Changing glucose monitor

[emily deacon]

Hi everyone,

My GP has recently changed my glucose monitor and test strips to the Glucomen Areo. I previously used the Contour Next. They said this is due to money saving but i’m having very wrong readings from the gluco men. Sometimes it will say i’m much lower and ill test 2 seconds later and i’m high. The accuracy of the Glucomen is really bad in my opinion. My consultant has wrote to them to ask for me to continue with the Contour Next but they haven’t yet got back to me, has anyone experienced this before?

 

[kitedoc]

Hi @emily deacon, Your GP should know better!! In a study in 2017 the Contour Next had an error rating of +/- 5 %, best in the field. Unfortunately it did not test the Glucomen Areo.
The meter industry is supposed to ensure their meters have an accuracy better than +/- 15 %.
But why should you not continue with the best in class meter??
I am sure that is why your endo suggested you continue with the Contour Next.
Perhaps if you take the endo's note into the GP and be prepared to hand back the other meter and strips that should do.
Mistake in prescribing. Not your fault!!!
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5505415

 

[emily deacon]

Thank you. My consultant has wrote to my GP and they have called me to say the pharmacist they use will contact me on Tuesday regarding this. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not but the meter is continuing to give me inaccurate readings so i’m not going to lay down with this one

 

[kitedoc]

Too right @emily deacon !! Stick to your endo's advice !!
This experience you have undergone is a wrinkle in the smooth cloth of experience, one which is easily ironed out !!
(I had to learn to iron to work that saying out) !!

 

[buckmr2]

Hi
It may need calibrating.
Ring their helpline number on 0800 243667 to get some control solutions

 

[KK123]

Hi @emily deacon, same here. I had a call saying they wouldn't be providing strips for my freestyle optium but only for the glucomen areo. My first few tests were higher than the freestyle monitor, I tested with both for the first two days. Higher by up to 2 points sometimes, other times the same and now and again lower. The testing strips give an 'accuracy' control rating of between 5.3 and 6.7 and then 10.2 and 12.8. So, it can be anything up to 1.4 out (at the lower end) and 2.6 at the upper end. Fat lot of use when you are trying to keep levels in the 5s and 6s, and of course if you drop into the 3s thus have to take glucose tablets, you might actually have been in the 4s and possibly pushing a 5. I had a contour next first off and loved it but the Drs would not provide ANY strips for that so I bought my own for a while. Then went onto the freestyle and they did provide strips but you'd think they were handing out golden nuggets. I started to ask for more strips per month at which point they said well we're changing everybody to the glucomen because (and I quote) 'It's a better one and you can do all sorts with it'. I do understand the cost to them of course but with something like this, where accuracy is crucial and you are dosing based on that accuracy, you'd think they would be sympathetic. I wonder whether they assume all type 1s must be in the 8s, 9s and 10s maybe and think a difference of a point or 2 doesn't matter (which it does). All I know is it matters to me when my numbers hover around 4 to 6. One more point, I too have tested with it and been 7.6 and then tested straight after and been 6.

 

[emily deacon]

It’s very frustrating isn’t it. The other day my libre was saying 14 so i tester and they were 18. So i tested again to see what one was correct and it was 14.6? Things like that make it very difficult to judge what you do next. It’s just not a nice feeling not trusting your blood glucose meter because that’s the only thing you need to rely on the most. I have now had to pay for contour next strips until the doctors let me know whether they will provide them or not because i just don’t trust the glucomen. They even told me it might be old so they gave me a new one and that’s even worse lol

 

[Tophat1900]

I agree with @kitedoc, your GP should know better and I'd bet wouldn't be happy if he or she had to use some ****** thing like what you have been given. That's just not good enough imo. I hope you get it sorted out quickly. Good luck!

 

[phoenixlyn]

Oh dear. I was given this Glucomen by the diabetic specialist nurse two days ago and I agree with the above. Previously used the Contour and have used both to compare these last two days. Results vary by up to 2.6!
I will have to see the doctor to see if I can continue with the one I am happy with.
How have you all got on?