metformin

the very first thing I did was to buy a meter and a load of strips!

If they advise you to test, they have to prescribe = cost!!

Sad but true!

Tree-peony is dead right. But you mUST test, or how will you find out what you can and can't eat? Their comment about "sticking pins" is stupid and patronising.
Don't know why half a 500mg. They normally introduce them slowly to avoid tummy upsets, but usually one for a week or two then upped to two. Perhaps you have other medical conditions which conflict with metformin?

Same with me timps. I got started on 1 then a week later 2 then a couple of weeks later 3. I see you got the less extreme but incredibly patronising version of the "IT WILL SEND YOU MAD" message. Ignore it they're your eyes and feet not theirs.

If you can afford it you will have to join the rest of us and buy a meter. By far the cheapest option is to spend £20 up front and get the SD CODEFREE meter from the health.co.uk shop on eBay. Most people have been reasonably happy with it. In that £20 you should be able to get an initial 60 strips and it includes P&P. If you can afford to buy more strips do it when you by the meter as you'll save on P&P. Make sure you buy a UK mmol/l version and not a US mg/dl one as otherwise the numbers it shows will be confusing. Extra strips are then £5 / 50. If money is tight then you can eek out 50 strips to last 7 weeks by just testing two hours after your main meal to ensure you are safe.