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Which machine for the UK please

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Discovery22

Well-Known Member
Hi, I'm looking for a simple to use accurate BG machine to use in the UK without having to get a chip or anything and can be used out the box. My mother in law has newly been diagnosed with type 2 and keep having feelings of hypos despite not being on insulin. I'm presuming this is caused but little bursts of insulin being released but because she feels her sugars are low she is eating jelly babies and other sweets. I'm worried her diabetes will worsen as a result. I checked her blood when i was there (i have one due to having reactive hypoglyceamia) and and it read 13mm/l

My mother in law has asked her Diabetic nurse to supply a machine and they said no

Thank you in advance for any advice
 
Discovery22 said:
Hi, I'm looking for a simple to use accurate BG machine to use in the UK without having to get a chip or anything and can be used out the box. My mother in law has newly been diagnosed with type 2 and keep having feelings of hypos despite not being on insulin. I'm presuming this is caused but little bursts of insulin being released but because she feels her sugars are low she is eating jelly babies and other sweets. I'm worried her diabetes will worsen as a result. I checked her blood when i was there (i have one due to having reactive hypoglyceamia) and and it read 13mm/l

My mother in law has asked her Diabetic nurse to supply a machine and they said no

Thank you in advance for any advice
Click to expand...

Ascensia give away free blood glucose meters which are apparently some of the most accurate on the market.


https://www.contournextone.co.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlMvdlef36QIVbIBQBh0pWgyqEAAYASAAEgLoNfD_BwE

It comes with 10 free strips but if the NHS aren’t funding then you will need to buy your own test strips. Every time she “feels” a hypo she should test her BG. It may be that she thinks she is having a hypo and tries to correct it which causes her to go hyper
 
Discovery22 said:
Hi, I'm looking for a simple to use accurate BG machine to use in the UK without having to get a chip or anything and can be used out the box. My mother in law has newly been diagnosed with type 2 and keep having feelings of hypos despite not being on insulin. I'm presuming this is caused but little bursts of insulin being released but because she feels her sugars are low she is eating jelly babies and other sweets. I'm worried her diabetes will worsen as a result. I checked her blood when i was there (i have one due to having reactive hypoglyceamia) and and it read 13mm/l

My mother in law has asked her Diabetic nurse to supply a machine and they said no

Thank you in advance for any advice
Click to expand...
The meter question's been answered, so I'll just stick my nose in about the hypo feelings... With blood sugars that high, she can be experiencing two things: False hypo's and actual hypers. A false hypo happens when you're used to being really high. Your body thinks that's "normal" and will panic when it gets down to more normal levels. It acts and feels entirely like a real, honest-to-god hypo, because your body is convinced that is what it is, but... Nope. It has all the hallmarks, except a meter telling you you're 3.5 or under. And as long as she'll keep "treating" them with jelly babies and the like, they won't go away either. Her body needs to get used to lower, more normal levels and it's not going to happen this way. If she's not on any medication save for the usual metformin, the odds that she has a real hypo are really, really small, especially with the blood sugars you mention. Not going to happen. false hypo's are very, very scary, i do understand that... But rather than a jelly baby or something, she might just have some cheese, olives, or basically, something protein/fat based rather than carbs. The other thing, hypers, are less likely considering she's used to being hyper all the time and her body isn't likely to react with extremes. But a hyper and a hypo often give for similar feelings, ironically enough. Something to consider.

All in all, she's new, and everything's scary. Scratch that, it's terrifying. So she should have a read: https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html with some of the basics... And realise just how lucky she is to have you to sort out the meter situation, because those things really are lifesavers.

Good luck,
Jo
 
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