Hi there, ray2600:

could you give a little more info?

What blood meter are you using? Is it usually pretty accurate?

what meds are you on? How long have you been on them for?

Did you do any more exercise than normal yesterday?

Ray, you're going to get a different reading every time you do a test. Even tests done one right after the other will be different. Why were you displeased with the 89? That's a fantastic reading for having eaten white rice last night!! I'd be jumping for joy to get a number like that first thing in the morning!

i am using reli on from walmart and i am on metrofin 2 pills a day 500 mg each

Hi there, Ray:

How long have you been using that Relion meter for? Is it usually pretty consistent?

From what I have read, meters are supposed to be accurate within 20% according to the FDA. So if your REAL B/S level was 100, for example, the meter could read as low as 80 or as high as 120 and still be considered within range.

I know that is a BIG difference between 80 and 120, but that seems to be what the US Government has said is ok.

By the way, which relion meter are you using? The Ultima, the Confirm, or the Micro?

Hey Ray, I think that you are doing fine. When your blood is tested in a hospital environment, as for your HnA1C, they use a pretty hefty machine that has its own built in computer and yet, it still needs to be calibrated daily. To tell you the truth, these machines are calibrated for each range of values that they expect, low values, medium values and high end values. They use a larger sample size and they use a slightly different method for actually determining the blood sugar. If you have control solution for your meter, also note that it has a range that your control test is to fall within. The environment that your meter is kept in, the ambient temperature of the meter even the gap in the test strip will all have an effect on the accuracy of the meter. These are meant as a quick test to give you a general guideline for how you are doing. Don't forget, you are taking a tiny sample of your blood and that will have an effect on the accuracy. The test is meant as a snapshot of your blood sugars.

Please don't panic too badly, and don't overthink the testing because it will drive you crazy. Know that your readings can vary up to 20% if you take them one after another. I was even told at a diabetic education centre that even using purel to wash your finger before poking them may introduce inaccuracy in your meter and certainly the alcohol swabs may do the same. The recommendation to me was to wash your hands with warm soapy water and rinse them well before the test. Trust me, if you go into the emergency room with super high or super low sugars based upon your tests, they will definitely run blood sugars on you and they will use a large sample to make sure of the right number. Several months ago, I had to go to the emergency room because I was having severe chest pains and the first thing they did before my EKG was to run my blood sugars!

Ray, you are doing very well for yourself, I am very happy that you are doing so well Ray, you are going to beat this thing!!!! Well, more precisely, you will get this under control and that is the goal, right?

Cheers,

lary

Ray, the readings are fine, the goal is to maintain under 100 for fasting, not to go for the highest....you will get a different reading everytime you test, the blood is running thru your veins and the sugars are different, the blood mulecues do not all contain the same amount of sugars attached.

I have many readings under 100 in the morning, and I have many readings over 100 in the morning its normal...why would you not be happy with these?