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Where do you buy your testing strips and which machine?

berylc

berylc

Well-Known Member
Messages
785
Location
Scotland
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
When people who know nothing about the LCHF diet tell me I'm killing myself being on it. I was killing myself not being on it!
I have a Contour Next that I 'won'.... wonder how many folk won their testing machine? Just a way to get diabetics to use their testing strips! I couldn't wait for the ones I'd ordered from Amazon (£27.80 for 100 strips, 100 lancets and 100 alcohol pads). I went to Boots (yes we have some the lady said on the phone) only to find they didn't have any. So had to go to a local private chemist shop and paid £27.08 for just 50 So it got me wondering, where do you buy your strips from? I didn't think that £13.90 for 50, plus extras was too bad. Better that £27! So have ordered another 2 packs from Amazon so that I don't run out again. Also what testing machine do you use?

Beryl
 
Hi. You shouldn't have to buy Test Strips. You can get them on prescription from your GP.
 
Gemma2 said:
Hi. You shouldn't have to buy Test Strips. You can get them on prescription from your GP.
Click to expand...

I am in the UK. We have ot buy our meters and supplies They are not available on prescription, as a general rule.
 
Gemma2 said:
Hi. You shouldn't have to buy Test Strips. You can get them on prescription from your GP.
Click to expand...


Not at my Doctors. Got told 1. It was bad for my fingers. 2. A blood test every 3 - 4 months at the surgery was ample testing. 3. Follow the low GI diet and you will be fine.
I did suggest that their blood test didn't tell me that the cream bun I'd eaten 36 days ago was bad etc.
 
SD Codefree Beryl cheapest strip going, you can buy it from Amazon. I know iveseen a linmk from somebody - let me think..
@Bluetit1802 , is it you?

Apologies for the state of my typing, I'm in bed ill have got a temperature and ache all over:(
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Gemma2 said:
Hi. You shouldn't have to buy Test Strips. You can get them on prescription from your GP.
Click to expand...
Not if you're most of the type 2s on here you can't. We're "not supposed to test" for various idiotic reasons. I was allowed to test at my own expense only if I did it as a hobby by my practice;s diabetic expert. I'm now seen by my own long term GP, who actually does recognise the need for testing, but admits he isn't permitted by the Practice manager to prescribe me test strips unless I'm ill and have an accepted need to test.

@berylc - if you buy your own strips from chemists as diabetic you should be able to get a VAT exemption form. But usually Amazon or eBay will be the cheaper options. Meters themselves are usually very cheap - but as you've discovered it's the running costs that are exorbitant. That's why we generally recommend the SD Codefree.

I got my meter, originally a Contour XT, before I heard about the Codefree, but also won a Contour Next last year. I've actually continued using my Contour because I like the additional data I get from it.

Robbity
 
I get mine from off prescription but I know the chemists sell them also :) I tried to buy some for my meter as wanted a box spare but sadly they didn't sell them
 
Hi Berylc

I'll echo what other people have said about not needing the alcohol swabs. They can give you an excessively high result because of the alcohol residue which is sugary.

In terms of machines I started off buying my own the SD Biosensor Codefree from Home Health UK Ltd through Amazon on the VAT exempt listing. On two occasions this machine tested the exact same as laboratory blood glucose test. I test throughout the day so it would cost about £20-30 for ongoing test strips and lancets throughout the month. I believe that if you buy direct from Home Health they do bulk order discounts.

Now though as I do get prescribed test strips/lancets from the GP (I'm type 2, but have no hyper / hypo awareness) I use an Accu-chek Mobile. I got this for free from Roche with a referral code from my pharmacist. I only use this machine as the pharmacist claimed not to be able to fulfil a prescription for the Biosensor machine.

Incidentally I would not recommend the Accu-chek Mobile as I find it difficult to get the correct amount of blood in the correct location. This is due to having poor near sight and being poorly coordinated. This results in going through a load of "rejected" test strips, the most being 7 consecutively to date.
 
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