How Many of You With Type 2 Have ...

[Andy12345]

Hi Nom hows the running going? i have had unlimited strips forever, which is ironic as i dont hardly use them, must be a month since my last test

 

[Brunneria]

Truth is the cost of not supplying test strips is far greater than the cost of the strips.

The cost in human suffering is higher than any monetary value!


Sorry, not trying to be political! @Brunneria

In my post I said that I agree with most of the arguments for giving type 2s strips.

Doesn't change the fact that the NHS does not have enough money to do so.
We can rant, and argue and hold rallies, but they are not going to change their minds.

And its going to get worse as budgets continue to shrink.

 

[annelise]

Well, as this site is named 'The Global Diabetes Community', I will venture a comment from Denmark.

As a T2, I can only get 120 strips a year provided I go on meds - I am for now still coping with a rather strict diet only - but am almost tempted to ask for meds - if only to get some free strips ... (can then choose to take the meds or not ).

It is very easy to get a meter 'for free' here, and no wonder why ... - the meter provider (in casu Bayer) will hand them out as candy - then lean smugly back and wait for their return gain because of their prohibitive high pricing of strips - Well, I will not go into details of pricing (need a currency converter for that) but only assure you that they are so expensive that I by now only always measure fbg - and then again alsoonly if I have a meal that I am uncertain about. I did measure a lot in the beginning - I certainly agree that it is imperative to measure - especially in the beginning - in order to make a kind of 'chart' of which foods you can tolerate and which foods not.

annelise

 

[Lamont D]

In my post I said that I agree with most of the arguments for giving type 2s strips.

Doesn't change the fact that the NHS does not have enough money to do so.
We can rant, and argue and hold rallies, but they are not going to change their minds.

And its going to get worse as budgets continue to shrink.

You are of course correct in your summary. The only other thing to add is that the money that should be provided for strips is funnelled away from healthcare to help the banks and the very rich in tax rebates!
Which in this century is incredibly disgraceful!
BT way I am fine! The thread got locked as I was replying. Thanks for asking!

 

[Brunneria]

They'll have even less in future if there are more people with Diabetes and more people who have Diabetes are badly controlled!

I'll say it again - Prevention is better than cure.

Yes, but this is just going round in pointless circles.
Including me repeating that I agree with you.
Won't change the economic facts though.

And when have you ever known a big government institution plan for anything longer than the next election? (although there has been some movement on pension planning, I grant you)

If you want to take on a pointless campaign, go for it.
It will drain you of time, resources and money.
And it won't change a thing.

Educating the general population to understand that type 2 is not caused by laziness and greed would be a much more worthwhile campaign.
Possibly not quite as hopeless.
And much more useful, in my opinion.

 

[douglas99]

......................Educating the general population to understand that type 2 is not caused by laziness and greed would be a much more worthwhile campaign.
Possibly not quite as hopeless.
And much more useful, in my opinion.

That's an interesting statement.
Without commenting on the statement myself, how would you prevent type 2 diabetes?

 

[cold ethyl]

Excellent in theory, nomistheman, but in reality it doesn't work. The Practice will have strict guidelines laid down by someone at the top. The nurses and doctors have to comply with these. When challenged, all they can do is fight their own corner as they are told to do, with whatever excuses they can dredge up.

Nothing to do with diabetes or meters, my husband is on statins. Until now he has been called in every 12 months for a medication review and cholesterol test. He is due again soon. The other day he got a letter telling him that Practice guidelines have changed and he no longer needs a blood test or review every year. This is against the NICE guidelines, which say statin users should be tested and reviewed every 12 months. More cost cutting.

Really interesting that you said that, as my Mum recently went for her annual MOT test at surgery with nurse. She took along urine sample as previously they've checked for sugars but the nurse binned it saying we don't do that anymore and she said they wouldn't be testing her cholesterol either as they don't do that anymore either! ( she's not on statins btw) so basically all they did was weigh her and check her BP, both of which had does at home . Either cost cutting or just swapping over to mass dosing of population with statins etc on an untested basis?

 

[Bluetit1802]

Really interesting that you said that, as my Mum recently went for her annual MOT test at surgery with nurse. She took along urine sample as previously they've checked for sugars but the nurse binned it saying we don't do that anymore and she said they wouldn't be testing her cholesterol either as they don't do that anymore either! ( she's not on statins btw) so basically all they did was weigh her and check her BP, both of which had does at home . Either cost cutting or just swapping over to mass dosing of population with statins etc on an untested basis?

Previously all us over 60's had full checks annually as a matter of routine at our Practice. Then they changed the rules so only those with high CVD risk had annual ones, the rest had 2 year or 3 year ones depending on their risk factor. Now this has changed again to 1 year for high risk and 3 or 5 years for the rest.

My husband was told in his letter he must make an appointment with a Health Care Assistant for a BP check (in the same letter telling him he wouldn't be having a cholesterol test and statin medication review) That's a waste of time as he does this at home.

 

[Brunneria]

That's an interesting statement.
Without commenting on the statement myself, how would you prevent type 2 diabetes?

Since my statement was nothing to do with preventing diabetes, your comment is out of context.

 

[douglas99]

Since my statement was nothing to do with preventing diabetes, your comment is out of context.

I don't think it is at all.

Exercise has certainly helped my insulin resistance, as has my weight loss.

So, only speaking for myself, laziness and greed, a major part in my diabetes, as without them, my numbers are in the normal range.

Would it have helped me if I had believed my gp saying lose weight, exercise more, eat less. - yes.
Would being told laziness and greed didn't cause type 2? Not in my case.

 

[Brunneria]

I don't think it is at all.

Exercise has certainly helped my insulin resistance, as has my weight loss.

So, only speaking for myself, laziness and greed, a major part in my diabetes, as without them, my numbers are in the normal range.

Would it have helped me if I had believed my gp saying lose weight, exercise more, eat less. - yes.
Would being told laziness and greed didn't cause type 2? Not in my case.

I view laziness and greed aka carb cravings and mild malnutrition (and I have experienced both) to be a symptom, not a cause. Speaking from personal experience.

But this is derailing the thread. If you started another thread on this subject, I expect you would find as many theories as there are people on the forum.

 

[douglas99]

In a direct way, I found a good link with strips and diet with my gp, it's part of the thread.

I was overweight, and overeating. It certainly wasn't carb craving, I'll be honest with myself, I could overeat anything, regardless.
Probably in excess of 3000 calories a day.

However, once I discussed my plans to test foods, limit myself to only 'good' foods, in the sense they didn't raise my BG, regardless of being carbs or not, and more importantly, being serious over improving my health generally, I got all the tools I needed.
Strips being part of the package.
I get 100 a month on prescription.

As a counter argument, by the same logic though, if it's argued, all carbs are bad, so LC is the only solution, the gp could ask what use strips would be, as there will be nothing to raise BG if their patient doesn't eat carbs?
What would be a reasonable response to convince them?

But, that aside, I think we agree entirely in principle though.
The NHS hasn't enough money, they can't afford to supply all diabetics with test strips, not all will use them either. (look how many end up on ebay)

The balance they face is prescribing to the patients who'll get most use out of them, certainly all newly diagnosed should be prescribed on diagnosis, and then re-assessing that need regularly.

 

[AndBreathe]

@Brunneria

I understand exactly where you're coming from.

My point is that the people with Diabetes that want to take ownership should be supported by us on here.

Rather than saying straight off it's unlikely that you'll get test strips to a newly diagnosed member of this forum; I feel we should give them the ammunition to fire at their Doctors to at least have a fighting chance
Not every battle will be a win but, if it helps one person then that's a positive outcome.

There are more people in the country with Diabetes that are on this forum. So I'm sure if every member of the forum had a prescription for testing strips it would be a drop in the ocean compared to the overall NHS spend on Diabetes.

Whilst I wholeheartedly agree that those who want to take control of their condition should be supported, bearing in mind the proportion of T2s who are supported in testing by their GP/nurse, it would conversely by unkind to lead them to expect their GP will be prescribe strips. So often those coming here are looking for information they can utilise in the void between diagnosis and their advisory session. It is only fair, in my view, that we perhaps open their eyes to the likelyhood of self-funding, and assuming many self-funders buy the Codefree meter and strips, if they crack on and invest in themselves, they will probably only have spent c£20 in the interim.

I accept that many people are on exceptionally tight budgets, but in my observation, that doesn't appear to be a factor swaying those who are or aren't prescribed strips.

 

[Tom Green]

I almost lost my eyesight because I didn't test. 21 laser surgeries later I have regained about 70%. I wonder how much that cost?

 

[Andy12345]

Transitioning to minimalist running and still recovering from Achilles injury. Still love the running though!



Are you serious? What do you do with the strips then?

im having a break because of a "frozen shoulder", which is a terrible name for a condition that should be called "a bloody painful shoiulder" but im building a gym in the back garden so im looking forward to starting up again

im papering my downstairs loo with the strips..... or i dont add them to the repeat scippy

 

[Lamont D]

I'm sure you were selling them on e-bay!

 

[Andy12345]

no way! thats very insulting

















it was gumtree

 

[stephiesut]

I am type 2 and have been getting strips on prescription since i needed them. I am on insulin now but have been getting strips since starting gliclazide about 2 years ago. I get as many as i ask for. I understand why the nhs dont like paying for them, they are handy but most regulated type 2s dont need them. But while you are learning what you can and cant eat and when starting out, they are useful to have. But once you are steady there is no need to test much. I cant be bothered testing often these days, usually just if i feel a bit hypo, and every now and again to make sure im taking the right amount of insulin. But i am very sensitive to my own bg levels these days.
But i think DN's can override practice guidelines. Before i was on insulin, every issue of strips came with a gp message saying no more for 6 months, my nurse saw it, laughed, said they are clueless and took that notice off. Not that they ever restricted them anywày!

 

[AnnieC]

My husband was diagnosed with T2 in July and the nurse gave him a meter to see how he was doing He got 50 strips on prescription when they ran out he asked for more but did not get them. He went for the result of his 3 month blood test this week and asked about the strips but the nurse said he will not get any more because he does not have high BG levels
When diagnosed his BG level was 7 at 2 consecutive blood tests and it was 7 again at this test and the nurse was happy with that
He is 82 and has only really cut out all sugar stuff completely he has lowered the starchy carbs a bit but still eats some bread potatoes and he has porridge for breakfast He says he is not going to cut out anything else at his age or be fanatical about testing so he only does it occasionally now with a Codefree meter

 

[chris lowe]

I think the reason there are discrepancies between those who do get test strips and those who don't depends on the local health trust policy.Although the NICE advice is that we should get them, if it's not policy then your gp won't supply them. To be honest, I get free prescriptions for metformin, statins, blood pressure pills etc that I don't mind paying for them. I normally get them on e-bay (which means that someone is getting them on prescripton for free and then selling them for profit) which is cheaper than getting them from Boots etc.