Test Strips withdrawn

When iwas first DX asT2 I was told i would be given help on how to control and cope with it. I did my testing and got my BG down from 30 to approx 9 .Still high but going in the right direction. I asked for new strips and the cocky GP said as it was going inthe right direction I only needed to test once a month.So i couldnt have any. The only way i can tell if its ok is to test regularly so i ordered some off ebay.

I also suffer anxiety and depression and reglarly see a consultant to moniter me. I had an appointment today with her and told her what the GP had said and she was horrified that i couldnt have any more strips. She told me to make an appointment with another GP and tell her that my consultant has said that until my BG is back at a reasonable level I should be testing every day and if that was a problem to contact her.

So i'll see what happens next week. Fingers crossed.

keeping mine crossed for you two...best of luck....

Emerald eyes said:

Thanks Sid, I see it. I can really see what you are saying. I sound daft saying that, but there's knowing and seeing. It's like coming out of a dark tunnel. I eat the spuds last night, well with corned beef hash. Two hours later I was 10.00, so that plate was to much, this morning I am 7.2
Ah Sid the analogy with Potatoes, I just loved it, think it's in my genes. They are my downfall. Will let you know how I get on. Go raibh maith.

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Another thing to bare in mind is that as a general rule the more processed a food is the higher it will tend to push up your bg. So mashed potato will send your bg higher than a baked potato in its skin or new potatoes with their skins on.

I have never been a big potato eater but I do like chips and can usually manage about 10 chips dependent on their size > And a little cheat is that vinegar slows down stomach emptying so if you like vinegar on your chips so much the better

I live about an hours drive from Hastings were you can buy arguably the best fish and chips in Britain, and as an occasional treat I like to drive down for a lunch time treat of cod and chips and then just have a salad later for diner. So I trade one meal off against the other in terms of carbs.

Good luck with those test strips daffy1

If people google GlucoRX they will see a new bg meter that has much cheaper teststrips compared to the well known bg monitoring companies. I have a gut feeling that come next year many GP's will be wanting diabetics to change monitors so that a cheaper teststrip can be prescribed. Cost to the NHS I think is £9.85 for 50 strips. To buy in pharmacies is about £17. As yet they are not on eBay but probably will be

Also do not forget that as a diabetic you will be able to fill a form in and claim exemption from VAT so the retail price will be even lower. My first attempt through Google found the test strips for £13.06 without VAT.

An update on those GlucoRx test strips ... (Company name removed) sell 50 for £9.65 and the meter test kit is a low £4.79 . Postsage is £1.77.

All these prices inclued VAT which of course as a diabetic you would be exempt by filling a form.

Great find Hobs, I 'think' I still get mine on prescription but knowing how theses things can change month by month I will be keeping a note of that

Thanls for that as any moment I am waiting for my monthly Freedom Lite test strips to be withdrawn especially as the Hb1Ac I had last month was down to an amazing 5.5!!

I started on a low carb/low GI diet about 3 years ago and the only way I discovered what I could eat and what I couldn't was with testing. I also found that if my bs was high a 15 mins FAST walk to the local village and back would get it right down . My fasting blood sugars are now brilliant and look as if I have reversed the diabetes but we all know that it is only due to sensible eating. I am even eating a slice of bread a day now as my local bakery has a low GI bread and also Burgen Linseed and Soya has very low carbs. But I also know that my bs rises if I eat the sweetner Maltitol in the quantity that is in 1/2 piece of sugarless halva from testing!!! The best tip I was ever given is not to eat fruit between meals but only with a meal. I snack on nuts and cheese and will make a pizza using a slice of aubergine as a base. I am now experimenting with using Gram flour for sauces and "breading" fish .

I should add that I take cinnamon on my homemade muesli in the morning + Chromium, Magnesium and Milk Thistle. I think it is the 30 drops Milk Thisle tincture, morning and night that has stopped the dawn phenomenon that I used to get where my fasting blood sugars were higher than my going to bed ones.

Not sure about this but what about getting in touch with the manufatures of your test machine, as most send out free batteries why not ask if they would send out free test strips, or at least reduced price ones. Cut out the middle man.
I am lucky in my area as I can ask for as many as I like no questions asked, I had six boxes last year. As I was told to test a few more times a day than usual for a week for test Dr wanted me to do.
Good Luck
Chris

Hi guys,
Not sure if this has already been said but this isn't just the GP's choice. This coming from teh top now... some jumped up MP has type 2 and doesn't need to test regualrly so was seeking to reduce the bill by stopping T2 getting strips.

I agree with the comments listed, firstly diabetes is the 6th biggest killer in the US so it should get greater air time when MP's talk about it, 2 it is 1 of the most dangerous illnesses around.. how many other illnesses allow you to self medicate with a potential outcome of going into a coma if you mis-judge the amount of carbs on the plate(or are sick afterwards).

Is the problem they have removed the strips all together or that you haven't been for a reassessment in 12months. I had a similar issue a few years back when I was refused my insuling as I hadn't seen a doctor for 14months.... I had to wait 3 days to get an appointment.
Go see them and they reset the counter.

Otherwise I would play the driving card... it is a criminal offense to operate a vehicle whilst hypo(driving whilst under the influence)... the only way to remove this risk is to test....

When I was younger they used to do manual strips for testing... these are nowhere near as quick or accurate but would give you the ball park figure and were a few pounds per bottle rather than 10's of pounds.

Appreciate your input. I think some or all of the medical profession [ I wouldn't like to say] are of the opinion Type 2's don't need to check sugar levels unless they are on medication that puts them at risk of Hypoglycemia. They feel the 3 monthly check is sufficient. I had to prove my case to my doctor for my test strips, I won them back because I am Hypoglycemic and not because I am type 2. But every cloud has a silver lining and my silver lining is that it made me wake up and decide that if I couldn't win my case because I'm type 2 it's because I can't explain it well enough to convince someone else. So I will learn more about my diabetes, take more responsibility for my conditions and diet, life style, learn to really understand what my readings mean, where I've been a bit slack I am addressing that. I read some of what you people talk about and it's way over my head. I hate numbers, I have a phobia about them,just counting carbs; is like someone with a terrible fear of heights standing at the edge of a cliff. So it's really hard for me. But I'm learning.
My Mammy if she is looking down would say, Emerald, you did well to admit that.

SHEILAC said:

but after going for my HBac results yesterday (I had previously cancelled for 6 months due to them refusing to give me strips).

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That seems like a very foolish thing to do to me SHEILAC, its your health your gambling with here. The phrase cutting your nose off to spite your face springs to mind.

If you unable to test regularly then I would have thought a regular HbA1c was even more important to show what is happening with your control.

OH, now I understand where you were coming from and yes I know West Norwood, its not far from me in sunny Bromley, not quite the gateway to the south but at least the sun is shining now :lol:

testing strips withdrawn

hi all long time no see, but just a update i went for my annual review last week and nurse took testing strips off my prescription saying as i was on metformin and not glicazide i was no longer eligable for testing strips as i did not need to test? my opinion is this is more to do with cost rather than medical needs, whats your opinions?.


rgards jake

Re: testing strips withdrawn

Yes it is down to cost, and the fact they think we will all get paranoid :shock: because we are testing......this is a regular Topic on here........

Started in May, the latest post was back in October......

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=14872&start=0&hilit=withdrawn

I have merged this thread with the one in the link......

Re: testing strips withdrawn

yes when questioned the reason i was told it had nothing to do with cost but i disagree, she asked if i wanted a repeat prescription for my other medication and just casually mentioned that my prescription could be collected and dispensed automatically when ordering by Lloyds pharmacy, to which i replied that if Lloyds pharmacy supplied my test strips for free they could have the monopoly on supplying me with my medication ,she smiled and said maybe the strips manufacturers should bring down theire costs, to which i replied , so it is down to money???. no reply. hmmmmm.

Re: testing strips withdrawn

It's the money, they stopped my strips as well, I recently had to work hard to get my BG down again, which I did and my A1c was 5.2.

My Diabetic nurse asked how I had achieved this.

I told her I guessed what foods were sending me high and continued eating the standard NHS diabetic diet and included carbohydrates with every meal. She knew I was being facetious and told me if I had asked her for strips she would have prescribed them. Of course, now the Doctor has said no she can't go against him.

Anyway, it is the way things are, Lloyds sell me mine for £15.11 no VAT for 51.

H