I have had over 10 meters in my diabetic phase, and I do the calibration fluid check on all of them, and I have never had a meter fail. Unfortunately the range of acceptable values is so large that it does not actually verify the meter accuracy. If the calibration fluid came with a titrated value that is certified, then the calibration check might have some validity to it. I use it for finding gross error perhaps due to battery problem, but it does not give me much confidence when checking my bgl near the hypo danger area. I use the HBA1c value and my average plasma level to verify my meter at a spot reading taken at the same time. I also average all my readings to reduce noise and to detect mis readings, I have one meter that is quite stable and a second meter that misreads quite often so I use the second meter as a sanity check, and the first meter for basing any decisions I make regarding my therapy or diet. ButI am always aware that neither meter is perfect, and I use trend analysis to base my therapy on long term. So far my analysis has detected one pack of out-of-date reboxed test strips, and one set of counterfeit strips that I bought online in the last 6 months.False Hypo as Azure said is my guess as well..............
Also I use an Aviva meter and in reference to what Oldvatr said I went on their website and ordered some calibration fluid to check my meter was reading correctly, and to my surprise it was free..............
A couple of times recently I have had shaky arms and legs plus lethargy despite being higher than 4.0. Can you get a hypo at 4.8?
The feelings of these "false hypos" can be more to do with relative BG levels. If you drop from 10.8 to 4.8 then the drop is more likely to feel like a "hypo" than if you fall from a usual 5.8 to 3.8.
@lynbrown what are your normal BG figures?
Know what you mean I've 2 collies, one a young & skinny tricolour, an one an old and fluffy redThanks . I love the dog by the way , he looks just like my real boy.
Technically no, u can feel just like it though.. I used to have this before only got better when i handled my levels better, which is not happening now >: (A couple of times recently I have had shaky arms and legs plus lethargy despite being higher than 4.0. Can you get a hypo at 4.8?
I get hypos at anywhere in the 4. range, but then my blood sugar is always very high. I'm type 2 but insulin dependent. I think the posts on here talking about sudden drops bringing on hypo symptoms are ringing very true. All about the balance I guess...A couple of times recently I have had shaky arms and legs plus lethargy despite being higher than 4.0. Can you get a hypo at 4.8?
I have reported this on several other threads now, and I bring it up again here since it may be relevant, and that is to do with how our bgl meters are calibrated. Older meters used to be calibrated for the interstitial fluid that comes out when we finger prick (also called 'whole blood'). Modern meters are being calibrated for plasma levels, so that they correlate better to the venous blood that the HbA1c is measured from.
Thus a modern meter will probably read 12% higher than an older meter. Thus if you used to experience hypo symptoms at 4 mmol/L on an older meter, then it will now start at 4.8 mmol/L on a new meter. Conversly, if you used to use a level of 5mmol/L as being your safety limit, then you should be looking at a new limit of 6. This does not include variance due to meter accuracy, but will apply to most currently available meters. This is a calibration change, so all readings will shift by a factor of x1.12
Also, not all meters have been changed. i know for a fact that most Accucheck meters have changed since 2011, and my SD Codefree is defintely plasma compatible. However my older Xceed (given to me in 2014) is whole blood, as is the replacement Xceed (received Sep2015), but also my new Neo (received Sep 2015). So it would seem that Abbott meters have not changed.
I got a hypo the other day. My Neo read 3.7, my SD on the same blood drop read 6.1. My body said 'Feed me Seymour, Feed me NOW'
One important bit of info to take on board, and that is that the NICE ranges and targets and the Newbie information for new starters seem to be both quoting values for older meters, and are 12% lower than the new meters,
trying a tag to @DCUK Jessica (Meter researcher apparently)