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Meters

Peter the biker

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Don't know how many other people this affects but how many of you are limited to one particular model of meter by a decision of your GP or CCG? There are sophisticated meters available, and or small neat ones which fit in suit pocket etc, most of which are freely available yet I have been rationalised to standard issue as per plan. Yes I know we have to save money but we only have one life.
 
Welcome to the forum

As a type 2 you were lucky to be given a meter at all! Most of us have to buy them ourselves and the costly test strips too! You have a very good GP!
 
zand said:
Welcome to the forum

As a type 2 you were lucky to be given a meter at all! Most of us have to buy them ourselves and the costly test strips too! You have a very good GP!
Click to expand...
Everyone ought to have a meter. Have you asked for one? I did have prior knowledge as my partner has lived with type 1 for 55 yrs and both she and I get excellent treatment via our hospital clinic. My experience of GPs is that many don't know much more than the basics. We need as a group to demand high standards. A meter and test strips are essential.
 
I asked on Monday and was told that as I was not on any medication and my diabetes was under control I was not entitled to be prescribed strips.
 
I got a meter + 10 strips + needle barrels given to me at the hospital prior to leaving. I have also collected a prescription of tablets + 50 strips + needle barrels. Yesterday I picked up another 50 strips because the last lot were not soaking the blood up and I was getting error messages.
Got an appointment with the quack on the 12th Dec. So will probably find out a lot more than I already know.
 
Yes I bought one myself at diagnosis. I was told there was no need for one, but I wanted to know my readings so I bought one. Now I'm told I don't need to test because my control is good.
 
I was fortunate enough to be given one because my levels were so high at diagnosis.
I also seem to be able to get a pretty unlimited supply of testing strips at the moment....I'm sure that will be cut down when I'm more stable.
It has been - and is - very useful.
Bee Gee
 
Very few of us get one. Those that do are very lucky. I was given a meter and 50 strips. That was it. No more strips. I ended up having to buy another meter in order to get cheaper strips as the ones prescribed by the GP were out of this world mega expensive.
 
Have you heard about the alternative meters that don't use strips. You simply put your finger into a slot and some magic ray or beam scans the blood flowing through your finger, then shows the result on a small screen like normal meters.

The other alternative is a meter that comes with 2 patches, each patch lasts 2 weeks. No more pricking your finger, just simply attach a patch to the back of your arm (requires 1 prick) and then scan the patch with your meter. The starter kit is £150 which is for 1x meter + 2 patches but then the patches are £50-60 per pkt of 2 per month. All right if you have plenty of money but I suppose it does save your fingers from hurting.
 
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