Strip Reading oddities

[wright241]

My wife was diagnosed with diabetes 3 months ago - which apparently was the cause of her having her small toe amputated and then spending a month in hospital. She is on all sorts of meds for the amputation and had a stent fitted for a heart/artery blockage but I try and look after her blood sugar levels via her diet (I do all the meals now and I am very hard on her carb intake, cheese, veggies and fruit etc - no Banana's, no pineapple etc etc) plus she has to take Januvia 50mg and Novanorm 2mg. She uses an ACCU-CHEK pricker and ACCU-CHEK aviva strips. Question: why do I get so many inconsistencies with her blood readings?? Today for example at 12:09 I got a 189 reading, less than 50 seconds later (with another needle and another strip), I got 128…….. I am lucky enough to not have a BS problem - even though we are both in out late 60's. I have also read Dr Berntein's book - to help me try and understand Diabetes and what she goes through - great book and he has had an amazing life…..!!!!! His diet recommendations are just the job.
So, apart from me wasting money on all the extra strips I am having to get…. Why is this odd reading happening - I check her reading x3 a day before a "meal' and one of them is ALWAYS "wrong'.... Anybody?
PS I have seen a lot of posts about accuracy and difference strips etc - but 50% seems rather excessive
Thanks for any help, David

 

[Nuthead]

Meter Accuracy is plus or minus 15%. Bg is dynamic thus prone to constantly change. Different readings even from the same drop of blood in common. You can also find the time taken after drawing blood and testing can affect the result. Blood starts to evaporate and coagulation also starts. Make sure hands are clean and dry. Take one reading a stick with it. It's going to drive you crazy otherwise.

 

[wright241]

Thanks. I normally do wash my hands even though I don't touch either end of the strip. I'll give them a wash with an antispetic soup and see whats happens. Many thanks and regards, David.
Her reading this evening was what I have found is "normal" - 109.

 

[Lamont D]

The recommended way of testing is before you eat (fasting) and two hours after first bite. This is because it is easier to create a baseline at two hours to see if your food is not spiking you too much and many diabetics are within 2mmols after 2 hours. If in control! Any food that is above this is not good for your blood glucose average levels.

This the only way to get control, is test, experiment, test, experiment, test!
Everybody's different, so what spikes me, doesn't necessarily spike you.

 

[wright241]

The recommended way of testing is before you eat (fasting) and two hours after first bite. This is because it is easier to create a baseline at two hours to see if your food is not spiking you too much and many diabetics are within 2mmols after 2 hours. If in control! Any food that is above this is not good for your blood glucose average levels.

This the only way to get control, is test, experiment, test, experiment, test!
Everybody's different, so what spikes me, doesn't necessarily spike you.

I'll try that tomorrow. Thanks and point taken - as it were!!!