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Doc said no to self testing ...

@Debzz_ , depending on how cynical you are:

It is generally possible to get your doctor's surgery to provide you with a glucometer. Also, a lot of manufacturers will give them away through e.g. Facebook promotions. But they're not the main cost.

The main cost is the test strips. This can be £20+ per month, depends on how often you test. Your GP will likely also be able to prescribe some strips (which are generally specific to the machine). Obviously GPs are now fundholders, so whilst a prescription might save you some money, it'll actually cost them.

Possibly by telling you not to test, they avoid you asking them to prescribe test strips? And therefore save themselves some cash?

This is just an idea, but in my experiences with the NHS I'm used to treatments boiling down to cost.
 

After a lot of nagging on my part, my DN gave me a new boxed meter from her cupboard which came with 50 cassette strips. She told me there and then that was it. No prescription for further strips.
 
Bluetit1802 said:
After a lot of nagging on my part, my DN gave me a new boxed meter from her cupboard which came with 50 cassette strips. She told me there and then that was it. No prescription for further strips.
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You make me realise how lucky I am! Kind of - I have the opposite problem, my nurse will hand stuff out as if it were sweeties, given half the chance. If I wasn't on the ball, I'd be on anti-depressants by now. Downside is, deciding whether something is useful or not comes back to me, and it'd be nice if I thought I could delegate it (although whether I would or not, I'm not so sure).

But it does annoy me when people are funny about glucometers. I mean, the drug companies by and large give them away as a loss-leader, knowing full well that the strips are where they make their money. I would urge anybody who is having difficulty with their doctor/nurse to approach the companies directly - they all have helplines.
 
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Many companies give their meters away free, as you say, but these meters need strips, and these tend to be the most expensive strips - up to almost £30 for 50. (except the TEE2 meter, which is free, and also has cheap strips). We only need to buy a meter once. We need many thousands of strips.
 
@Debzz_ nothing to do with your cynicism, or mine!

Just heard from a nurse, the reason they say don't test to "mild" diabetics (diet or Metformin) is purely down to cost. If you can fund it yourself, and buy things privately, then I would say just "test" away. Get to know what your sugars do each morning and throughout the day, get to know what foods make a difference. Make sure that if you're going to test yourself, you do so at least 2 hours after eating.
 
Told not to test as it wasn't good for my fingers! So I got my own. I now own a SD Codefree meter, a TEE2 (Free meter but need to purchase strips), and a free Accu-chek Mobile again have to buy cartridges, but fine for testing when out and about. The Doctor doesn't want us to test as the equipment isn't cheap. But then medical care for diabetic side effects isn't cheap. Also I wonder that the NHS get in handouts from the drug companies for using their medication?
 
berylc said:
Told not to test as it wasn't good for my fingers!
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A charming nurse once said to me I shouldn't damage my fingers by regular testing in case I needed them if I became blind, presumably from retinopathy.

I think the buying power of the NHS could drive down the individual cost of regular testing if they indicated a wider need. Sadly I think that there may be a point in the claim historically that the money used to be wasted as people didn't adjust their habits based on the tests but then again I'm not sure the correct advice and emphasis may have been made on this. Maybe this comes from the thinking that type 2 is inevitably progressive.
 

Love your first sentence.

People on here lucky enough to have meters and strips prescribed are generally told to test once a day, or 3 times a week, or similar. What use is this to anyone? It doesn't help anyone, and the great majority will just do these random tests, get fed up because it isn't telling them anything, or they keep seeing stressful high numbers and have no idea why so give up and take more pills.

When I told my nurse how I tested out meals she had genuinely never heard of that practice and was interested to know more about it. I would like to bet very few nurses or doctors understand the concept of type 2s eating to their meter because they have never been told. If more were told, they may eventually pass this on to patients.
 
Jay-Marc said:
A charming nurse once said to me I shouldn't damage my fingers by regular testing in case I needed them if I became blind, presumably from retinopathy.
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You couldn't make it up!!!
 
Even when I was testing 4 times a day my fingers did not become sore - I make sure the skin is clean and use a new lancet every time - 30 seconds after testing I don't even know which finger I used - though that could be partly down to the statin I took....
 
hi i am new to this and hope am doing this right i have just been diagnosed as being type 2 diabetic and on metformin 1000 x 2 in the morning sr and am taking Atorvastatin 40mg i was told not to get a glucose meter as i would become obsessed and if i needed one she would tell me i have been referred to a group called Desmond to learn about the condition and am still waiting to hear from them i have had the eye screening just last week and will have repeat bloods in may and now they say i have a lazy thyroid confused at what i am to do thanks
 
I was refused a meter and test strips when first diagnosed, being told Type 2's don't need to test. As a result, I felt Type 2 wasn't particularly significant in their eyes, although I knew it was very significant.

However, when I was prescribed Glipizide (I didn't tolerate Gliclazide) they were then obliged to give me a meter and I had 1 tub of 50 test strips prescribed each month. I've since used the Libre and got my levels down to 6% Hba1c so stopped Glipizide and have had HbA1c checked 3 months later (Feb 2017) at it's still 6% but, so far, I still am prescribed test strips. I wonder if it's because I've 'proved' I understand how to interpret the numbers? Anyway, I wonder how long I'll be prescribed these test strips now that I'm not taking Glipizide??? I'll keep getting the strips while the going's good, though, as I do use them
 
Hi @Kitty1959 and welcome to the forum

Mostly, you can disregard the (not so good) advice from NHS persons and, yes, getting a meter will be the best thing you've spent your money on. Also, check out the place carbohydrates have in causing raised glucose levels.

I won't go further in this thread. If you start a new thread, you'll get lots of help and advice
 
thank you how do i start a new thread please
 
Kitty1959 said:
thank you how do i start a new thread please
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Go to top of this page, click on Forums which takes you back to the list of categories re threads.

Select which category is the post appropriate for your question and then, at the top of the page, below the red line, you should see, on the right, 'Create new thread' (I think)

Give it a go, eh?

Edit: 'Post New Thread' is in a green box, top right, once into a category
 
some do have much more fragile skin than others and many diabetics also suffer from ezema ... and this can lead to very thin skin on ones fingers and problems in healing also ... so one person is not like the other in this matter
 
I take same dose of medication but in the evening- wonder why the different time of day ?
 
Debzz_ said:
I take same dose of medication but in the evening- wonder why the different time of day ?
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I have changed to taking my metformin so I take all in the morning, if I take half of it at night I am up to the toilet 4-5 times every night... my kidneys seem to overwork like was it poison that should be flushed out in a hurry. Since that change of timing I again sleep like a baby every night..
 

That's interesting - I moved all my Metformin to the evening - it's supposed to keep liver glucose production down so I thought I'd topload to try to prevent some of the DP raising my FBG. However ... I haven't been sleeping as well ....
 
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