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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Diabetes / March 2006Urine testing
I know someone isn't able to afford regular blood testing at home. Does anyone have experience with using Urine testing as the regular monitoring system & blood as an occasional one. I tried to get info online but am getting confused. What are diastixs? What are uristixs? what's the different? What's better? > I know someone isn't able to afford regular blood > testing at home. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > What are diastixs? What are uristixs? what's the > different? What's better? The common pharmacy urine strips measure glucose, ketones, or both. The trade names for those strips manufactured by Bayer are Diastix, Ketostix, and Ketodiastix. More importantly, it is important to understand what the sticks are telling you. The renal threshold for spilling glucose in the urine is somewhere around 180mg% or 10.0 mmol/l. Therefore, the chemstrips are useless at BG levels below this. In addition, it takes a while for the kidneys to process blood into urine, so the strips tell you approximately what your BG was 2-4 hours ago. The lack of reliable quantitive measure, along with the inherent delay, make urine strips pretty useless, except for gross screening purposes, like a Type-1 looking to see if they are spilling ketones, or an Atkins dieter. Have your friend explore the Relion brand meter and sticks from Walmart. They are the cheapest reliable BG products using capillary blood sampling. Jim > I know someone isn't able to afford regular blood > testing at home. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > What are diastixs? What are uristixs? what's the > different? What's better? Urine ... and its contents ... could be as much as 5-6 hours old. >I know someone isn't able to afford regular blood >testing at home. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >What are diastixs? What are uristixs? what's the >different? What's better? Urine testing was my mainstay in my early diabetic days. It only detect the dumping of glucose in the urine. The threshold is somewhere around 150. NOt much real use for close control. The meters are almost a miracle to people like me or all diabetics. The strips seem to me to a ripoff but we do need them. My first sign of diabetes was gross urine output. I had no knowledge of the meaning of the excess output. But on a job medical I found I had a plus 4 on the urine strip. Then we used the cheap Tes-Tape which was a paper roll of a paper like tape. The urine turned it from yellow to going t black as the detected glucose worked. For me the meters were a miracle. The next miracle will be a non invasive continuous glucometer that is not too expensive. Trying to use the urine method may lead to complications. Too high level of glucose. Visit me to see the results of long term excess glucose. not exactly nice. Guy > I know someone isn't able to afford regular blood > testing at home. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > What are diastixs? What are uristixs? what's the > different? What's better? That's an outdated form of testing. Why? Because by the time sugar reaches your urine, your BG has ranged waaaay out of control. They are still used mainly by type 1 diabetics after they've done a blood test and realized that their BG is way too high. It is used to see if there is sugar in the urine. I don't know what uristixs are. So I can't answer that question. Diastixs are used to check for sugar in the urine. And they are not cheap!  SignatureSee my webpage: http://mysite.verizon.net/juliebove/index.htm On Tue, 14 Mar 2006 00:28:25 GMT, "Julie Bove" <julienospambove@verizon.net> Huffed and Puffed the following into the madness of usenet: >> I know someone isn't able to afford regular blood >> testing at home. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >I don't know what uristixs are. So I can't answer that question. Diastixs >are used to check for sugar in the urine. And they are not cheap! "keto"diastix are the correct name and they are fairly cheap and used for testing for ketones. Relying on urine strips for a glucose reading is useless for anything other than diagnosing the disease. Because by the time glucose shows up in the urine it is well beyond the renal threshold into the BG range where damage occurs. Use this as a method for control and you will eventually end up with complications of one sort or another as most of did who relied to long on this method before home BG testing became available. SignatureMâck©® Deltec CoZmore Pumper Type 1 since 1975 http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org http://www.diabetic-talk.org http://www.insulin-pumpers.org "To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." ...Theodore Roosevelt (o ô) --ooO-(_)-Ooo-------------------- "I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve." ....Bilbo Baggins Jesus never hated anyone. > "keto"diastix are the correct name and they are fairly cheap and used > for testing for ketones. Relying on urine strips for a glucose > reading is useless for anything other than diagnosing the disease. > Because by the time glucose shows up in the urine it is well beyond > the renal threshold into the BG range where damage occurs. The same could be said for BG testing. By the time you test at 2 hours, you have already exceeded your goal maximum BG. The information received by testing is used to change future eating habits. Use this > as a method for control and you will eventually end up with > complications of one sort or another as most of did who relied to long > on this method before home BG testing became available. I would never suggest that anyone replace BG testing with urine testing. BG testing is far supier to urine testing for the reasons outlined in other posts. If a person cannot afford to test often, urine testing could be used to supplement BG testing. Urine testing tests for glucose in the urine in the bladder. This urine would have accumulated since the last void. If you void before eating and test urine 2-3 hours later, the presence of any glucose would indicate that you had exceeded your renel threshold during that period. The average renel threshold is 180, but is varilable from one person to another. If you can only afford to test after one meal a day, you could at least use urine testing for the other meals. Urine testing used this way is better than no testing at all. Changing eating habits to keep your postprandial BG under your renel threshold is far better than no control at all. Urine testing is very cheap, less than .10 per strip from some sources. It can be made even cheaper by cutting the test strips in half. Sarah > I would never suggest that anyone replace BG testing with urine > testing. BG testing is far supier to urine testing for the reasons [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > sources. It can be made even cheaper by cutting the test strips in > half. Thank you, Sarah. Excellent info. I didn't realise unlike blood sugar, urine sugar won't go away unless you pee. >> I would never suggest that anyone replace BG testing with urine >> testing. BG testing is far supier to urine testing for the reasons [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > I didn't realise unlike blood sugar, urine sugar won't go > away unless you pee. Sorry about all the spelling errors and not using the spell checker. My only defense, other than simple mindedness, is I just worked a 14 hour shift. One more thing, it is important not to wait too long after eating to test the urine. If the urine in the bladder is diluted with enough glucose free urine, it might not show up on the test strip. When using this method, the percentage of glucose in the urine is of no importance, any glucose (even a trace) would indicate an excursion of BG above the renal threshold. Sarah >> Thank you, Sarah. Excellent info. >> [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > importance, any glucose (even a trace) would indicate an excursion of > BG above the renal threshold. So what do you recommend? One hour after the first bite? One after completion of meal? Or earlier or later? >So what do you recommend? One hour after the first bite? >One after completion of meal? Or earlier or later? Apologies to asd.uk readers. Repeating myself. Hi All It's not one hour, or two, or 90 minutes. It's when you consistently find is the timing of your personal peak spike in my opinion. You may have to test at all of those times to find that out. You will also find that some foods, usually high GI without fat, will spike earlier and some, usually low-GI or with a higher fat content, will spike later. But you will find from trial and error that you are reasonably consistent in your post-prandial peak time. Mine is about an hour after my last bite. At two hours I am usually back to "rest" under 6. Others find it is up to two hours or somewhere between. Some time it from the first bite. It doesn't really matter - find yours. Use http://jennifer.flyingrat.net/ to do that. I tend to recommend tests at one and two hours to newbies - simply to find that peak. Once they know it, they can drop the extra test. If they can only afford one test post-prandially, that's when I recommend 90 minutes. Cheers Alan, T2, Australia. d&e, metformin 2x500mg SignatureI have no medical qualifications beyond my own experience. Choose your advisers carefully, because experience can be an expensive teacher. Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter. >> So what do you recommend? One hour after the first bite? >> One after completion of meal? Or earlier or later? >> > Apologies to asd.uk readers. Repeating myself. > > Hi All [snip stuff] It's a good idea to read the post(s) before replying. We are talking about urine testing not blood testing. >It's a good idea to read the post(s) before replying. >We are talking about urine testing not blood testing. Fair enough. I stand corrected. Thanks for the gracious reminder. Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia. d&e, metformin 2x500mg SignatureEverything in Moderation - Except Laughter. On Mon, 13 Mar 2006 18:23:48 -0800, "Sarah" <sarahpa1980nospam@yahoo.com> Huffed and Puffed the following into the madness of usenet: >> "keto"diastix are the correct name and they are fairly cheap and used >> for testing for ketones. Relying on urine strips for a glucose [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >have already exceeded your goal maximum BG. The information received by >testing is used to change future eating habits. No. Unless you are a type 2 controlled diet and exercise alone. >Use this >> as a method for control and you will eventually end up with [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > >Sarah so of they only get their BG down to say 160 it most likely won't show in the urine tests. However if the 1 BG test per day or every few days is at a time when the BG is below 140 for a short time, then all the collected data the individual is relying is worthless. SignatureMâck©® Deltec CoZmore Pumper Type 1 since 1975 http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org http://www.diabetic-talk.org http://www.insulin-pumpers.org "To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." ...Theodore Roosevelt (o ô) --ooO-(_)-Ooo-------------------- "I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve." ....Bilbo Baggins Jesus never hated anyone. > On Mon, 13 Mar 2006 18:23:48 -0800, "Sarah" > <sarahpa1980nospam@yahoo.com> Huffed and Puffed the following into the [quoted text clipped - 46 lines] > days is at a time when the BG is below 140 for a short time, then all > the collected data the individual is relying is worthless. Mack, I had thought the OP was referring to a friend that was a T2. After reading it again, this was not made clear. My only point was that if done right, urine testing was better than not testing at all; for a T2. It is a shame that in the US a person would not be able to manage their disease because of cost. The government squanders billions on foolishness that only benefit a few of their insiders. It is so depressing to see hundreds of illegals being given free treatment while citizens are literally dying for lack of health care. It is as though the government don't care about its own citizens. Sarah On Tue, 14 Mar 2006 13:27:44 -0800, "Sarah" <sarahpa1980nospam@yahoo.com> Huffed and Puffed the following into the madness of usenet: >Mack, I had thought the OP was referring to a friend that was a T2. After >reading it again, this was not made clear. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > >Sarah I think you are finally getting an idea of what it's like in the so called wealthiest nation in the world. SignatureMâck©® Deltec CoZmore Pumper Type 1 since 1975 http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org http://www.diabetic-talk.org http://www.insulin-pumpers.org "To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." ...Theodore Roosevelt (o ô) --ooO-(_)-Ooo-------------------- "I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve." ....Bilbo Baggins Jesus never hated anyone. DISCLAIMER If you find a posting or message from me offensive, inappropriate, or disruptive, please ignore it. If you don't know how to ignore a posting, complain to me and I will be only too happy to demonstrate... . > Mack, I had thought the OP was referring to a friend that was a T2. After > reading it again, this was not made clear. > > My only point was that if done right, urine testing was better than not > testing at all; for a T2. Huh? How? I'm a type 2. I've tested my urine many times when my BG was higher than it should be. The urine tests did not indicate a problem. So if that was all I was doing, I'd be in deep doo doo! > It is a shame that in the US a person would not be able to manage their > disease because of cost. The government squanders billions on foolishness > that only benefit a few of their insiders. It is so depressing to see > hundreds of illegals being given free treatment while citizens are literally > dying for lack of health care. It is as though the government don't care > about its own citizens. True. SignatureSee my webpage: http://mysite.verizon.net/juliebove/index.htm > I know someone isn't able to afford regular blood > testing at home. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > What are diastixs? What are uristixs? what's the > different? What's better? When I was first diagnosed over 20 years ago I used something called "Keto-Diastix" and they would change colors based on how much sugar and ketone was in the urine. Even then it seemd a bit archaic and within a couple of weeks I had a meter which was big and clunky, but it worked. I only used up the rest of the stix when I was sick and wanted to just test for ketone. Not sure about all meters now, but the One Touch will prompt you to check and see if you have ketones if your bg reading is over a certain number (I think it's 250 but I'm not sure off hand.) Best, Kurt >> I know someone isn't able to afford regular blood >> testing at home. [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] >Best, >Kurt Kurt, did you read the excellent David Mendosa article on the history of meters? The link was posted a couple of days ago by Jennifer: http://www.mendosa.com/history.htm It is long but fascinating read. It is directly relevant to what you just posted, but is also related to so much that is cause for debate here. In that history you will start to see some of the reasons behind present ADA attitudes, some background on the pioneers of self-testing and the developing need for experimenters like us. I think those here who have opinions on Richard Bernstein will also be surprised when they read it in full. Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia. d&e, metformin 2x500mg SignatureEverything in Moderation - Except Laughter. There may be programs that can supply someone who can't afford a bg meter and strips. Check with some of the meter companies. |
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