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Is my machine working right?

berylc

berylc

Well-Known Member
Messages
785
Location
Scotland
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
When people who know nothing about the LCHF diet tell me I'm killing myself being on it. I was killing myself not being on it!
I have a SD Codefree machine and have been wondering for a while if it is working right. I have been sticking to the LCHF diet and walking lots, plus I go to the swimming pool for 30 mins a couple of times a week, when my work shifts allow. But my testing results are always so different. I can test the same finger, using the same spot I pricked and the readings can be put as much as 2 points within seconds ( I did 4 tests last night in one minute using the same finger blood, no further pricking all totally different). When I got to work yesterday after all good foods and a trip to the pool, plus a half hour walk to work in very strong winds which was hard walking, my machine told me I was over 12 So I checked my blood on a Freestyle Optimum Neo that the nurses use at work and it was 6.8. We now have to take readings from some of the residents and if someone doesn't know how to do it I show them on myself and the readings are always very similar, no great spikes in the readings. I've tested my machine and it reads either 5 or 6.6
 
Your meter is more than likely fine. If in doubt, you can perform a test with control solution to make sure that it's accuracy has not been compromised.

All meters have an error margin unfortunately, and the higher your BG - the wider the range. To comply with the newest ISO standards, your meter will be +/- 15% of your measured BG 95% of the time. Have a look at this link and charts for reference :)

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/blood-glucose-meters/blood-glucose-meter-accuracy.html
 
GrantGam said:
Your meter is more than likely fine. If in doubt, you can perform a test with control solution to make sure that it's accuracy has not been compromised.

All meters have an error margin unfortunately, and the higher your BG - the wider the range. To comply with the newest ISO standards, your meter will be +/- 15% of your measured BG 95% of the time. Have a look at this link and charts for reference :)

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/blood-glucose-meters/blood-glucose-meter-accuracy.html
Click to expand...

Thanks for that link. I hadn't seen that page.
 
I have the same meter and yesterday morning my reading was 7.6 which shocked me so repeated it immediately and it was 5.6 however after posting I received good advice which was look at your previous morning readings i did and most were between 5.1 - 6 so I accepted the lower reading.
 
We all get rogue readings from time to time, no matter which meters we use. I had this problem last night when I went to bed. Codefree said 6.5. I have never been that high or anywhere near it at bedtime - EVER. Tested again, 6.6. Tested again 6.4. So from that I went to bed wondering why this should be when my Libre sensor said I was a steady 5.8.

This morning for fasting, same thing. 3 consecutive tests all in the 6's. Unheard of for me. Libre said I was 5.3, which is my normal FBG.

Despite no battery warning, I changed it. Bingo. Tested again 3 times and all in the low to mid 5s.

Something was amiss with the meter/battery.
 
It may not be relevant to your situation, but I have just done a comparison test between my newest meter against my SD Codefree, and 2 Abbott NEO's, one of which is also brand new. I found the SD read high, and the NEO's read low when compared to an average derived from all the meters. The new Dual meter only gave one misread which was still in spec.
 

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Thinking about your odd reading of 12+

There are several possible explanations - from it being genuinely rogue, to something sweet on your finger, to the brisk exercise in a strong wind. sometimes exercise raises us, and if it was exciting/stressful/physically demanding, that can push the number up.

When you get a rogue reading like that, best thing is to wash hands then test again.
Personally, if I tested 3x and got 5.7, 6.2 and 6.4 I would pick a rough middling figure and go with that.
But if I tested 3x and got 12.6, 5.7 and 6.2, I would dismiss the first one as rogue, and go with an average of the last 2 numbers.

- not that I usually test 3 times! That way lies obsession and sore fingers! lol. Only when something seems odd, like an unexpected 12+ :)
 
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