Blood meter giving weird readings

[TinaD]

Low carb meal at 1500 hours. Took bloods pre-dinner at 2021. Got 7.7 so immediately did it again got 9.2, then 8.3 then 8.4. Would you suspect a duff meter, a defective batch of strips, or a lighteningly variable metabolism? Using an AgaMatrix Jazz which claims compliance with British standards - making me doubt my earlier good numbers. Is there a more reliable system on the market? Bit of a panic going on here...

 

[Bruce Stephens]

I suspect those are basically the same value. The standard for home blood glucose meters allows quite a bit of error (above 5.6 it's approximately +/- 15%, and values must be within that 95% of the time; or it might be 99% now, I forget). (I haven't done the calculations to see if those values are consistent with correct operation, but I suspect they are.)

 

[keith2904]

Low carb meal at 1500 hours. Took bloods pre-dinner at 2021. Got 7.7 so immediately did it again got 9.2, then 8.3 then 8.4. Would you suspect a duff meter, a defective batch of strips, or a lighteningly variable metabolism? Using an AgaMatrix Jazz which claims compliance with British standards - making me doubt my earlier good numbers. Is there a more reliable system on the market? Bit of a panic going on here...

My experience is that the readings can vary even two minutes after first reading. Nothing wrong with your meter I don't think.

 

[TinaD]

I suspect those are basically the same value. The standard for home blood glucose meters allows quite a bit of error (above 5.6 it's approximately +/- 15%, and values must be within that 95% of the time; or it might be 99% now, I forget). (I haven't done the calculations to see if those values are consistent with correct operation, but I suspect they are.)

Think the 9.2 would be an outlier. So BG somewhere between 7.7 and 8.4? How depressing - Mr Pancreas seems to have nodded off.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Think the 9.2 would be an outlier. So BG somewhere between 7.7 and 8.4? How depressing - Mr Pancreas seems to have nodded off.

Well, if you imagine your blood glucose is really the average of 7.7 and 9.2 (so 8.45) then both 7.7 and 9.2 are comfortably within 15% of 8.45.

I'm not sure I'd take that kind of reasoning particularly seriously. But I agree: those are a bit higher than you'd want pre-meal.

 

[keith2904]

Although I have to say that any of those readings would be fantastic for me at the moment!

 

[TinaD]

Good of you all to reply. If target range for Type 2 is between 4 to 7 before meals and you eat only 4g of carbs (green veggies) together with modest protein ration 3 hours before test one would hope to see something better. Dammit the figures are high for post meal. How can one get a handle on this beastly illness with such a coarse, inaccurate, analysis tool.

 

[Kaylz]

I'm afraid we'd all at times like to see better than what we do actually see

What do you mean figures are high for post meal? I see no post meal readings mentioned

Food isn't the only thing to effect BG so while we do the best we can there are things that are going to throw spanners in the works, this could be stress, illness, hormones, less active even the outside temperature so there really are things you can't control with diabetes
xx

 

[keith2904]

Good of you all to reply. If target range for Type 2 is between 4 to 7 before meals and you eat only 4g of carbs (green veggies) together with modest protein ration 3 hours before test one would hope to see something better. Dammit the figures are high for post meal. How can one get a handle on this beastly illness with such a coarse, inaccurate, analysis tool.

I think you are expecting too much from the monitor. Its quite a rough guide and only tells you a reading at one secific time which can change withing minutes. HBa1c is the only reading you can rely on and, to be honest, is the only reading the medics take any notice of.

 

[Kaylz]

I think you are expecting too much from the monitor. Its quite a rough guide and only tells you a reading at one secific time which can change withing minutes. HBa1c is the only reading you can rely on and, to be honest, is the only reading the medics take any notice of.

I wouldn't say hba1c is one you can solely rely on, other conditions can cause false hba1c readings and also you can have a low hba1c but still have huge spikes in BG which isn't what you want either so I wouldn't agree with that statement at all

 

[keith2904]

I wouldn't say hba1c is one you can solely rely on, other conditions can cause false hba1c readings and also you can have a low hba1c but still have huge spikes in BG which isn't what you want either so I wouldn't agree with that statement at all

Well its the only reading my specialist nurse relies on. Its the reading I am constantly trying to lower.

 

[Kaylz]

Well its the only reading my specialist nurse relies on. Its the reading I am constantly trying to lower.

But it isn't reliable either like you think, my team focuses on general readings due to hba1c being effected by spikes and lows, you will only lower it by loweing your general readings, readings are far more important especially in pre and post meal testing, it allows you to adjust your foods etc hba1c's dont give that insight

 

[grovesy]

We react differently to differnt foods. Sometimes it can vary how much of something you, I don't have the exactly responses to the same foods every
time.

 

[keith2904]

But it isn't reliable either like you think, my team focuses on general readings due to hba1c being effected by spikes and lows, you will only lower it by loweing your general readings, readings are far more important especially in pre and post meal testing, it allows you to adjust your foods etc hba1c's dont give that insight

 

[keith2904]

You have a lot of specialist knowledge. I am a simple sort of guy who just want to see lower HBa1c results. To me, diabetes is a pest I detest. Others embrace it totally. I will never be like that. Each to their own.

 

[Kaylz]

You have a lot of specialist knowledge. I am a simple sort of guy who just want to see lower HBa1c results. To me, diabetes is a pest I detest. Others embrace it totally. I will never be like that. Each to their own.

But then by not trying to limit spikes in BG do you not worry about complications those spikes could cause? It would highly concern me but then again maybe I'm more wary because I'm unfortunate enough to have suffered 2 eye related complications even with good control but that just makes me even more determened not to have spikes or anything xx

 

[keith2904]

But then by not trying to limit spikes in BG do you not worry about complications those spikes could cause? It would highly concern me but then again maybe I'm more wary because I'm unfortunate enough to have suffered 2 eye related complications even with good control but that just makes me even more determened not to have spikes or anything xx

I have lived with diabetes for 17 years so far. Not had any symptoms yet and no complications.So I may have been lucky. The lower the Hba1c is the more chance I have of avoiding complications. But I am not far off 70 and can look forward to more medical problems in due course unrelated to diabetes. I don't want complications but will cope with them if I get them.

 

[Kaylz]

I have lived with diabetes for 17 years so far. Not had any symptoms yet and no complications.So I may have been lucky. The lower the Hba1c is the more chance I have of avoiding complications. But I am not far off 70 and can look forward to more medical problems in due course unrelated to diabetes. I don't want complications but will cope with them if I get them.

A plummet in hba1c caused mine apparently, lowest hba1c was 30 and I've still had complications, yes there may be less chance but I for one am proof they still occur xx

 

[keith2904]

A plummet in hba1c caused mine apparently, lowest hba1c was 30 and I've still had complications, yes there may be less chance but I for one am proof they still occur xx

You are indeed.

 

[TinaD]

I'm afraid we'd all at times like to see better than what we do actually see

What do you mean figures are high for post meal? I see no post meal readings mentioned

Food isn't the only thing to effect BG so while we do the best we can there are things that are going to throw spanners in the works, this could be stress, illness, hormones, less active even the outside temperature so there really are things you can't control with diabetes
xx

Target figures for post meal are under 8.5. If I had eaten a meal then the figures given would even be above that target. It seems to me that the inaccuracy of meters is a drawback. Can you imagine being stopped for speeding and telling the nice policeman that your speedometer was right plus of minus 15% for 95% of the time....