Interesting readings

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endure

Member
Messages
14
Type of diabetes
Type 2
My readings over the past few days have been lower than usual (Yay!) which got me to wondering whether my meter (Abbott Freestyle Lite) was faulty or the latest tub of strips was duff. Our local Asda pharmacy has a special on the Freestyle Lite at the moment so I popped in this afto and bought one for 4 quid. I've just done a test using both meters and the same drop of blood. The old meter gives me a reading of 5.0 - the new meter 5.5 so it seems that there can be quite a significant difference using identical meters.

I think I'll believe the old meter :D
 
Sid Bonkers

Sid Bonkers

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,976
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Customer helplines that use recorded menus that promise to put me through to the right person but never do - and being ill. Oh, and did I mention customer helplines :)
BG meters have a tolerance of + /- 10% so a reading of 5 could be 5.5 or 4.5 :D Which is why it is best to use just one meter, although its always nice to have a back up.
 
S

Sue Morton

Well-Known Member
Messages
130
so when I was having a shakey and feeling dizzi and feeling like I was going to pass out and took my BS which was 4 does that mean it could have been 3.5 :?: How do you know which way to go up by 5 or down by 5 :? :?:

With the testing strips that I got with my Contour meter when I did the solution test it was at the higher end of the data given for the strips to fall within. My next lot of strips tested different they were lower I think the first lot was 7.0 and this second lot 6.5. So is it the strips that gives us this difference :?:

Sue
 
Sid Bonkers

Sid Bonkers

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,976
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Customer helplines that use recorded menus that promise to put me through to the right person but never do - and being ill. Oh, and did I mention customer helplines :)
Sue Morton said:
so when I was having a shakey and feeling dizzi and feeling like I was going to pass out and took my BS which was 4 does that mean it could have been 3.5 :?: How do you know which way to go up by 5 or down by 5 :? :?:


With the testing strips that I got with my Contour meter when I did the solution test it was at the higher end of the data given for the strips to fall within. My next lot of strips tested different they were lower I think the first lot was 7.0 and this second lot 6.5. So is it the strips that gives us this difference :?:

Sue
Click to expand...

As far as I'm aware it is the meters Sue, and I dont think theres a way of knowing if its reading high or low except by testing it against another meter.

But if you just use one meter, then whether its readings are low or high you get used to that reading and act accordingly. ie if you get shaky when your meter reads 4 then you know not to go lower than say 4.5 or even 5 to give yourself a safety zone.
 
B

Bigglesworth

Well-Known Member
Messages
45
"As far as I'm aware it is the meters Sue, and I dont think theres a way of knowing if its reading high or low except by testing it against another meter. "

Surely you would have to do a comparison with at least 2 other meters?
 
S

Sue Morton

Well-Known Member
Messages
130
I'm on a pension and don't get my strips on prescription (I did manage to get 1 pot of 50 out of the of the doc to last me a year - pot of 50 to test twice a month :roll: ) Still better then nothing.

I do have a boots meter but the cost of their strips is £25 for 50 and just haven't got the money to run 2 meters let alone 3 and don't fancy pricking my finger 3 times.

Think will just stick with my Contour and its reading as my last HBac1 was 6.2 which I was happy with as was the DN. I'm hoping that my next will be in the 5s

Cheers
Sue :)
 
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