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Which meter should I get?

lucylocket61 said:
I use the same lancet all day, change it every 24 hours because I am either a wimp about a semi blunt lancet, or have sensitive fingers.
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I use a lancet for 24hrs (usually 3 tests) then change it. They're cheap at £4.99 for 100
 
I believe there is one Walmarts down near Portsmouth but I have no idea what they sell!
 
archersuz said:
I believe there is one Walmarts down near Portsmouth but I have no idea what they sell!
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The next obvious question for me is when I am set up how many times a day should I test? I was planning before and after breakfast lunch and supper. Is that reasonable? Off on Desmond course on Wed but not expecting too much! You guys are the biz!!
 
PenguinMum said:
You only get 6 lances in each drum and at £5.49 for bare daily minimum that must cost you £150 a month or have I misunderstood this?
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i change the lancet every time I start a new tub of strips, a 100 + 2 box of Accu-Chek Multiclix lancet drums costs $20.00.

So a 1 x 6 drum of lancets lasts for 300 strips, and not expensive at all.

Edit: Typo.
 
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PenguinMum said:
Off on Desmond course on Wed but not expecting too much! You guys are the biz!!
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Don't expect the DESMOND nurses to agree with testing! Or very low carb. They will promote the Eatwell plate which most of us find too high in carbs.
 

That sounds perfect, as long as you also keep a food diary with all the ingredients and portion sizes, and record your levels alongside, taking note of the actual rise from before to after - try to keep it under 2mmol/l and preferably a lot less.
 
That's how I started off. You will gradually find out which foods cause a bigger rise than others and what size of portion.

I now test when I wake up, after breakfast and before evening meal as standard. I also test when I eat anything different - before and 2 hours after.
 
I use the accu check mobile which my gp actually gave me. I use insulin so I get all my lancets and the cartridges that you use to test free on prescription. I really like it as it's so self contained , no fiddling about putting test strips in etc. It would probably be a different story if I had to pay for them myself
 
I get mine on prescription but made a mistake when 1st diagnosed of buying one from Boots only to find the test strips and Lancets wasn't covered by my doctor's surgery so I got one of their testers off them and use that. More Lancets than you need and 50 test strips for the price of a script. I was using really heavily at first so I signed up to the NHS £10 month plan to cover all my scripts. I saved loads of money that way and when I'd got control and didn't test as heavily I cancelled it. One tub of test strips now last me a couple of months as I only really test after I've eaten something new to see how my blood as reacted . My current HBA is 41 and has been there for the past twelve months but I wouldn't have a clue where I'd be without testing like a mad man at the start of it all. TEST TEST TEST at least until you get a greater understanding as to what the stuff you put in your mouth is doing to your blood sugar levels.
 
I got given a meter from my GP and I get lancets and test strips on prescription all free as diabetics get free prescriptions well in uk that is.
 
I use the Accu-chek mobile, and the fastclic lancet drums are avaiable on ebay 204 for £12 not bad.
 
Lyndsay444 said:
I got given a meter from my GP and I get lancets and test strips on prescription all free as diabetics get free prescriptions well in uk that is.
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Only if you're on medication for diabetes. I'm diet controlled so have a pre-paid certificate.
 
Lyndsay444 said:
I got given a meter from my GP and I get lancets and test strips on prescription all free as diabetics get free prescriptions well in uk that is.
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only diabetics on medication. As a type 2 on no meds I do not get the free prescriptions if I was in England

eta: I am in Wales, so I dont pay for prescriptions, but my surgery wont give me a meter and strips etc, I have to self fund out of my benenfit money.
 
That sounds great, except that I would add in a fasting test first thing after getting out of bed. Of course if you eat breakfast straight after that your fasting test will also serve as your first pre-prandial test. I recently persuaded my GP to prescribe Metformin for me, and one of the deciding factors was that I could show her a month's fasting bgs. That was simpler for her in the limited time available rather than looking at pre and post meal ones.
 

I was also given an AC Mobile by my nurse, along with one cartridge and a few lancet tubs, but no repeat prescriptions of course, so I had to buy my own. After about 4 months the cost of the cartridges became too much so I bought the Codefree and used that exclusively for a couple of years. I got fed up of the inconvenience of having several things to carry about with me (although I continued to use the wonderful Fastclix lancet pen) and also the inconsistency of the Codefree, so went back to the Accu Chek, which I have used exclusively now for over 12 months. It is a brilliant meter, consistent readings, and only one item to carry about with no risk of contamination from handling strips. Other than the cost of the cartridges I would highly recommend it to anyone.
 
I buy my strips for $10/ bottle of 50. I don't mess with insurance for strips they are dirt cheap. I buy them online about 600 at a time. Meters and lancets are free with the strips. TrueTrack is the brand.
 
I get my prescriptions free as I'm on thyroxine. I wouldn't be able to afford to buy the cartridges.
 
My GP practice used to provide test strips and lancets, last year decided that I did not require them and they would save money! I then switched from braun to codefree, apart from the cost, I received codefree strips within two day's, bayer would take a matter of weeks when I purchased items from them.
 
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