Different Meter Readings - help!!

[Cultivator]

Hi Everyone,

After my recent annual check up where the nurse started talking about different/additional meds, lifestyle changes di da di da etc, I decided it was time to take myself in hand again( I suppose I knew I had 'lost it' in recent months if I am honest) . I've been diagnosed type 2 for around 4 years and on 2 x 500mg Metformin ever since plus a statin I can never remember the name of for the last year or so. So, I found this forum, dusted off my Freestyle lite and cut virtually all carbs . Looking a the price of the freestyle strips and the recommendations on here I also decided to buy a new meter - as a new meter plus 100 stips is hardly any more expensive than one packet of 50 freestyle strips. The thing is... my lovely cheap new CodeFree is consistently giving me readings significantly higher than the freestyle. I understand that they can't be expected to be 100% accurate etc etc but when one meter says '5.5 good for you, well done on the no carbs thing' and the other one says ' 8.1, who are you trying to kid, it's glycozide for you!' - which am I to believe? I'm aiming to stay below 7.8 two hours after meals and, according to my freestyle I'm doing great - regular 5's and 6's - BUT the new cuckoo in my nest says 7's and 8's - tested at the same time with blood from the same prick! :?
The codefree booklet says high readings could be caused by low hematocrit levels... so I looked that up and I doubt that 's the issue - besides which, surely if I had low (or high) anything levels, both meters would be affected? or do they work in different ways?

Does anyone know? or does anyone else have experience of these 2 meters in particular? I wouldn't stress except that I have cut out virtually every carb possible and if the Codefree readings are right I definitely have a problem!

Thanks :crazy:

 

[leb]

Hi
I use the freestyle insulinx. Im type 1 on a pymp and have to test up to 12 or more times a day at the moment. A few weeks aho my gp cganged me from the freesryly ti an omnitest code free meter. It gave me very unpredicatable readings all at the sme time. I tested 3 times al at once and got totally diffetent readings each time.
rangung frim 16 to 3. I spoke to my dsn and she said im not the first and have been put back on the freestyle.
I also did tests on both at the same time and the freestly read 1 or 2mmol lower. I believe in my case this is a truer reglevtion of what my blood is ad whengoing by the omnitest results i ended up hypo so many times.
It may not be the same for you of course but its wirth knowing.
Best wishes
Leb

 

[Cultivator]

Hi Leb,
thanks for replying. I can't find any name on my new one - except SD codefree, but it looks like it could be the same one. I do feel asif the Freestyle results are more accurate - but...... I will keep running the two together for a bit until I run out of hte expensive strips - but I feel a bit annoyed that I have bought a new meter that doesn't seem to be any good l!!
All the best

 

[annew]

Hi Cultivator!
I'm recently diagnosed and have been prescribed a Microdot meter. Apparently you can only get these by prescription, and the strips aren't on the net in the uk. Anyway I've been using this very happily but my prescription is only going to be 50 strips a month. Not enough! So wanting some independence and another meter and ordered a Codefree - nice and cheap I thought. I immediately found the readings to be much higher than my Microdot, and very inconsistent - I took several readings with it at the same time and readings had a wide range. So I think its rubbish and won't be using it. Spoke nicely to the pharmacy and asked if I could pay for extra Microdot strips if I needed them - yes I can and at £18 for 50, so cheaper than the over the counter price for most others. I am prepared to pay that to have confidence in the meter I'm using. There are several reviews on Amazon saying the Codefree doesn't give good readings - sorry that I didn't pay attention to them now
Anne

 

[Cultivator]

Hi, I had a prescription for strips for the Freestyle for a while but my G.P. stopped it and, at the time, I didn't really bother about it. I wish I had kept it up. Like you I also wish I'd realised the the Codefree had problems before I went and bought one.... I'll stick with the Freestyle for now I think - and try to get the G.P to write up the strips again!
cheers

 

[test_positive]

I have a CodeFree SD and very rarely manage to get a reading below 6. My doctor gave me another meter (can't remember the name) and that does give lower readings. But he only prescribes a small number of strips.
So I am using the CodeFree SD for the moment until I build up enough free strips with the other one (have to watch the use by date though).
The important thing for me is the relative values - over time, are the readings getting better or worse? Also aiming to get below 7.8 1hr after meals. If CodeFree SD reads high (which I hope) then this should show when I get my next HbA1c result. I'm hoping that will be lower than my regular readings suggest.
As I say, when I have enough strips, I'll move onto the other meter. But the strips cost 4x those for the CodeFree SD!

There is quite a margin of error in these meters that's for sure. I try not to worry about that too much though.

 

[DickM]

Recently purchased a Codefree tester as I no longer get the Onetouch strip on prescription. Tested this morning using both systems and got the following:
Onetouch Ultraeasy = 4.9
Codefree = 5.8
So it looks like the Codefree is reading high which is preferable to a low reading that would give a false sense of safety but then again for a Type 1 it could be bad if the reading stays at around 4.5/5.0 where as in reality could be as much lower

 

[leb]

That wad ecactly my problem being T1. I would give correction doses when it wasnt actually needed and ended up hypo!! Deffinitely dangerous for T1s :-/

 

[hanadr]

No 2 meters ever give the same readin. I have a Freestyle Lite and for the same reason as you i tried a Codefree and found it gave consistently High readings so back it went. I get the best price fo my strips by going direct to Abbott Diabetes Care, who post them to me for abou £15 per pack.
Hana

 

[welsh_kev]

Im new to all this having only been diagnosed 3 weeks ago.
Got an accu chek free but do wil not provide strips went out and bought a sd codefree. For me, after doing some control testing against a freestyle and the accu chek, id throw it in the bin. Its readings are so inaccurate that the imformation is both depressing and dangerous.
I came to this conclusion after testing both myself and my collegue yesturday. Hes a long term t2 and was showing about 8 post meal on freestyle and 17 on codefree, he retested immediately on both and got 8 on freestyle and 15 on codefree.
My personal readings have not made sense for the last 2 week and im sure its down to the codefree.
Seeing practice diabetes nurse tomorrow so hoping to get the prescription signed.

Kev

 

[GraceK]

I use a Codefree for financial reasons and yes, it does show higher readings than I was getting with Accu-check but they are consistent. To be honest, I don't mind the slightly higher readings because it keeps me on my toes.

 

[Cultivator]

Thanks everyone. Seems we just need to be aware that codefree always measures high. As Grace says, that's Ok if it keeps us on or toes but it was worrying when I suddently thought my BG had increased by over 2 points whilst on a virtually carb free diet!
I'll see if I can persuade the practice nurse to give me more strips for hte Freestyle if I can impress her enough with how much my HbA1C has dropped when I see her again in Dec. I have to say that according to the Free3style I am now getting readings in the high 4's and 5's - which I had never ever seen before I cut out pretty well all carbs Totally carb free is hard work though ... I'm testing in an hours time to see how the first wholewheat pasta lunch has managed....

 

[Cultivator]

:sick: :cry: :evil: :thumbdown: :!:

whole meal pasta ? 8.6 at two hours - and that is from a 5.2 start. It was not a huge bowl and it did have full fat cheese, tuna and bits of veg - onions, tomatos etc in it aswell.

I'm going to test again in an hour's time - but I'm not impressed with that! May have to have a totally carb free life after all

 

[Cultivator]

:x

Bah! still 7.7 and its now 3 hours after !!

I'm going outside to run about a bit and see what that does

 

[DickM]

I think that with the Codefree you are either lucky or not but they do seem to be very inconsistent. :eh:
Tested on the Codefree and the Onetouch for a week and the Codefree was reading .8 to 1.0 high so I stopped using it. Just done a 2 hour + test and got a reading of 6.0 on the Onetouch (expected) and the decided to try the Codefree againand got a reading of 5.5, so it has gone from reading very high to reading .5 lower.
Basically I think I will leave it in the cupboard as it is useless for trying to regulate BG readings if it can't give consistent readings :thumbdown:

 

[SHEILAC]

I am very interested in the comments regarding the codefree meter. I like many others bought the meter as the test strips could be bought very cheaply compared to my One Touch Vita. As I am on a pension being 75yrs old I just couldnt manage the price for my previous meter. My doctor has insisted I buy my own, although at 75yrs I am entitled to FREE PRESCRIPTIONS. After using the strips for several weeks it is definitely showing a rise of up to 2.00 on each testing. My morning numbers previously were 5.6 this meter shows 7.1 up to 7.8. After meals it shows anything up to 9.0. when normally it would show around 7 after 2 hours. An odd time it has shown 4.5. Strange thing is before my main midday meal I begin to feel around 4.5 to 5.0 but the meter will record a 7.0. Do you think it is safe to keep using the Codefree and allow for the variance. I do a lot of exerciseand dog walking plus all the usual household chores. I would be very interested in your comments. There is no way I could afford the more expensive strips. roblem:

 

[lucylocket61]

I have been using my SD Codefree for months and it has always been fine. I also use a Glucomen RX from my doctor when he gives me 50 strips, and that reads higher.

weird :crazy:

 

[GraceK]

I am very interested in the comments regarding the codefree meter. I like many others bought the meter as the test strips could be bought very cheaply compared to my One Touch Vita. As I am on a pension being 75yrs old I just couldnt manage the price for my previous meter. My doctor has insisted I buy my own, although at 75yrs I am entitled to FREE PRESCRIPTIONS. After using the strips for several weeks it is definitely showing a rise of up to 2.00 on each testing. My morning numbers previously were 5.6 this meter shows 7.1 up to 7.8. After meals it shows anything up to 9.0. when normally it would show around 7 after 2 hours. An odd time it has shown 4.5. Strange thing is before my main midday meal I begin to feel around 4.5 to 5.0 but the meter will record a 7.0. Do you think it is safe to keep using the Codefree and allow for the variance. I do a lot of exerciseand dog walking plus all the usual household chores. I would be very interested in your comments. There is no way I could afford the more expensive strips. roblem:

I use the Codefree too and yes the readings are 1-2 points higher than when I was using Accu-check ... but they are consistent so it's not like the readings are all over the place in an up down up down fashion or giving me readings way out ... they're always 1-2 points higher than Accu-check so I work with that level and hope when I go for my 3 month check at the doctors that I will get a nice surprise to find my levels are lower than my Codefree tells me. I can't afford expensive strips either so it's better than nothing and yes I think it's as safe as any allowing for the variance.

 

[Defren]

I used a Codefree initially until my GP began prescribing strips, now I use an Accu-check aviva. My personal opinion is, if you are testing only so you know what foods do to you, and are building a reference of safe foods, the Codefree is fine. I wouldn't however suggest it to a T1 or T2 insulin user, it's just not accurate enough - in my opinion. Before my last HbA1c I tested a lot, my average had me at 5.0-5.1% for my HbA1c, it actually was 4.9%. Those averages were from a Codefree. One other big piece of advice I would offer, only use one meter, comparing readings will end up driving you mad, and the truth is, you'll never be 100% sure the meters are accurate. Just use one, it's kinder on the ole blood pressure.

 

[SHEILAC]

Thank you for the replies to my question of the SD codefree being OK to use. I have been testing up to 5 times a day during the last week, and now believe that if I deduct 1.7% from the readings I should be about right. Will know better after my next Hbac which is due next April.