I have a friend who is married to a butcher. They have quadruplets and another daughter. Imagine 5 little girls.

So one day he goes to the doctor for some reason, they prick his finger and his sugar reading is 180. The guy is 42 years old, skinny as a rail, and otherwise healthy. I see him every day. He has good color.

So of course, the next thing out of my mouth was "when did he take the glucose tolerance test?" and she goes "he didn't take any test" I said "you mean, his reading was 180 and they never told him to come in at some later date, do a fast and they would administer a glucose tolerance test"??? She said "no, they just gave him a pill" A diabetic pill. I asked "what's the name of the pill" and she said "Well, I'm not sure, it begins with the letter A."

So I just said 'well, there is 'Avandia" and she said "no, that's not it'. and I said 'Actos" and she said 'yeah, I think that's the one".

Then I thought to myself. What kind of doctor gets a reading of 180, and doesn't order a fasting blood test. So I asked her if he checks his sugar every day and she said 'yeah, this mornng it was 104, and this afternoon is was 174. It goes up and down." I said 'well there are various conditions, like pre-diabetes, hyperglycemia, hypo, Gluclose intolerance, blah blah blah.

I said "is he eating a balanced diet and she said "since he's on this pill, he's always hungry." I asked her "do any of his family members have diabetes and she said "his uncle". I asked her if he had any symptoms, like numbness, pins and needles, etc. (she knows about neuropathy) and she said "no, nothing like that, thank goodness"

So today, she is going to the doctor and asking them to set up a glucose tolerance test for him.

I did do the right thing by suggesting this, right??

180 is high. But not if it is a random reading.(not fasting)

Your post is not clear on that point.

Another A drug is Actos. Both Actos and Avandia are in the news now, as
suspects in causing heart disease.

Also Amaryl.

There is also a mixture beginning with A of actos and metformin= ActosPlusMet
and Avandaryl (soon to come)

Lots of drugs beginning with A.

Oh, I stand corrected. I thought a reading of 180 would always be considered high.

Okay then, and by the way, this was not on a fast. But why did the doctor put him on a diabetic drug, without setting him up for a the fasting glucose tolerance test. I mean, I'm not a rocket scientist but isn't it standard procedure, if you get a reading of 180 and you put the guy on a diabetic pill, to at least send him for the tests???

mel

The most accurate reading for just a blood sugar stick would be after a 12-hour fast--obviously, what one is eating and when makes a big difference in glucose levels. If the person has eaten a bowl of ice cream, or a slab of pie, not that long before the blood test, the person may not be diabetic; that reading might even be expected.

Every time I get that glucose test--indeed, any time I get the standard blood work-up /chemistry panel--I make sure it's done early in the morning, after the overnight fast. Ditto for the multi-hour glucose toelrance tests (with concurrent insulin levels) that I do annually. To do it otherwise makes little sense.

Do you know if this person ever had a hemoglobin A1c test run? That measure is considerably less subject to wild temporary fluctuations caused by what has been ingested or what activities are being engaged in.

Doesn't sound like this man had a full work up for diabetes, but I don't really know him. He needs to look up type 2 diabetes on the net, and become an informed consumer.

Glucose tolerance testing is a bit different from fasting blood glucose, but the glycated hemoglobin test is the best one...but certainly a fasting blood glucose should be done, on more than one occassion before diabetes is suggested or treated. I agree with glenntaj....

I gotta go skywatch and see if I can catch a glimpse of a twister!!!
(Don't worry if it gets really bad, I have my little hole in the basement, where me and my family and my beloved pets go hide...)

He has never had any kind of diabetic testing in his life. He was in his doctor's office and they took his sugar and it was 180. Not on a fast.

His wife is going to get him the whole glucose tolerance testing thing done.
The guy has never read up on Diabetes type 2 or any type of Diabetes.

This is the beginning of the journey for them.

Jeez. and he has quadruplets and another girl. 5 daughters.

wow.

I told the wife to test all the kids. She was going to do it anyway. I mean, why not??, they now have the meter in the home.

mel

Melody,
Let me be another country heard from - I agree completely w/ everything posted but I'd add a suggestion from experience. If the family compares fasting levels from a lab w/ fasting levles from a meter, even the best ones (meters) can still be up to +/-10% different. The best check to "calibrate" the two is to have blood drawn for a fasting and then measure as soon as possible w/ a meter. The comparison of the 2 values will then give them a better means to interpret the results.

And by means encourage him to have an A1C done - that will give him a representative idea of his blood sugar for the last ~3 months, the nominal life span of a red blood cell.
Just a thought
Alkymst

Dumb one Dr. that is,you don't grab a finger and give the man a pill.
You at least do a 12 hr. fasting. No wonder the guys waking,surprised
he's waking. Glad you spoke up,myabe you might hint at a new Dr. Sue

Hi Sue:

Yeah, I found it a bit strange that a doc would give you a diabetes drug, not order a glucose tolerance test, not talk to you about diabetes, just tell you to go home, watch your diet (the guy is a stringbean), take a pill, and that's that.

When I asked which doctor they've been seeing, she indicated a big medical office (in practice for many years). I was very surprised.

They know absolutely nothing about A1c, believe me.

I guarantee you the next time Alan and I are having a breakfast at Dunkin Donuts, she'll come and drag me over and tell me what's up!!!!

I find it absolutely astounding, that this guy is running around with a possible case of diabetes and the doc never ordered this test.

Thanks for all the good info!!!!!

mel