Change Blood Sugar monitor??

[whitehart]

Hi,

My 10 year old son is using a One Touch Ultra blood sugar monitor (for the last 4 years) which was provided by the diabetic clinic and all the strips and needles via the doctor.

Can anyone let me know if there are any other better monitors out there available on the NHS that would mean less pain and effort for him when he tests his sugars.

I would also appreciate it if you could also advise how often you all test you sugar levels, he is Type 1 on Mixtard and generally tests before breakfast, lunch (occasionally), dinner and bedtime. Is this too much or not enough??

Thanks

 

[Dennis]

Hi Whitehart

Can anyone let me know if there are any other better monitors out there available on the NHS that would mean less pain and effort for him when he tests his sugars.

Generally glucose test monitors are not available on the NHS, only the test strips can be got on prescription. However, the manufacturers' reps go round the surgeries and leave samples with them so ask your GP or diabetes nurse if they have a more up to date machine they could let you have. Or as Sarah suggests, you already have a Onetouch so call their help desk and ask for an upgrade to their newer model.

 

[LesleyB]

I have the one touch ultra easy, and I love it. I think the jabber is the best one I have ever had!

You can get lancets of different gauges and you can also set different depths for the jabber to go.

I still don't like testing though and find it painful at times, I think that is just part of being diabetic though

If you think about it, strips are provided on the NHS and all companies want you to use their strips, I am sure if you write to the company and expalin your problem, they will send you some samples etc to encourage you to use thier products.

 

[matty59]

Can anyone let me know if there are any other better monitors out there available on the NHS that would mean less pain and effort for him when he tests his sugars.
[/quote]

hi whitehart i got a new monitor off my diabetes nurse free of charge....she had a few different kinds to choose from i chose the accu-chek aviva which i think works fine for me

 

[Stuboy]

Accu-Chek Compact Plus... You can buy it in Tesco's for £12.99!!

It's bigger than the OneTouch Ultra (which i also have, also my first monitor) but it has a strip drum that dispenses the strip for you, so you dont have to handle the strips. and the lancet device that attaches to the side of the meter, the softclix lancet, is the most painless lancet device that i've used, it uses different technology that reduces the amount of side to side vibration when it's doing it's thing, which is what causes the pain.

I highly recommend it if you dont mind carrying a slightly bigger monitor around... a few people have seen me using it in public too and say "oo wow, what's that!? it looks cool" .... which is followed for a short educational session about diabetes

 

[Graham55]

Hi,
I use Accu-Chek Compact, cost about £8.00 and if you ask Accu-Chek they will send you a program for your computer which might make it fun for your son to see his results in a nice graph form.
Just an idear.

 

[ally5555]

the meters are available on the nhs - the gps i work for give them free to pts - they dont always tell u they get them free from the manufacturers!

 

[Graham55]

Hi,
Just the same as buying a new car if your a driving instructor the company hopes to have you buying there products for a long time.
I bought my Accu-Check for £8 so what did it cost to make?.
Have now bought a blood pressure machine for £15 with a full arm cuff, was £45 so also must cost almost nothing to produce.

 

[ally5555]

the machines are peanuts they make money on the strips! That is why they will give them away ! When they first became available they cost over £200!

 

[sugarless sue]

Have you all noticed that Diabetes.co.uk are giving away a monitor as a free prize draw this month?

 

[ally5555]

i am suprised to hear people are buying them - that is a disgrace!

 

[sugarless sue]

I bought my own one,at least now I get the test strips prescribed.

 

[Graham55]

I bought my own machines because i was told i "WAS ALLOWED TO TEST TWICE A WEEK ".
How the hell am i going find what puts my numbers up or down, also I drive a 7.5 tonne lorry and I dont want to hypo when driving.
This strip thing MUST be sorted either there free for all or we all pay and more people die.
Saving money on strips only passes the cost ten fold to problems later.

 

[donnamum]

Children should get them free off the NHS. If not Lloyds the pharmacy have a sale on BG testers at the moment. My daughter uses one touch ultra.WHich she is happy with. We did find the lancer from the ketone meter 'Accu test' a lot less painfull and it uses same lancets at one touch.

 

[Nellie]

the machines are peanuts they make money on the strips

Actually the companies will charge what the market will pay. Here the machines are available on prescription (one every 4 years) and the cost is normally paid by the health care system. Every single model available costs the amount the government will reimburse, at present I think its 69€, it was 89€ three years ago. Once you've chosen your model they've got you hooked as you'll have to use their strips for the next 4 years so they win both ways.
Theres a brilliant health care system here but theres also an awful lot of unecessary expenditure. Thats why they've just sent a commision to the UK to find out how to save money. :!: