My X-Pert Insulin Programme - doubts about new meter

[mum2westiesGill]

My X-Pert Insulin Programme

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=36146&page=2
I received a letter re the Xpert Insulin course I did in April this year
- following your successful completion of Xpert Insulin, a session has been set up to offer you the Accu-Chek aviva expert bolus advisor meter. The meter can be used in advisory mode regarding carbohydrate and insulin doses.

This is the meter
https://www.accu-chek.co.uk/gb/products/metersystems/avivaexpert.html

My current meter which I've been using for sometime
http://www.bayerdiabetes.co.uk/sect.../meters/bayer-contour-next-usb-meter/Overview

I'm going along to the meeting but because I'm so used to using my current meter I'm very doubtful as to wether i'm doing the right thing in possibly using this other meter - the DSN from the course will be there to show us the meter and to help set the meter up should we want one.

 

[Northerner]

A few people here use this meter Gill, I'm sure they will be along to tell you the pros and cons 🙂

 

[HOBIE]

Hi Jill the bayer meter you have put down is very very new. Is your current meter the contour bayer link meter that talks to medtronic pumps? To much choice 😱

 

[Northerner]

Hi Jill the bayer meter you have put down is very very new. Is your current meter the contour bayer link meter that talks to medtronic pumps? To much choice 😱

No Hobie - the link Gill has given is for the Contour Next USB, which is the same meter I now use, not the Link 🙂

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I would certainly recommend you give the Expert meter a try Gill.

It means you can be FAR more subtle with your dose adjustments because you don't need to do any of the maths.

For a start the meter itself will be programmed with your insulin sensitivity (which you can vary during the day) and your preferred range adn insulin:carb ratio(s) (again these you can be adjusted in 'time blocks').

Then for every meal you eat you tell the Expert how many carbs you think you are eating and it does a little instant 'magic'

If you are a bit below your target range it will knock a bit of insulin off. If you are above it will add some in to try get you back to the middle of your target. Plus it will calculate your doses for whatever ratio you want so you don't have to stick to 0.5's to keep the maths easy... you can use 1.3u:10g or whatever. And if you are ill... or exercising... you can flag this up and the Expert will add/subtract a percentage of the dose to help.

It will show you a screen to give you all the calculations (all those nifty pluses and minuses) and then recommend a dose at the bottom rounded to whole of half units (depending on what pen you use). Very flexible and a really smart system.

It's like being on a pump... but without the pump!

I used one for a good couple of years and once I had tweaked the settings 'just right' it gave me really really useful advice.

Go for it!

 

[trophywench]

Yes! - DO go for it!

Basically it's the same meter that you get with the Roche AccuChek Combo insulin pump, except the Combo version actually 'talks' to the pump and vice versa - and it gives you pie charts and all sorts of info that helps you spot trends.

I wasn't too sure at first, even with the pump but I'd be lost without it now!

 

[heasandford]

I agree, can't recommend it highly enough!

I always struggled with the mental maths of calculating the amount of insulin to use and especially adjustments if my readings were higher than they should be - with the Expert it does it all for you (Mike has explained it very clearly, nothing to add there, except to say I am another fan of the Expert!)

 

[mum2westiesGill]

The more I hear and see about this meter it does sound really good.

One question I'm going to have to ask & I thought I'd ask on here before I go to the X-pert session to see the meter is
- what do I do If the meter suddenly goes faulty and even more so if it went faulty If I was ever on holiday?
- Would I have to be asking my surgery If I can have 2 different lots of test strips?

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

The more I hear and see about this meter it does sound really good.

One question I'm going to have to ask & I thought I'd ask on here before I go to the X-pert session to see the meter is
- what do I do If the meter suddenly goes faulty and even more so if it went
faulty If I was ever on holiday?

I tend to take my old/spare meter when we go away, along with a pot of strips for it. You would lose the 'bolus wizard' function, but it would be fine.

- Would I have to be asking my surgery If I can have 2 different lots of test strips?

Yes. But they should be fine with that. You would just have two different sorts on repeat, your 'main' meter with however many you normally get and your back-up meter with just 1 pot's worth that you will hardly ever order.

Strips usually have a good long expiry date on them, and when your 'back up' meter's strips are coming close to expiry you sinply use the strips over a number of weeks (eg for 'in between tests/checks) to get through the pot while still using your 'main' Expert meter for bolus calculations etc. Otherwise they might go to waste 🙂

 

[Northerner]

Yes. But they should be fine with that. You would just have two different sorts on repeat, your 'main' meter with however many you normally get and your back-up meter with just 1 pot's worth that you will hardly ever order.

This is what I do, although the stupid surgery have a habit of ordering blood ketone strips for my Freestyle Optium spare meter instead of the blood glucose strips I have asked for! 😡

 

[mum2westiesGill]

Thank you everydayupsanddowns & Northerner for your replies and like I've said many a time where would I/we all be without this forum 🙂

 

[trophywench]

Get an Aviva Nano as a spare, uses the same strips!

I have the Combo and 2 Nanos as spares - my Combo meter went bananas the night before we went on holiday just after I had it. Roche would have happily couriered one to me ANYWHERE - but I was doing to be of No Fixed Abode throughout, so they couldn't.

So I managed without the Bolus Wizard and remote for a few weeks, It was fine and my new one was waiting at my clinic as soon as I got back, whereupon I packed the duff one up in the packaging they had sent me at home meanwhile, and away I went again.

I dunno if they'd do the same with the Expert without the pump though, so ASK Gill !

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

That's quite a good idea, though actually being a bit disorganised I find added benefit in having at least one pot of 'other' strips available. That way if I've left it a bit late to get my new scrip in at the pharmacy I have at least one pot of strips I can fall back on!

 

[mum2westiesGill]

Get an Aviva Nano as a spare, uses the same strips!

Hi trophywench,
It's a good idea because like you say it means you can have the same strips but the aviva nano dosen't have the function to be able to log carbs and insulin which my current meter - bayer contour next usb (mentioned earlier) - has got, so I will make sure I've always got a pot of strips in for the latter one.

 

[trophywench]

Aaah Gill - fair enough.

I never had that facility pre-pump consequently I didn't really miss it for the month I was without it!

Plus at 1u per 10g, and a correction rate of 1u to 2.5-3.0, the calcs are hardly difficult!