Over testing - is there such a thing?

This whole thing about GPs and costs of test strips can really drive me up the wall sometimes. The simple undeniable argument is that the more you test the better your overall control, which means that you are at low risk of developing the complications associated with diabetes. And THAT is the key, a patient with neuropathy, live or kidney failure, eye problems is way WAY more costly then prescribing an extra box of test strips. Just look at the costs of an A&E visit, that alone will out do the cost of a box of test strips. So don't accept the argument about saving the NHS money on test strips, you are actually saving the NHS way WAY more money by keeping your diabets in check.

For testing I do a lot have always done, had type 1 for about 32 yrs now and so far not a single HbA1C over 6.9% (my current is 6.6% or 49 by the new scales). I wouldn't test every hour though, there simply isn't a need to, usually I test whenever I feel strange, so sudden fatigue, burning eyes, grumpy or feeling bloated and I test before I go out, before I exercise in the middle of my gym session and two/three times after as well as before going to bed. In total, about 10-15 times a day. I've been told that was too much but the end results in blood tests and the lack of any complication after such long term of diabetes speak for themselves.

Hope that helps,
Frankie

Riesenburg said:

This whole thing about GPs and costs of test strips can really drive me up the wall sometimes. The simple undeniable argument is that the more you test the better your overall control

Hope that helps,
Frankie

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Not quite as simple as that. Number of tests and good control are not always related. If you don't understand test results or are not prepared to act on the numbers, you can test 24 times a day and still have poor control. Conversely, someone who eats a relatively low carb diet, exercises and adjusts insulin requirements accordingly can test 3 or 4 times a day and maintain excellent control.

I agree if you don't act on the results you will never get anywhere, then you might as well not bother testing at all. But most of us test in order to determine whether we need to do something about the levels. As for testing only 3-4 times a day, not sure it might be an individual difference in diabetic control. Ultimately speaking I avoid the highs as well as the lows, maybe even more so. A hyper causes more irreversable damage than a mild hypo so bringing down anything beyond an 11 for me is a top priority, hence probably the reason for more testing.

I'm not a fan of low carb diets so can't really give a valid experience of being on them. Always found them to cause massive energy gaps and when in the gym I find it impossible to keep the hypos at bay without a high shot of carb intake.

I also agree that generally, if you test more , you can achieve better control. My point was just that your comment suggested that testing more just gives better results per se. There are many on this forum who test an awful lot but cannot maintain good control of their diabetes. This may be because of other complications or lack of understanding of results/dose adjustment or diet.
However, I do take your point that it is better to test more than less.

Frankie,

One can save the NHS money spent on blood-sugar testing, and also test more.

Most of the time, I simply don't need the (supposed) decimal-point accuracy of meter-read sticks.

Most of they time, I keep my blood-sugar in check by using the far cheaper visually read strips: Betachek Visual - http://www.betachek.com/uk/store

Like myself, you would surely remember when these kind of strips were first introduced.

And like myself, you were probably advised to cut them with scissors, to make their use more economical.

I've so far seen only one other user of this forum who has a current HbA1c reading as low as mine normally is. And, touch wood, serious hypos are a thing of the past for me. But that's because of what I eat, and the way that I eat, as much as the amount that I test my blood-sugar.

I believe I'm currently the sole UK user of Betachek Visual.

They are currently on the UK Drug Tariff. But next month, they probably won't be. (There is now no UK-based supplier.) So I'll certainly be saving the NHS money by having to buy my own.

Muir said:

LittleWolf said:

Fufufufufuuuu #^^#

Tiny pricks.

I use the hand gels or a bit of isopropyl alcohol. I only use my left thumb to test now as its easiest and I thought testing from the same digit would give me consistency. Plus I only have black dots in one place. It's just funny that the old sites I can't see anymore went white as well as a large circular area of my thumb and it looked like anaemic Swiss cheese lol I do only chance the lancet once every couple of days though... I'm entirely self funded >_<

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Ouch yeah im lucky living in DK. High taxes but things like lancets, syringes and test cartridges are free. Tbh I only swap them out maybe every other day too but thats outta lazyness :mrgreen:
Just out of curiousity - have you tried a a lighter (less deep) setting on the lancet-punching-thingie (prickmaker)?
Also if you use it on thinner skin like your last 2 fingers on both hands it'll probably heal faster also.
Personally i couldn't imagine using it on my thumb as I've got really thick skin there...those craters would never heal :shock:

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Part of the problem is that I'm not diagnosed diabetic yet- my HbA1c done after months of hounding the surgery came up normal but that's because I can be anywhere between 3.1 and 19. I regularly go into the teens after every meal and can drop out of nowhere which makes me pretty tired... Then there's all the skin problems and infections and muscle aches and nagging pain in my right kidney.

I do use the softest setting lol. But I'm alright mutilating just the 1 finger.

My grandma is T2 so I often go to her for advice or a moan or to put my sharps in her bin and she will give me lancets because she gets a lot on prescription. Not strips though. I like to test a lot because of the large 10mmol swings I have daily so just bought 250 strips for £34.95 :0

I also think its a good idea to get a standardised, NHS-issue meter that could have all the features as voted by uk diabetics but it will be affordable because everyone will have the same meter and strips so purchased will be in bulk. Too much is in the hands of private companies! Like pharmaceutical drug manufacturing...


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LittleWolf said:

Part of the problem is that I'm not diagnosed diabetic yet- my HbA1c done after months of hounding the surgery came up normal but that's because I can be anywhere between 3.1 and 19. I regularly go into the teens after every meal and can drop out of nowhere which makes me pretty tired... Then there's all the skin problems and infections and muscle aches and nagging pain in my right kidney.

I do use the softest setting lol. But I'm alright mutilating just the 1 finger.

My grandma is T2 so I often go to her for advice or a moan or to put my sharps in her bin and she will give me lancets because she gets a lot on prescription. Not strips though. I like to test a lot because of the large 10mmol swings I have daily so just bought 250 strips for £34.95 :0

I also think its a good idea to get a standardised, NHS-issue meter that could have all the features as voted by uk diabetics but it will be affordable because everyone will have the same meter and strips so purchased will be in bulk. Too much is in the hands of private companies! Like pharmaceutical drug manufacturing...

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**** that's by far a worse situation than being a fullblown diabetic - mine was diagnosed after about 10 days iirc. Losing 25 pounds in less than 2 weeks in fluid and fat was a good pointer lol.

It really tires the body something fierce going high and dipping low constantly. I **** well hope they will see reason and diagnose you sooner rather than later, that in-between limbo must be hellish trying to maintain a normal life.

You're spot on meds&equipment manufacturers are reeling the cash in! When i order strips/syringes at the supplier without logging in I can see the retail price for costumers without perscription and the prices are insane!
1xAccu-Chek Compact Plus catridge (17 tests)=15£
1x 200pcs. BD MicroFine pensyringe, 5 mm x 0,25 mm= 26£

Needless to say I feel rather lucky to be living where I am :shock:

Holy ****, look at dem prices!!

And what's worse is the way my HbA1c evens out no one even suggested I'm prediabetic. Now I'm proactive and take action against numbers double the level considered toxic to the body because I think that's not normal. How many hundreds and thousands of prediabetics are basically rotting away because no one told them to test or take action? People like Janeecee on this site who also gets no support from her doctor or a diabetes nurse etc How many are costing the NHS money with the beginnings of complications when still in the prediabetic stage?

I decided to eat some Weetabix before random bloods so they would take a look at what happens. Honestly, I think the NHS would SAVE MONEY if they caught it earlier. They wait until someone is really bad and needs lots of medication and/or insulin or has complications that require a lot of care.

If the GP had looked into my tiredness, low vitamin D and feeling awful after meals taking into account the numbers I provided and family history, how mic money could have been saved on rushing me to the hospital because I passed out somewhere?! I didn't realise an ambulance ride and a hospital visit were SO expensive. Yet why am /I/ feeling guilty about it?


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I don't think you can ever test too much, unless due to impracticalities (I once used continuous monitoring device that tested my interstitial glucose level (glucose level in tissues and surrounding spaces) every 2.5 mins for 3x24 hours. Clearly manually testing 1728 times in 3 days is impractical


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