MY STRIPS REPEAT PRESCRIPTION HAS BEEN CANCELLED

Hiitsme

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Thank you, M, I wasn't sure about ordering today because of delivery times, we're going on holiday at end of next week but 2 days that's great, for me probably be 3 since we're up here in the frozen north. £5.20 is a lot better than the £18.50 for my current strips that my pharmacist quoted - and that was a "discounted" price

My order a few weeks ago direct from Home Health also only took 2 days, London so I would agree Scotland might be an extra day.
 

pensionistamike

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78
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Tablets (oral)
Thank you (13lizanne) for your help......i thought it would be to good to be true as they appear
to be the cheapest strips on the market.......i will certainly take a look at the package youve
mentioned.......Kind regards........
 
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13lizanne

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Thanks for yourencouragement @ickihun, I dont know about becoming your guru but I will certainly be your cheerleader! I've discovered I can now have a few small potatoes if I microwave them, lovely with Herby butter! Also I have one slice Burgen soya and linseed bread toasted with cheese for breakfast but other than that I have to keep to fairly low carb prob 60-80 carbs per day. I know that if I didn't keep on top of it I would be in the double figures again. It's a b*""er that's why I'm going to continue to test and eat to my meter.
 
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AndBreathe

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I reversed my Type 2
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I paid £51.98 for 10 boxes so that works out at £5.20 per box.. bargain! And free delivery. that was direct from Home Health. Delivered via MyHermes took 2 days from what I recall.

The proportional saving you make is the same, whether you buy 5 boxes or 10, so don't buy more purely because you might achieve more discount. My impression is the 5 and 10 boxes are just an easy packaging quantity.
 
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Brunneria

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Sadly, this is why all the good work we do as individuals will never be recognised by the NHS.

Control your diet with low carb?
Reverse your diabetes with weight loss from liver?
Come off your meds?
grind your HbA1c down to non diabetic levels?

Well done, don't know what you did, don't care either, but we no longer want to see you. We will just wipe you off the stats for our surgery.

Have a nice life.

Yup, I am a tad bitter.
 
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13lizanne

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Hi I take Metformin SR 500mg twice a day. I have only had T2 diabetes for5 months
That's why you have never been given a meter. It's only folk on Insulin or insulin-mimicking drugs like Gliclazide (which work by directly lowering blood glucose) who are routinely given meters by NHS. When I was on Metformin I was told that I didn't need to test my bloods as it would only lead to me becoming "overly anxious" about blood glucose results What can you do?
 
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kjc2011

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Exercising lol
My doctor never gave me a meter and strips when I started on gliclazide. Was still told don't need to test. It was only 2 weeks ago that I was prescribed a meter because I was having problems and feeling unwell. I have yet to ask for them on repeat, we shall see what reaction I get when I do in the neXT few weeks. It is such a shame that you have been told you won't be given them anymore silly NHS cutbacks, it will be cheaper for them in the long run as people will be able to gain more control.
 
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Juliemccall

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I am now going to have a rave, prepare yourself! This is what happens when you take charge of your health- NHS stops supplying you with testing strips. Apparently, as I have now had two concurrent HbA 1c tests, 6 months apart, both showing me to be in the non-diabetic range my diabetes mellitus type 2 is now " in remission" and I no longer need to test my blood glucose levels. Screeeaaam! Could some kind soul please give me the discount codes for Codefree strips? and a sedative :)

Hi "lizanne, go onto Amazon code free strips there about £14 for 100 I can't get these through my gp as they say I don't need to check my b/sugar also the needles are good price on Amazon and quick delivery good luck
 
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David_A_Hughes

Well-Known Member
Messages
109
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
My doctor never gave me a meter and strips when I started on gliclazide. Was still told don't need to test. It was only 2 weeks ago that I was prescribed a meter because I was having problems and feeling unwell. I have yet to ask for them on repeat, we shall see what reaction I get when I do in the neXT few weeks. It is such a shame that you have been told you won't be given them anymore silly NHS cutbacks, it will be cheaper for them in the long run as people will be able to gain more control.
If you're on Gliclazide you are obliged to test before you drive a vehicle and, if it's a long trip, every two hours into the journey. This is, of course, for insurance purposes. Gliclazide can cause hypos, if this happens whilst you're driving and you cause an accident (whether you had a hypo or not), you may well find that your insurance is null and void - and someone will find out! I pointed this out to both my GP and diabetic nurse, they weren't aware of this and both checked this out with a higher authority and had to agree that I am right. I now have as many testing strips as I need. I don't go mad using them, often first thing in the morning and only occasionally during the day, but every time I go out in my car!
 
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navigator

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5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833

I think that's the one I used few days ago.. from another thread.. I think it worked out at about £5.80 per box of 50 strips as I bought 10 packs..

virtual sedative enclosed .. hugs
M

Obviously the price of success.. you should be proud really but I know its damned annoying..


As it seems easy to get blood sugar testing machines free, I wondered why the manufacturers want to give them away. According to our local pharmacy the test strips are different for each manufacturer. As are the lancets. So it seemed to me that the suppliers want a bit of the action. From the thread I am posting on, it seems that strips are universal. True or False?
There also seems to be more reliance on using hbAc1 results, which could be anywhere between 3 months to 12 months frequency. If an hbAc1 test comes in "regularly" at 40 or below are you now not diabetic? OR should BS testing be used as a baseline guide?
 
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13lizanne

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@navigator No, strips are not universal, they are particular to each brand of machine. Manufacturers issue free meters because they make their money from the sale of strips and want you to use their machine and strips. Also if your HbA1c comes in at 41 or below you are deemed to be non-diabetic or "in remission" the figures are:- 20-41 non-diabetic, 42-48 pre diabetic, 48 or over diabetic. The HbA1c test is the diagnostic one NHS uses. Hope that this helps?
 

kjc2011

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215
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Exercising lol
If you're on Gliclazide you are obliged to test before you drive a vehicle and, if it's a long trip, every two hours into the journey. This is, of course, for insurance purposes. Gliclazide can cause hypos, if this happens whilst you're driving and you cause an accident (whether you had a hypo or not), you may well find that your insurance is null and void - and someone will find out! I pointed this out to both my GP and diabetic nurse, they weren't aware of this and both checked this out with a higher authority and had to agree that I am right. I now have as many testing strips as I need. I don't go mad using them, often first thing in the morning and only occasionally during the day, but every time I go out in my car!
Hi and thanks for that information, really helpful. does it apply to non drivers? Having the strips whilst on gliclazide as unfortunately I don't drive.
 

bulkbiker

BANNED
Messages
19,576
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Diet only
As it seems easy to get blood sugar testing machines free, I wondered why the manufacturers want to give them away. According to our local pharmacy the test strips are different for each manufacturer. As are the lancets. So it seemed to me that the suppliers want a bit of the action. From the thread I am posting on, it seems that strips are universal. True or False?
There also seems to be more reliance on using hbAc1 results, which could be anywhere between 3 months to 12 months frequency. If an hbAc1 test comes in "regularly" at 40 or below are you now not diabetic? OR should BS testing be used as a baseline guide?
The fact that they are called Codefree doesn't mean they are universal just that they fit the SD Codefree blood glucose monitor. Is that what was causing the confusion @navigator ?
 
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Bluebell_GB

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69
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Tablets (oral)
As it seems easy to get blood sugar testing machines free, I wondered why the manufacturers want to give them away. According to our local pharmacy the test strips are different for each manufacturer. As are the lancets. So it seemed to me that the suppliers want a bit of the action. From the thread I am posting on, it seems that strips are universal. True or False?
There also seems to be more reliance on using hbAc1 results, which could be anywhere between 3 months to 12 months frequency. If an hbAc1 test comes in "regularly" at 40 or below are you now not diabetic? OR should BS testing be used as a baseline guide?

Test strips (the expensive part!) are not universal - that is just business. You can use a lancet device from any manufacturer - you don't have to stay with the same manufacturer as your meter. A lot of the lancet devices use the same lancet (the cheap part!); for example the ones sold with the SD Codefree meter are "28G Manufacturer Confirmed Fully Compatible Lancets for Autolet, Microlet, Auto Mini, Glucolet, Hamalet, Penlet II, Soft Touch, AutoLancet, DB Lancet Device, Freestyle, Abbott, One Touch , SD and many more…." according to their blurb.
 

David_A_Hughes

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Messages
109
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi and thanks for that information, really helpful. does it apply to non drivers? Having the strips whilst on gliclazide as unfortunately I don't drive.
I think you'd need to check that with your doctor, but get him/her to check if he/she doesn't actually know. You may be entitled. If you don't currently drive, you won't be facing the insurance problem. However, if you cycle or ride horses, it could still apply - check it.
 

phila

Member
Messages
23
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Tablets (oral)
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Not being able to eat chocolate, bread & cakes
Hi
Am in Ireland and my GP feels that although these strips may be necessary for uncontrolled diabetics as long as you maintain a consistent diet, the hba1c is a much better method of assessing your current status if you are in an acceptable range. However if you do need the strips you will only be allowed one strip a day.
 

CollieBoy

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2,974
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Diet only
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Hi carb Foods
Hi
Am in Ireland and my GP feels that although these strips may be necessary for uncontrolled diabetics as long as you maintain a consistent diet, the hba1c is a much better method of assessing your current status if you are in an acceptable range. However if you do need the strips you will only be allowed one strip a day.
As a T2 in remission my comments re your GP would be that:
1) the strips are an essential tool in atempting to control your diabetes, in conjunction with educated analysis of the results, by contolling your diet.
2) due to the fact that the HbA1c is a measurement of the Glycosylationof the haemoglobin, rather than a measure of the actual BG levels themselves it can be a crude measure.
3) theuse of one strip a day is worse than useless in measuring your BG over a day.

Just my humble opinion .
 

navigator

Member
Messages
21
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Earlier in this thread, bluebell GB confirmed my thoughts that free bs testers are loss leaders to get the user or NHS tp pay for the test strips.
Further research reports that if the T2 is anaemic the hbA1c test is lowered, and in my case has pushed me below 41, but BS results are climbing, to typically 7.8 on waking and 12.8, 2 hours after eating in the evening.
As I am on insulin injections, should hbA1c results or BS be used to change the dosage level?
 

storyman

Member
Messages
17
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
The doctor canceled mine as well, said that monitoring my blood sugar was a waste of money as they test it for me once a year. I said I was told to monitor mine as it would help me to control my diabetes and was told that was yesterdays thinking? When I said that I would buy my own as it was my eyesight and limbs that were at stake she said it was my money to do with as I wanted but I shouldn't waste it. The strips for my Accu-Chek mobile cost me between £50 and £60 per hundred, depending on what chemist I go to. (I am a type 2 diabetic and have managed to get my levels down from 11 to 6)
 
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