Experience with Home A1C kits . . .

[Glitterbritches]

So, I picked up a home A1C kit from my local Walgreens today (pharmacy). It's the store brand, which appears to be the same as the version previously marketed by Bayer.

Anyway, anyone have any experience with how accurate these tests are? I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much - my result came back at a 5.3, and a lot of the information about these types of tests on the internet is either dated or conflicting . . . and I really want that result to be accurate! I'm almost a month past the end of my 8 week Newcastle Diet.

Any advice, experiences, or thoughts? (the more recent the better!). My last A1C, taken almost exactly a month ago, was 7.0

 

[AndBreathe]

I have used this one: http://www.bhr.co.uk/professional/product/a1c-now-monitor-10-pack/

I have only had one pack, of 10, which I Pretty much used monthly, for my own monitoring. All tests came from the same kit, so I would expect consistency across that sample. The tests in the multi kit have a "use before" date on them, and from research, I understand the reader is coded to stop working at the end date, so have to be used in date, or they're wasted.

I was largely pleased with the results. During the period I was using the home kits, I had 2 lab tests, which I used to "calibrate" the home kit results. The results from the home kit were consistent, and "steady", as I was hoping/expecting, and each calibration exercise was exactly 0.2% different to my lab results.

It was an interesting process. In UK, it is so much more cost effective to buy multiple tests, but to be honest, in the end I was rather rushing to use up the remaining tests, as I was preparing to be overseas for a period. There was nothing really to stop my bringing the unused tests with me, except their need to be refrigerated, and I was just a little concerned for the impact of a protracted period of travel and non-refrigeration; particular y at this tropical end.

When back in the UK shortly, I intend to go down the Abbott Freestyle Libre route for a couple of sensors, as I think that has the ability to give me better, new information, than the A1c kits, at my stage in my diabetes journey.

I hope that helps.