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accu chek mobile - the best and worst machine ever created.

jackvdbuk

Well-Known Member
Messages
65
Location
London
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
just wanted to throw in my opinion on this machine and today's events...

last few days my levels are all over the place from morning averaging about 10-23. go to bed around 5-9.

today at work i checked my blood and was 17. so ofcourse did some actrapid.

went to check after an hour and the machine hits me with yet again a "cassette error, replace cassette". nothing works so left without a BG machine.

GP does gives me 100 a month so can not have spares at work/home. go boots to get more and after a discussion they eventually allow me to borrow some and request an emergency (which i know they will decline as just had some abou two weeks ago).

so right now im not sure if my actrapid or lantus is faulty as my sugars are rocketing randomly, mainly in morning. so likely need to do a 3am sugar test. i woke up at 5am today and was 23!

tl:dr:
great machine , all in one
lots of testing errors using alot of my supply for the month on wasted tests. doesnt look like im the only one.
understand these cassettes are probably pricey but going to put in a complaint to GP as its putting me at risk and need backups. tested with the new strips and was 1.9.. scary.

apologies for the rambling, im not even sure if that all made sense .
 
Are you seriously limited to 100 test strips a month? I go through 10 a day, 300 ish a month

I am assuming you are Type 1

In 2013 all gp surgeries were sent a letter from the Dept of Health warning Dr's not to restrict test strips for people with type 1 diabetes, here is the letter:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa.../Safe-care-of-people-with-type-1-diabetes.pdf

I suggest you print a copy off and give it to your GP then demand free access to as many strips as you need. It's no wonder you can't get BG under control if you aren't able to monitor BG effectively.

As to your levels...those are seriously worrying.

Are you or have you ever thought about carb counting? I can highly recommend the Freestyle Insulinx meter, once set up correctly by your DSN it accepts your recording of carb intake and calculates your Bolus.
 
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Agree with the majority of @Aginoth above but assuming that like me you are stuck in the love hate relationship with the mobile lol

seriously get that letter to your GP ASAP. start testing intensively (every 2 hours?) for a couple of days (i would say 5) and see if you can find patterns/rises. could be DP or basal or anything, not enough data yet.
 


i tried to order some more when i was testing more and got a "over dispense" warning, they declined to issue them.
i have printed the letter off , and will not leave until they allow extras on an ad hoc basis.

thanks you two for being the voice of reason. helps me
 
100 test strips a month is absolutely not enough...get that letter down to your doctors ASAP. Regular testing will help you to identify where you're going wrong and adjust your insulin accordingly. Ideally you should be testing before meals and two hours after...and definitely before driving...on average I reckon I probably use 8-10 a day...more if I have a hypo or anything a little out of the ordinary happen.

It may also be worth switching meters...I don't know how comparable the costs are for test strips but I use the contour next USB and despite a couple of moans from my doctors about limits on strips...they've never actually refused a prescription for them...yet.
 
Take the cartridge out and put it back in, it works fine again
 
I use this device. 200 test worth of cartriges to order whenever I want.. Between 8 to 10 tests done daily.

I actually like this device. Testing. The device needs to be held upright & the blood droplet (more ample than the usual test strip.) should be allowed to draw up on the ribbon.

I do feel the battery life (regarding the "power.management") on this device affects the chances of errors at it depletes. Sometimes when the two AAA are about two thirds spent.? Long before the low battery warning. This unit doesn't only have to read BS but there is a bright backlit screen & the motor to spool the cassette too!

Chewing power more like an old school Walkman, as opposed to an MP3 player. If you get my meaning?
 
I loved my Mobile and wasn't allowed to use it long enough to not like it before the surgery switched me onto a cheap machine. It's now gathering dust in a drawer. Like you say, I can imagine if the cassette plays up you can lose up to 50 tests in one go - which won't happen with normal strips. For me though it was the convenience of it that impressed. I would imagine the costs of both strip cassettes and the lancet drums are quite high compared to a normal meter.

As regards your script as others have mentioned 2 cassettes (100 tests) is not enough. It may be better speaking to a diabetic specialist nurse at the surgery as they seem to have a bit more understanding. My meter changed again recently and I saws my doc and she said I could only have 50 strips!! I left from that meeting feeling incredulous but after seeing the Dept of Health letter on here and speaking to the DSN she said no, as a type 1 you can have what you want (within reason of course) and upped the prescription. Yes, we know the NHS is nearly bankrupt but that's not from Type 1's requiring essential supplies. Why should I suddenly start doing without after almost 30 years because of something completely out of my control.
 
I'm not a fan of the mobile I feel as if it gives me very varied readings and I'm never sure whether it is correct. I've had a reading of 10 when I was sure I was in the 20's because I felt horrid and then I tested again straight away to double check and sure enough, I was 26! I'm on the hunt for something new!

I have heard that a couple of people are having the same issues but I'm not sure how common it really is!
 
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