Control solution?

[Doireallyneedanams]

We suspect I had gestational diabetes whilst pregnant so I’ve been keeping an eye on my bloods ever since due to a strong family history of type 2.

I’m 10 weeks post birth and I’ve noticed my bloods have been quite a bit lower recently, but I wanted to check the meter is working correctly. I have the accu check nano. Could someone give me a link to the correct control solution for this and explain which one to use? It’s a bit of a minefield with different “strengths” and various products for various meters, so I’m not sure if the same brand works on all.

 

[Doireallyneedanams]

And thank you in advance! How rude and demanding of me

(edited by mod for language)

 

[xfieldok]

Phone the manufacturer and ask.

 

[Doireallyneedanams]

Phone the manufacturer and ask.

I mean I could do that. But I figured this would be a good place to start as I’m fairly certain *someone* will be using it too..

 

[pattifaye]

Ring the manufacturer and they will send you control solution. Have you registered with guarantee btw. This is important as company will replace meter if it breaks and also contact you if there are any problems with meter or strips

 

[Doireallyneedanams]

Ring the manufacturer and they will send you control solution. Have you registered with guarantee btw. This is important as company will replace meter if it breaks and also contact you if there are any problems with meter or strips

I was given the meter by the hospital when I was pregnant so don’t have any documentation for it. Do you know if they’re often faulty or known to just start giving wrong readings? Potentially 3 or 4 mmol out?

 

[Rokaab]

I was given the meter by the hospital when I was pregnant so don’t have any documentation for it. Do you know if they’re often faulty or known to just start giving wrong readings? Potentially 3 or 4 mmol out?

All meters could theoretically turn faulty, any electronic device can.
Also note though that test strips can also be rogue, especially if out of date.

Are you comparing with another reader, or another test strip when talking about 3-4 mmol out or just hoping its out?

 

[Doireallyneedanams]

All meters could theoretically turn faulty, any electronic device can.
Also note though that test strips can also be rogue, especially if out of date.

Are you comparing with another reader, or another test strip when talking about 3-4 mmol out or just hoping its out?

The test strips are new and in date, I did three reads and got reads very close together at the same time. Not comparing with another reader, just comparing with some previous reads I had after similar meals. To be fair this morning my fasting read was spot on and exactly what it normally is, it’s just some later reads were surprisingly low given what I’d eaten, just want to make sure although I should probably put the thing down It’s hard to give it up when you know what I now know about what food ACTUALLY does to you. Shocking really, to think the **** I used to happily eat..

 

[Doireallyneedanams]

Oh no, I used a “bad” word again, sorry! It just comes so naturally Not used to these rules

 

[HSSS]

What did you eat? Maybe it wasn’t as bad as you think, or maybe your body is coping more normally with carbs again now.

I’ve had it when I ate something bad (in the past because I’m perfect now, not! ) I tested expecting something horribly high and got lower than normal. I think it was an insulin overshoot in my case, kind of a what the hell overreaction. Probably couldn’t maintain that as more than a rare one off as I’m sure it used up all my insulin for ages. Well not actually but you know what I mean.

 

[Doireallyneedanams]

What did you eat? Maybe it wasn’t as bad as you think, or maybe your body is coping more normally with carbs again now.

I’ve had it when I ate something bad (in the past because I’m perfect now, not! ) I tested expecting something horribly high and got lower than normal. I think it was an insulin overshoot in my case, kind of a what the hell overreaction. Probably couldn’t maintain that as more than a rare one off as I’m sure it used up all my insulin for ages. Well not actually but you know what I mean.

I did something really bad earlier and for the first time since around 6 months of pregnancy smashed a large bag of Doritos (I thought I’d learned by now..) so when I then had orzo pasta for dinner I was expecting AT least a 6.5 It was 4.3 & 4.2 when I checked. Can’t recall if it was an hour or two after to be honest, as I randomly decided to check in panic mode. I realise these aren’t high numbers but I’m trying to check in now and again to make sure they’re not creeping up.

It’s quite fascinating really as I realised during this whole process that nobody seems to know what non diabetics bloods do after high carb meals etc, as long as you pass the glucose tolerance test you’re fine, but I do know this theory that non diabetics never spike over 7.8 is absolutely rubbish. I regularly poked my healthy non diabetic boyfriend and he’d hit 8’s after big baguettes and the like.

 

[searley]

Non diabetics on a healthy diet will rarely go higher than the 8ish...

I think it comes down to healthy diet and more importantly health quantity.

I know a lot of people that wont stop at say a bag of crisps.. the will go for the full on family bag of Doritos but won’t stop there they will also have a pizza. A kebab, chips..

Just my personal thought here but if you eat 2 days worth of food in an hour diabetic or not I find it hard to believe you’d have normal blood sugars 2 hours later.

As for your control solution contact the mater manufacturer they will happily send you some free of charge, in some cases you can order it from there website.. the standard one would be the mid range test that covers somewhere in the region of 6 to 8 mmol this is enough to know the meter is working

I do however suspect you meter is fine and it’s either your realisation of what’s going on has modified your actions slightly which has improved your levels slightly

Or simply the fact that levels do change over time and you are simply recovering from the gestational diabetes and you body is coping better now..

Anyway congratulations hope all goes well

 

[Doireallyneedanams]

Non diabetics on a healthy diet will rarely go higher than the 8ish...

I think it comes down to healthy diet and more importantly health quantity.

I know a lot of people that wont stop at say a bag of crisps.. the will go for the full on family bag of Doritos but won’t stop there they will also have a pizza. A kebab, chips..

Just my personal thought here but if you eat 2 days worth of food in an hour diabetic or not I find it hard to believe you’d have normal blood sugars 2 hours later.

As for your control solution contact the mater manufacturer they will happily send you some free of charge, in some cases you can order it from there website.. the standard one would be the mid range test that covers somewhere in the region of 6 to 8 mmol this is enough to know the meter is working

I do however suspect you meter is fine and it’s either your realisation of what’s going on has modified your actions slightly which has improved your levels slightly

Or simply the fact that levels do change over time and you are simply recovering from the gestational diabetes and you body is coping better now..

Anyway congratulations hope all goes well

Agreed. I suppose some with diabetes would spike significantly higher than normal after a moderate amount of carbs, unlike a non diabetic who may hit 7.8. But after pizza, ice cream, breaded chicken dippers etc, non diabetics definitely go above 7.8. If they didn’t, how would anyone progress to type 2 diabetes in the first place? If 6.5% Hba1c is diabetic, then the average glucose is 7.8, which suggests higher and lower numbers. Higher than 7.8, which the world will tell you non diabetics but don’t hit. Unless I am missing something, which is entirely plausible! I just think it’s such a fictitious number and I noticed diabetes (especially in pregnancy) has not been studied to the extent of other diseases. The diabetic nurses and dieticians when I was pregnant had no clue what a “normal” insulin resistance in pregnancy would look like vs gestational diabetes, and as I could not have the glucose tolerance test I was deemed to have GD due to three 1 hr readings just over 7.8 but all under 9 so it could have even been the meter! The result was me following a different diet to meet their goals of under 7 at 1 hour, which led to my baby being born at a significantly lower weight than the doctors expected based on scans etc, with absolutely no glucose issues, and my own level consistent at 4.6 through out the entirety of my labour (which the doctor said she’d never seen in her career in a diabetic) - so I believe I may not have had it, but am shocked that this hasn’t been studied. The diabetes dietician was pregnant when she saw me and said she was aware that there is a gap in knowledge when it comes to non diabetics true glucose levels especially in pregnancy, and she planned to get one of those libre things to monitor her own out of interest during pregnancy so she could see what actually happens.

In any case, my brothers were recently diagnosed at over 21mmol at 50 years of age so i need to keep myself in check as I’m 31, and hope for the best...

 

[searley]

If I go on a major pig out then my bloods will go off the chart my meter tops out at 33.3 then just reads HI I have an old meter that goes higher it said 45 but I don’t totally trust that as the strips were long out of date

 

[Doireallyneedanams]

In terms of just buying some test stuff, is that not possible? Just cannot be bothered to speak to someone and deal with that, would rather just click a few links and get it done

 

[searley]

In terms of just buying some test stuff, is that not possible? Just cannot be bothered to speak to someone and deal with that, would rather just click a few links and get it done

The only hope would be if a pharmacist has some if you have an accuchek meter you will need accuchek solution

As I said earlier you can sometimes request it from the customer area of the website

I have done in the past with both accuchek and onetouch

 

[JohnEGreen]

They have it on Amazon I believe but terribly expensive and over priced.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Accu-Chek-Control-Solution-Eligible-relief/dp/B001RA48OQ/ref=sr_1_2

 

[Mr_Pot]

In terms of just buying some test stuff, is that not possible? Just cannot be bothered to speak to someone and deal with that, would rather just click a few links and get it done

I have never really seen the point of control solution. On the tub of strips it gives a range like: Control A 5.9~8.9 so it will tell you if the meter is completely broken (which you probably would have guessed anyway) but it doesn't tell you much about the accuracy of the meter and strips.

 

[JohnEGreen]

I have it for my meter but only have ever used it once on the day I got the meter.

 

[searley]

I have never really seen the point of control solution. On the tub of strips it gives a range like: Control A 5.9~8.9 so it will tell you if the meter is completely broken (which you probably would have guessed anyway) but it doesn't tell you much about the accuracy of the meter and strips.

Well it tells you that it’s within the 15% either way margin to which the meters have to comply to.