Test strips

[Diabolical]

Sorry if this has been covered before, but I feel terrible about using these things so much.

How many do you guys get through?

I do maybe 50 a week - mostly testing around hypos. I really want to cut down.

 

[totsy]

I tend to use between 4 and 6 a day,if hypo or not well then more often

 

[scottishkate]

I test A LOT - but I'm very active both in and out of work, no two days are the same activity wise and I'm following Berstein low-carbing so at the moment I'm testing around 10-15 times a day :shock:

I get 500 strips a time - usually last just over a month.

Katie.

 

[Rach79]

On average I test probably about 5-6 times a day. I'm trying to gain a profile though so I can actually figure out why I have constant hypos etc. etc. I feel though that I can't stop testing at least three times a day as I will panick that my BG is too low/too high.

 

[hanadr]

I'm T2 and pleaded for strips. I use 1 or 2 a day

 

[lionrampant]

Mostly about 5-6 times a day as well. Hmm...

 

[caitycakes1]

10 times per day for me and I don't feel in the least bit bad about it either. It helps me retain good control.

Caitycakes x

 

[flojo1234]

hi,
i have too test 4 times a day at the moment so about 6 times at most but i am only ten and im sure that soon it well go down too only 4-5 times as my bloods seem to be getting better but i suppose it depends on hoe u feel. i get 50 in a pack.
from chloe.

 

[Jen&Khaleb]

I test my son about 7 times a day. The fewest I have ever managed is four and if he is sick I'm testing every hour or so. My son is 2 years old. I buy in bulk about 3 months supply. I am in Australia so I order over the internet rather than use the local chemist who can only hand out small amounts of supply at a time. Don't know if the UK system is similar to here?

 

[malky]

i used at the most 4 a day, maybe i should be testing more

 

[fergus]

5 a day for me. No fruit in my diet, see, so I feel I should do 5 a day of something.

fergus

 

[Stuboy]

between 50 - 60 a week for me.

Don't feel bad... they are you're tools to staying alive and living life in comfortable health. You pay your taxes too!! (I hope!?)

 

[LittleSue]

4-6 times most days, plus currently testing 3 times during the night once or twice a week. This is because my latest HbA1c had gone up despite daytime readings being both lower and more consistent. Overnight dose needs to vary with menstural cycle but now I'm determined to get proper control of how/when it needs to change as its a major obstacle to getting my HbA1c down. Deafening silence from my consultant since I requested long-term loan of a continuous monitor for this purpose, so I'll just have to use the strips. I don't feel at all guilty about it... just a bit tired!

 

[Stuboy]

occassionally i use 18 strips a day ... to test once an hour to get a profile of my blood glucose throught the day... but thats maybe like once or twice a year.

 

[shedges]

Wow... some of you must have fingers like teabags! I'm on about 2-3 per day, except when I'm carefully analysing my levels/meals/insulin/activity, when I'll do about 8-10 in a day.

 

[Diabolical]

Wow... some of you must have fingers like teabags!

Uh-huh. I had an explosive episode a few days ago. Testing when low, hit a sweet spot and was showered with a fine spray of blood. In Sainsbury's. Nice.

 

[rwyncaruvegas37]

I test regularly, about 4 times a day, so in a week I get through about half a pot.

 

[jopar]

I test on adverage just over 50 strips a week, but use a insulin pump, so tends to be a more intense monitoring involved..

But I can remember the days before the meter and automatic finger prickers! You had a BM stick that was coloured coded, took 2 minutes to get a result from a blood test as you had to put a drop of blood on the test pad, wait a minute wripe it off with cotton wool, then wait another minute to compare/match the final colour with that on the side of the pot to see what your levels where!!!!

The lancet, was a flat oblong shaped piece of stainless steel, tappered down to a flat point at one end... The procedure was to place the back of your finger against a soild object such as the edge of a table... Then you would (in my case would be several attempts) take aim at your finger and stab it ahhhhh, with several hopes in mind, that you stab the first time to get enough blood out (it took a lot bigger splodge of blood to get a reading) so didn't have to repeat, or that you didn't stab too hard that you ended up with blood everywhere (frequently done) and yes you did get very sore fingers with this method!

Then they brought a gadget that you could put these stainless still lancets in, slightly better as you could achieve a sample with one hit... It was a sort of semi circle, and sprung loaded, so you place you finger in, flciked to release the spring and it hurt like hell, due to haveing no depth control to it...

 

[phoenix]

Wow... some of you must have fingers like teabags!

Well now you say it, yes and not very prett ! I was out for a run one day and needed to test, stuck strip in meter but but had left the pricker at home. I tried squeezing a finger,it worked :roll:

Like Jopar, I have a pump. I use about a 50 a week, minimum 4 day but usually 6 or more.