Home Testing Blood Test Kits

[LottieLouLou]

Hello, my husband and I are both pre-diabetic with HbA1c levels measured at 45 mmol. We would like to buy a kit and test our levels at home to see if we are bringing this level down through diet and exercise. Please could anyone recommend a good easy to use test kit for pre-diabetics to use? It doesn't need to be small or portable.

 

[chaoticcar]

A lot of blood glucose monitors use strips that are very expensive . I use the Home Health navii ,if you go to their website it is easy to find and they used to give you the monitor if you bought 5 boxes of strips .It is simple to use and the strips are o one of the cheapest on the market
Carol

 

[Ljc]

Welcome to the forum.
Here is a link to the Gluco Navii and it’s test strips it’s the updated version of the SD Codefree meter that you will often see mentioned on here.
It’s test strips are £8 for 50, and when your testing just before eating then two hours later, on waking and before bed, cost is important, fortunately all glucose meters sold in the uk have to comply to the same standards.

We use the mmol/L measurement in the uk.
You can claim VAT relief on the site .

You will need to buy several pots of Gluco navii test strips and a box or two of Lancets as they only provide 10 in starter packs.

BTW your nurse and or your Gp will most ikely tel you a variety of reasons not to self test p, that the Hb1ac is all that’s needed. I like many others here believe this is like telling soeme one to drive at night without headlights.

Good luck .ask all the questions you need to about diabetes, we’ll do our est to help.

Please let us know how you get on.

 

[Ljc]

I think you will find this helpful.Painless pricks
Most of the time we get a teeny weeny cut and we bleed like a stuck pig.
But as a newbie when we lance our finger , the red stuff often goes all shy .

 

[Docb]

Can I suggest you take a little time to get familiar with how, why and when blood glucose varies naturally so that when you get your meter you can make best use of it. It is a powerful tool for getting rapid feed back on foodstuffs and their effect on blood glucose for an individual but can create confusion if you try and micro analyse every tiny shift in reading.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @LottieLouLou

We would generally recommend a 'spot check' blood glucose meter, rather than something that attempts to give you an HbA1c.

HbA1c's are generally best done annually (or 6 monthly) at your GPs, as then you will get a 'proper' lab result that you know you can rely on.

As others have said though, a home glucose monitor that gives you a BG value for that moment in time can be a very powerful tool. Your waking/pre-breakfast reading will give a reasonable idea of your general 'background' BG level, and checking before and 2hrs after meals (aiming for a difference between the two of 2-3mmol/L) will allow you to identify foods and sources of carbohydrate that your metabolism is struggling to cope with vs which ones are keeping your BG more even.

It is all carbohydrate that you need to keep an eye on, not just the 'sugars' because both sugars and starches are broken down into glucose in the bloodstream.

Many people find this 'test review adjust' approach very helpful.

As a general guide, ultimately you will want to be aiming for 4-7mmol/L before meals and no higher than 8.5mmol/L at the 2hr mark, but to begin with aiming to keep the 'meal rises' down to 2-3 between the 'before' and 'after' readings is more important than the numbers themselves 🙂

 

[LottieLouLou]

A lot of blood glucose monitors use strips that are very expensive . I use the Home Health navii ,if you go to their website it is easy to find and they used to give you the monitor if you bought 5 boxes of strips .It is simple to use and the strips are o one of the cheapest on the market
Carol

Many thanks Carol, I'll have a look on the website you suggest. Maggie

 

[LottieLouLou]

Welcome to the forum @LottieLouLou

We would generally recommend a 'spot check' blood glucose meter, rather than something that attempts to give you an HbA1c.

HbA1c's are generally best done annually (or 6 monthly) at your GPs, as then you will get a 'proper' lab result that you know you can rely on.

As others have said though, a home glucose monitor that gives you a BG value for that moment in time can be a very powerful tool. Your waking/pre-breakfast reading will give a reasonable idea of your general 'background' BG level, and checking before and 2hrs after meals (aiming for a difference between the two of 2-3mmol/L) will allow you to identify foods and sources of carbohydrate that your metabolism is struggling to cope with vs which ones are keeping your BG more even.

It is all carbohydrate that you need to keep an eye on, not just the 'sugars' because both sugars and starches are broken down into glucose in the bloodstream.

Many people find this 'test review adjust' approach very helpful.

As a general guide, ultimately you will want to be aiming for 4-7mmol/L before meals and no higher than 8.5mmol/L at the 2hr mark, but to begin with aiming to keep the 'meal rises' down to 2-3 between the 'before' and 'after' readings is more important than the numbers themselves 🙂

Thank you so much. This is very helpful.

 

[LottieLouLou]

The other thing to bear in mind is that random tests won't give you any meaningful data, so test on waking (fasting test) before you've eaten or drunk anything as this will tell you how well your body is managing your BG levels in the absence of food and exercise, then immediately before a meal and 2 hours later (pre- and post-prandial) as this will show what effect the meal had.

Martin

 

[LottieLouLou]

Thank you, that is very helpful advice. Maggie

 

[LottieLouLou]

Can I suggest you take a little time to get familiar with how, why and when blood glucose varies naturally so that when you get your meter you can make best use of it. It is a powerful tool for getting rapid feed back on foodstuffs and their effect on blood glucose for an individual but can create confusion if you try and micro analyse every tiny shift in reading.

Thank you. Please could you tell me where I can access information about how, when and why blood glucose varies naturally. I am really just starting to realise how much I don't know. Maggie

 

[LottieLouLou]

I think you will find this helpful.Painless pricks
Most of the time we get a teeny weeny cut and we bleed like a stuck pig.
But as a newbie when we lance our finger , the red stuff often goes all shy .

Thank you for the great advice and information. I really am grateful for your help. Maggie

 

[trophywench]

Thank you. Please could you tell me where I can access information about how, when and why blood glucose varies naturally. I am really just starting to realise how much I don't know. Maggie

The same way any human body does anything naturally !

eg assuming you wake during the day and sleep during the night, most people's blood glucose takes a bit of a dive around 2.30am then comes back up a bit until just before dawn, when it starts to increase. The latter is to give the body sufficient energy to get up and do whatever it needs to do.

It's not necessary to know clinical details of every second of the body's behaviour in order to successfully treat shedloads of things - I mean eg if you and I were sat eating our dinner on a park bench and you passed out, wouldn't you expect me to check if you were still alive, dial 999, whatever? - all without knowing ANYTHING about you and your body! Then you're at the mercy of the Ambulance Service script being followed by me - until someone who knows more about what they're doing arriving!

 

[Drummer]

I suggest phoning Spirit Healthcare and asking about two people using their meters - I'd bet that if you do, and put in an order for a quantity of the strips and lancets that they will supply an extra meter kit so you each have a set (and I am not a betting man)
I use their Tee 2 meter and find it works well and is cheap to run.
I am not sure that you will be able to dodge the VAT - if you are in the UK and diagnosed as diabetic, yes - but prediabetes I do not know - but they might, of course.
The kit is both small and portable, travelling in a neat black pouch with holders and compartments for all that is required for its use.

 

[Docb]

Thank you. Please could you tell me where I can access information about how, when and why blood glucose varies naturally. I am really just starting to realise how much I don't know. Maggie

You could start here

Normal and Diabetic Blood Sugar Level Ranges

Normal blood sugar ranges and blood sugar ranges for adults and children with type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and blood sugar ranges to determine diabetes.

www.diabetes.co.uk

 

[LottieLouLou]

You could start here

Normal and Diabetic Blood Sugar Level Ranges

Normal blood sugar ranges and blood sugar ranges for adults and children with type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and blood sugar ranges to determine diabetes.

www.diabetes.co.uk

Many thanks. This helps explain a lot to me. Maggie

 

[LottieLouLou]

I suggest phoning Spirit Healthcare and asking about two people using their meters - I'd bet that if you do, and put in an order for a quantity of the strips and lancets that they will supply an extra meter kit so you each have a set (and I am not a betting man)
I use their Tee 2 meter and find it works well and is cheap to run.
I am not sure that you will be able to dodge the VAT - if you are in the UK and diagnosed as diabetic, yes - but prediabetes I do not know - but they might, of course.
The kit is both small and portable, travelling in a neat black pouch with holders and compartments for all that is required for its use.

Many thanks. I'll check it out.