When would you change your meter?

khkwong

Well-Known Member
Messages
53
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi mo53,
Your meter readings show inconsistency. Maybe you can use the test solution provided to check for the reliability of your meter before you decided to change to a new meter. Remember the blood in our body is not completely homogeneous. This means that the droplet of blood that you take might has high or low reading.
 

Crimsonclient

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,080
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
If I may ask a supplementary question:

I've just added an SD Codefree to the CareSens meter I was using and get some strips for on prescription. I'm currently modifying my insulin regime and feel that frequent testing is important and to be honest, I don't trust myself to remain motivated with diet if I knew I wouldn't be testing after a particular meal - so for me, testing is personally motivational, as well as the obvious. I get 100 strips a month for the CareSens and asked for an increase and was refused. I'd been supplementing the difference out of my own pocket, but at over 12 quid a box, it was getting expensive.

The SD seems a nifty little meter and very easy to use, so I'm pretty impressed so far, considering its modest cost. The idea was to supplement my NHS funded strips with the SD - maybe one upstairs and one down. So my plan was to use the same drop of blood to test on both meters simultaneously for a number of tests, to see how they compare. The SD is always lower than the CareSens, sometimes by as much as 1mmol - usually around 0.7. I've tried testing the same drop with the SD with 2 strips and always get the same number, suggesting that it is quite consistent.

How do other people manage discrepancies if using more than 1 meter? I was thinking that I might add 0.3 to the SD numbers and knock 0.3 off the CareSens readings, when adding them to my app, to try and mitigate some of the differences. I suspect the CareSens maybe does read a bit high as recent HbA1cs have been lower than my app was predicting.

I can't really afford to self-fund the SD for all my reading, but using both would seem to be a good compromise in the circumstances. Does anyone know which brands of meter have strips funded by the NHS - or does the PCT decide which ones to fund locally?
This is the reason why the recommendations are to use one meter only. Also being as you are insulin dependant you should get more strips if required.
 

BooJewels

Well-Known Member
Messages
443
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Also being as you are insulin dependant you should get more strips if required.
I'm not insulin dependent, I'm treated with insulin - hence it's not actually necessary to test as often as I personally choose to. I understand that it's clearly preferable to only use one meter, but the only options I have are to either find a way to consolidate the numbers from two, test less, or self fund a single meter.
 

Crimsonclient

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,080
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
I'm not insulin dependent, I'm treated with insulin - hence it's not actually necessary to test as often as I personally choose to. I understand that it's clearly preferable to only use one meter, but the only options I have are to either find a way to consolidate the numbers from two, test less, or self fund a single meter.
Sorry I am confused here not insulin dependant and treated with insulin? Isn't it the same thing? What I would do is get my prescription changed to the cheaper one then you can get strips on script and also buy strips with using one meter
 

BooJewels

Well-Known Member
Messages
443
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Sorry I am confused here not insulin dependant and treated with insulin? Isn't it the same thing? What I would do is get my prescription changed to the cheaper one then you can get strips on script and also buy strips with using one meter
No, it's not the same thing. T1s and some T2s are insulin dependent - in that they don't produce their own and are absolutely dependent in injecting or pumping it to stay alive. I could be treated by other methods probably, as I'm only supplementing my own natural insulin and do much better on insulin than meds. It's a treatment choice for me, not a life saver. Hence the difference between dependence and treatment.

The SD codefree strips aren't available on prescription, hence the dilemma. The lancets I get on prescription do fit the lancet with the meter though, which does help.

Edited to add: I've just found a post detailing how to get them on prescription, so I'll pursue this with my DN, after her holiday. She said they weren't, as did the pharmacy, but it looks like there's a way. Unfortunately, the staff in my designated pharmacy aren't very bright, so this might be a challenge.
 
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