........

So 3 years ago bought the Thai one, This morning is 128 so fine ?

Edit:..... Do you need to test so often ? I test about 3 x week in the morning

Edited January 21, 2013 by ignis

[chiang mai]

Let's back track a little: a year ago my FBG level was 85, a month later it was 97 and at my anual health exam in early November it was flagged as high at 112, I began daily testing thereafter. After collecting the results for six weeks I went to see the endocrinologist who looked at the numbers which by that time were in a range of 104 to 135 and declared that any two consecutive readings over 126 puts you in the Type II diabetic camp - my first A1C results came in at 5.7% last week. My testing over the past month shows post grandial highs of up to 200 and a FBG level of around 124 on average. My current instructions are to test four times a day and to go see Dr Endo. again at the end of Feb for a second A1C which will be compared against the baseline..

[tropo]

Two friends of mine - guys in their sixties -Aussie and a Brit were moaning about having to get up an piss all thru the night because of their diabetes

Maybe it is what and when they drink something...

Myself never drink anything after 7pm, never need to get up in the night, even at this very cold time of the year............odd times I have had a Pepsi Max at say 9pm then found I would need to go at 2 - 3 am........

Day time when it is cold like now need to go every 2 hours or less................. not sure if Air Con makes any difference? myself never use Air Con at any time of the year, just find I need to go a lot more when it is cold.

To me it's more important to stay well hydrated than worry about a few pit stops in the night.

But in the context of diabetes, the drinking water and peeing is important. It's the body protecting itself from dangerously high blood sugar levels. Blood sugar at 140 mg/dl starts causing cellular damage. It is a poison in the body.

That's the reason why uncontrolled diabetes causes thirst. The body truly is an amazing machine with many protective mechanism.

Edited January 21, 2013 by tropo

[tropo]

The pattern is the doctor says you are diabetic; eat this and don't eat that, come see me in 6 months or year for another test (often no A1C). This is the way my diabetic mother was treated 30 years ago in USA.

These days, if you're diagnosed as full type 2 diabetic (FBS over 126 mg/dl) you're more likely to be given a prescription for diabetic medication (blood sugar lowering medicine) than useful dietary advice.

[tropo]

Let's back track a little: a year ago my FBG level was 85, a month later it was 97 and at my anual health exam in early November it was flagged as high at 112, I began daily testing thereafter. After collecting the results for six weeks I went to see the endocrinologist who looked at the numbers which by that time were in a range of 104 to 135 and declared that any two consecutive readings over 126 puts you in the Type II diabetic camp - my first A1C results came in at 5.7% last week. My testing over the past month shows post grandial highs of up to 200 and a FBG level of around 124 on average. My current instructions are to test four times a day and to go see Dr Endo. again at the end of Feb for a second A1C which will be compared against the baseline..

Did you not read the article I posted about HbA1c being an unreliable indicator? If your postprandial readings and FBS's are that high, 5.7% would have to be considered an inaccurate reading.

I have low postprandial readings (almost always under 120 mg/dl after 1 hour - often high 90's) and FBS's usually in the mid-90's or high 80's, yet my last HbA1c a week ago was 5.7%.

To make it even worse, I had the same blood sample tested twice. The first time it came out at 6.2%, the second test (after I complained) was 5.7%. This has happened before.

(I haven't seen your chart yet - I didn't have the program to open it on this computer)

Edited January 21, 2013 by tropo

[chiang mai]

Let's back track a little: a year ago my FBG level was 85, a month later it was 97 and at my anual health exam in early November it was flagged as high at 112, I began daily testing thereafter. After collecting the results for six weeks I went to see the endocrinologist who looked at the numbers which by that time were in a range of 104 to 135 and declared that any two consecutive readings over 126 puts you in the Type II diabetic camp - my first A1C results came in at 5.7% last week. My testing over the past month shows post grandial highs of up to 200 and a FBG level of around 124 on average. My current instructions are to test four times a day and to go see Dr Endo. again at the end of Feb for a second A1C which will be compared against the baseline..

Did you not read the article I posted about HbA1c being an unreliable indicator? If your postprandial readings and FBS's are that high, 5.7% would have to be considered an inaccurate reading.

I have low postprandial readings (almost always under 120 mg/dl after 1 hour - often high 90's) and FBS's usually in the mid-90's or high 80's, yet my last HbA1c a week ago was 5.7%.

To make it even worse, I had the same blood sample tested twice. The first time it came out at 6.2%, the second test (after I complained) was 5.7%. This has happened before.

(I haven't seen your chart yet - I didn't have the program to open it on this computer)

Yes I did tread that arrticle, unfortunately it's the only game in town! I've actually had two A1C's done two weeks apart and by different labs, the first came in at 5.9 and the second at 5.7, My plan is to collect daily numbers until my next visit with Dr Endo. in about one month and see how things stack up at that time. I am not aware of any other test that can be done to measure this beast and it's known that home testing results are inacurrate by +/-10%, so, am happy to hear any recommendations for a strategy but in the absence of any I'm staying with my current diet/exercise regime.

Edited January 21, 2013 by chiang mai

[tropo]

Let's back track a little: a year ago my FBG level was 85, a month later it was 97 and at my anual health exam in early November it was flagged as high at 112, I began daily testing thereafter. After collecting the results for six weeks I went to see the endocrinologist who looked at the numbers which by that time were in a range of 104 to 135 and declared that any two consecutive readings over 126 puts you in the Type II diabetic camp - my first A1C results came in at 5.7% last week. My testing over the past month shows post grandial highs of up to 200 and a FBG level of around 124 on average. My current instructions are to test four times a day and to go see Dr Endo. again at the end of Feb for a second A1C which will be compared against the baseline..

Did you not read the article I posted about HbA1c being an unreliable indicator? If your postprandial readings and FBS's are that high, 5.7% would have to be considered an inaccurate reading.

I have low postprandial readings (almost always under 120 mg/dl after 1 hour - often high 90's) and FBS's usually in the mid-90's or high 80's, yet my last HbA1c a week ago was 5.7%.

To make it even worse, I had the same blood sample tested twice. The first time it came out at 6.2%, the second test (after I complained) was 5.7%. This has happened before.

(I haven't seen your chart yet - I didn't have the program to open it on this computer)

Yes I did tread that arrticle, unfortunately it's the only game in town! I've actually had two A1C's done two weeks apart and by different labs, the first came in at 5.9 and the second at 5.7, My plan is to collect daily numbers until my next visit with Dr Endo. in about one month and see how things stack up at that time. I am not aware of any other test that can be done to measure this beast and it's known that home testing results are inacurrate by +/-10%, so, am happy to hear any recommendations for a strategy but in the absence of any I'm staying with my current diet/exercise regime.

What do you mean by "the only game in town"?

This is one of the most frustrating topics of all - accuracy of results....

I think the best game in town is to test after meals and take a morning reading just as you're doing. Regular testing will smooth out any 10% inaccuracy. In fact I read the inaccuracy is higher than 10% - more like 15%.

I didn't really want to approach this subject in detail because it is confusing enough as it is, but last week I had a lab FBS done. I brought my meter and tested at exactly the same time my blood was drawn at the lab. My meter = 96 mg/dl, my lab result = 83 mg/dl. That's nearly 20% difference. Bear in mind that the lab test is a venous blood draw whereas I'm testing capillary blood with my meter. Of course there's also a chance the lab didn't get it right too.

One thing I do find annoying here ... glucometers should be calibrated with control solutions. You'll see info on the instruction leaflets that come with glucometers about control solutions that are made available by the manufacturers but I've never seen a control solution on sale here.

Personally, I've lost faith in the HbA1c testing. Firstly because it has been shown to be inaccurate due to variance of red blood cell lifespans and secondly because it would appear I'm wasting my money because the labs can't get it right. That's twice now I've had the test done twice and had a variation of at least 0.5. The results I gave above were for 2 tests on the same blood sample. On a previous occasion 2 different labs tested HbA1c on 2 consecutive days and the difference was even bigger. 0.5 is a big difference in average blood sugar.

My friend is complaining that he's getting strange results i.e. much lower than he expected, so I'm going to do some testing back-to-back with both our meters. Have you ever taken back-to-back results with your own meter and had a big difference? Even different fingers can make a difference. If I get an unusual result I normally test again.

Edited January 21, 2013 by tropo

[chiang mai]

Let's back track a little: a year ago my FBG level was 85, a month later it was 97 and at my anual health exam in early November it was flagged as high at 112, I began daily testing thereafter. After collecting the results for six weeks I went to see the endocrinologist who looked at the numbers which by that time were in a range of 104 to 135 and declared that any two consecutive readings over 126 puts you in the Type II diabetic camp - my first A1C results came in at 5.7% last week. My testing over the past month shows post grandial highs of up to 200 and a FBG level of around 124 on average. My current instructions are to test four times a day and to go see Dr Endo. again at the end of Feb for a second A1C which will be compared against the baseline..

Did you not read the article I posted about HbA1c being an unreliable indicator? If your postprandial readings and FBS's are that high, 5.7% would have to be considered an inaccurate reading.

I have low postprandial readings (almost always under 120 mg/dl after 1 hour - often high 90's) and FBS's usually in the mid-90's or high 80's, yet my last HbA1c a week ago was 5.7%.

To make it even worse, I had the same blood sample tested twice. The first time it came out at 6.2%, the second test (after I complained) was 5.7%. This has happened before.

(I haven't seen your chart yet - I didn't have the program to open it on this computer)

Yes I did tread that arrticle, unfortunately it's the only game in town! I've actually had two A1C's done two weeks apart and by different labs, the first came in at 5.9 and the second at 5.7, My plan is to collect daily numbers until my next visit with Dr Endo. in about one month and see how things stack up at that time. I am not aware of any other test that can be done to measure this beast and it's known that home testing results are inacurrate by +/-10%, so, am happy to hear any recommendations for a strategy but in the absence of any I'm staying with my current diet/exercise regime.

What do you mean by "the only game in town"?

This is one of the most frustrating topics of all - accuracy of results....

I think the best game in town is to test after meals and take a morning reading just as you're doing. Regular testing will smooth out any 10% inaccuracy. In fact I read the inaccuracy is higher than 10% - more like 15%.

I didn't really want to approach this subject in detail because it is confusing enough as it is, but last week I had a lab FBS done. I brought my meter and tested at exactly the same time my blood was drawn at the lab. My meter = 96 mg/dl, my lab result = 83 mg/dl. That's nearly 20% difference. Bear in mind that the lab test is a venous blood draw whereas I'm testing capillary blood with my meter. Of course there's also a chance the lab didn't get it right too.

One thing I do find annoying here ... glucometers should be calibrated with control solutions. You'll see info on the instruction leaflets that come with glucometers about control solutions that are made available by the manufacturers but I've never seen a control solution on sale here.

Personally, I've lost faith in the HbA1c testing. Firstly because it has been shown to be inaccurate due to variance of red blood cell lifespans and secondly because it would appear I'm wasting my money because the labs can't get it right. That's twice now I've had the test done twice and had a variation of at least 0.5. The results I gave above were for 2 tests on the same blood sample. On a previous occasion 2 different labs tested HbA1c on 2 consecutive days and the difference was even bigger.

My friend is complaining that he's getting strange results i.e. much lower than he expected, so I'm going to do some testing back-to-back with both our meters. Have you ever taken back-to-back results with your own meter and had a big difference? Even different fingers can make a difference. If I get an unusual result I normally test again.

I hear what you say about the reliability of the A1C test, the problem is that vast majoirty of mainstream medicine still regards it as the gold standard test since there is no other comparable single test. Ok so yes you can do as you propose and make repeated tests 2 hours after eating and that will supply yet another set of answers which as you say, may be incorrect to a matter of 20%.

Personally I intend to use both sets of tests until I can begin to see change that I can measure and/or a relationship between the two sets of test results - none of this of course is going to interfere with my approach to management including a low glycemic diet and exercise.

Yes I have seen weird results from the self tests results and yes I've done back to back tests with some weird results also, - I've also done a self test at the same time as venus blood was drawn and couldn't begin to account for the difference - 135 vs 112!

When these anomalies occur and they seem really strange, the only thing to do is to discard them, a few weeks ago I treated myself and had a pizza, the result two hours later was that my glucose levels had fallen to around 70, ten minutes later they showed 86 and ten minutes more they were 110 (where they stayed). I repeated that exercise yesterday as it happens and recreated the exact circumstances, the result was 207 after two hours!

So, some of the above is margin for error, some of it is a calibration issue, some is a competence issue but the remainder is things in the body I have yet to understand. Exactly why I can tick along at fasting 104 for three days and then the next day I'm at 135 escapes me, that's why I don't get too excited at the anomaly results. The important thing I think is to stay with your treatment plan, that at least is under your control.