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Meters which is best

B

Barrie14184

Member
Hi guys I was diagnosed two weeks back and put on glicklazide 40mg x 2 I was not given any thing to test so I bought my own which is a an accu check nano
The test strips are £20 for 50
Now last night I got in from work and sat down and felt a hypo so I checked with my meter and it was at 3.4
I got on to the docs today to request a prescription for more strips to be told I should only be testing 3x per week and the test strips are expensive
And they have now supplied me a different meter called a care sens N but this is giving me a higher reading than my accu check even after I have calibrated both meters, question is which is the best meter
They are saying that the strips for my accu check are to expensive and won't be supplied but if the supplied meter is not as good then that's no good for me any help will be appreciated
Baz
 
Hi barrie14184 there has been a lot of talk about this subject its ongoing it seems alot of surgery's are trying to reduce costs by cutting back on test strips etc and going for the cheapest ones I my self wrote on the forum a while ago as I got myself a talking meter (poor eyesight) requested strips for said meter got refused point blank now going through local CCG to see if they can help I believe the accu chek range is some of the more expensive strips problerly why they gave you a new meter I'm not sure why your meters would be giving you such varied readings as they should be set within certain standards. Are your readings on both meters alot different I've never used any of those meters so can't really comment but sure others on forum will be able to shed more light on this subject hope may have helped abit all the best for now.
 
Hi @Barrie14184 and welcome to the forum. I use a Accu Chek Mobile and buy the test cartridges myself, but they are quite dear at around £25 for 50 tests.
I have just ordered the new Tee2 Blood Glucose Meter which is free and the test strips are £7.75 for 50. You are exempt from VAT if you are diabetic. People on here say it is quite accurate when they compare it with their other meters.
You can order it online here:
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/
 
If you are on Gliclazide you are open to hypos and NICE say you must be provided with a meter and strips by the NHS.
 
Thanks guys
Even the Lance is cheap and nasty in comparison to the fast click with the lancet being kept in the cartridge, a guy at work who had just been diagnosed prior to me seems to be able to obtain the lancets and strips for the accu check on prescription no bother however he is in a different town
Being told I should only test three times per week is crazy to me in particular when having to drive and as a maintenance engineer I work on electrical and mechanical machinery Inc working at heights this having been explained to them the response was these strips are expensive........ Shocking and could be literally!!
 
You can use the Accu Chek Fastclix lancet pen with any meter. I have one. I agree they are brilliant. Any lancet device can be used with any meter. It is only the strips that can't.
 
These are the NICE recommendations that the NHS is obliged to follow:

Self-monitoring of blood glucose

1.6.12 Take the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) At a glance guide to the current medical standards of fitness to drive into account when offering self‑monitoring of blood glucose levels for adults with type 2 diabetes. [new 2015]

1.6.13 Do not routinely offer self-monitoring of blood glucose levels for adults with type 2 diabetes unless:
the person is on insulin or

there is evidence of hypoglycaemic episodes or

the person is on oral medication that may increase their risk of hypoglycaemia while driving or operating machinery or

the person is pregnant, or is planning to become pregnant. For more information, see the NICE guideline on diabetes in pregnancy. [new 2015]

Your Gliclazide is one of those medications that increases risk of hypoglycaemia, so you are entiteld to strips on prescription, and a sufficient number to allow you to stay safe while driving and operating machiney. Your nurse is talking through her hat saying 3 times a week. I suggest you speak to her (or your GP) again.
 
Hi @Barrie14184
I was also diagnosed a couple of weeks ago so I set out to buy a meter. I was given the website at: https://homehealth-uk.com/product-category/blood-glucose/ for the SD Codefree meter and I ordered one a few days ago.. it arrived yesterday. While I was waiting for this I also found the website at: http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/ who distribute the TEE 2 meter, which is free. I have now received both, and done my first tests. My recommendation is that the TEE 2 is a little easier to understand and a bit more user-friendly The strips and lancets are relatively cheap and there's a free USB lead and CD programme for recording and monitoring your results .. the freephone support number (if required) gets you through to folks who are friendly and helpful. I don't know yet whether my Surgery will provide the strips etc on prescription .. but, more importantly, I now know what my BG levels are .. and I will be able to manage them
 
Yes you should be able to get strips free. You should be able to get enough to test every time before you drive, and during driving if its longer than two hours. So if you only drive three times a week, technically 3 test strips per week is enough. Otherwise you should argue the point as with Gliclazide you MUST check.
They don't have to give you strips for the meter of your choice. I had a similar discussion and while I do get test strips, its for a meter they provided. I can't get them for my preferred meter. So I use my own when I want the convenience, theirs when its less important.
All of this ignores the fact that most people round here agree that regular testing helps you understand your personal situation. So it may be that if you want to test 7 times a day, you need to pay for your own. Personally I'm being told I test too often.
There is an issue around, with people getting large numbers of strips they don't use, and selling them on. This seems to be an issue with many prescription items and is costing the NHS big time. Now GPs are responsible for their own budgets, they are being careful about things like this.
 
Hi @Barrie14184, please remember that meters are not that accurate and can legally be plus or minus 15% from lab standard tests.


The meter that has been supplied will meet requirements but since they have saved on costs with the meter, you should be provided with a suitable amount of test strips to keep you safe and healthy (and everyone you work with or come into contact with on the road).
 
Hi Prem51, I'm currently using the sd codefree but thinking it's now in need of replacing. Would be interested to hear how the tee2 meter performs.
 
Hi,
I have had the SD Codefree and TEE 2 monitors for a few days now and, as I said previously, I personally prefer the TEE 2. I have tested with both for comparative purposes and the readings have never been more than 0.1 mmol apart.
 
@chocoholicnomore I'll post how it works out when I receive it and have used it for a few days. I intend to continue using my Accu Chek Mobile for my fbg test, as it is easy to use when I'm still in bed, no fiddling about with strips.when I'm still half asleep, I but will be using the Tee2 to check before and after meal to see what if anything spikes me.
I've only done that a few times before when I've eaten something carby like pizza or biriani, and they didn't spike me. Got readings of 5.5 two hours after eating.
 
AM1874 said:
Hi,
I have had the SD Codefree and TEE 2 monitors for a few days now and, as I said previously, I personally prefer the TEE 2. I have tested with both for comparative purposes and the readings have never been more than 0.1 mmol apart.
Click to expand...
Hi AM1874, I was looking at the link for the free tee2 meter but it doesn't say if strips are provided with it. Am I best to order strips at the same time or did you get some strips with the meter?
 
I have Tee2, it seems very consistent, it reads a bit lower than my Codefree but a bit higher than my Contour Next.
It comes with 10 strips and I bought another 50 at the same time. Free postage is good.
 
chocoholicnomore said:
Hi AM1874, I was looking at the link for the free tee2 meter but it doesn't say if strips are provided with it. Am I best to order strips at the same time or did you get some strips with the meter?
Click to expand...
Hi @chocoholicnomore Just a few strips and lancets provided FOC (10 of each, I think). I ordered a box of 50 strips for £7.75 and 100 lancets for £3.99 when I ordered the meter. VAT is extra but I think that this is excluded for diabetics (Ididn't see this at the time of order). Full order was delivered next day. Any questions, you can ring the support number (Freephone) 0800 881 5423
 
Well here's an update
My accu check has provided me with consistency in its readings and when it told me that I was at 3.7 I did indeed start to suffer a hypo
The care sense N was showing me three points above at 6.8 this was from the same drop of blood as a sample
I had taken the care sense back to the diabetes clinic and they took it away they
Then gave me a tee 2 Meter and I went home and tested them all together this is the results all taken from the same drop of blood at the same time
Caresens n 8.8 tee2 9.5 accu check 7.3 now I get there will be a difference between the meters but this results in my opinion is way out and could be the difference between driving legal and not also being safe at work
I called the helpline at spirit health care and got through to a rather snotty woman that insisted their meters were correct and that's that I asked her to explain why the Caresens N showed me 6.8 as the accu check showed 3.7 and indeed had a hypo and got the scripted answer we are confident out meters are correct
I will not be using any of the NHS meters which are cheap and made in Korea. As opposed to the better made easier to use and in my honest opinion more accurate accu check
There is something amiss in all of this
 
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