Best meters

[michelle64]

Recently diagnosed with type 2 (3 weeks ago) On metformin twice a day. Nurse says I don’t need to monitor my blood but my next appointment is 5 weeks away. I feel adrift and don’t know if I’m doing things right. What is the best meter to buy as I want to know what my levels are and how I’m doing

 

[Lucyr]

The best meter to buy is one where you can afford the test strips. Look up gluco navii or tee2 as I see those reccomended here often.

 

[Leadinglights]

Those are the monitors which have the cheapest test strips but I did notice the price had increased just recently. I have used amazon but worth checking other suppliers. You also do not need to pay VAT.
Certainly getting a monitor is the best investment you will make to give you the control of managing your diabetes.
You also may find this link helpful, some do's and don'ts and some ideas for making dietary changes which may suit you. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/

 

[DaveB]

Hi. I've tried various meter types. One of the best ones I use is the GlucoRX Nexus Mini Ultra (see ebay). It's really neat and simple to use and the test strips are small and low'ish cost.

 

[picitup]

I just bought the Core kit and 50 strips from the shop here:

Core blood glucose monitoring system VAT relief

The Core Blood Glucose Monitoring System includes a CoreOK meter, test strips and more to help you test your blood sugar levels. Buy your kit from Diabetes UK.

shop.diabetes.org.uk

Th reason I bought it was the very cheap strips so it will save me money in time.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Leadinglights]

I just bought the Core kit and 50 strips from the shop here:

Core blood glucose monitoring system VAT relief

The Core Blood Glucose Monitoring System includes a CoreOK meter, test strips and more to help you test your blood sugar levels. Buy your kit from Diabetes UK.

shop.diabetes.org.uk

Th reason I bought it was the very cheap strips so it will save me money in time.

Cheers

Steve

That sounds like a cracking good price. The GlucoNavii which HAD the cheapest strips has disappointingly increased the price.

 

[rebrascora]

I just bought the Core kit and 50 strips from the shop here:

Core blood glucose monitoring system VAT relief

The Core Blood Glucose Monitoring System includes a CoreOK meter, test strips and more to help you test your blood sugar levels. Buy your kit from Diabetes UK.

shop.diabetes.org.uk

Th reason I bought it was the very cheap strips so it will save me money in time.

Cheers

Steve

Odd that Diabetes UK is selling a BG meter which measures in mg/dl I hope it has the option to change units to mmols/l

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Odd that Diabetes UK is selling a BG meter which measures in mg/dl I hope it has the option to change units to mmols/l

I think it's just the manufacturer's photo and that the units can be switched.

That sounds like a cracking good price. The GlucoNavii which HAD the cheapest strips has disappointingly increased the price.

A bit disappointing that the "Other items you may like" at the bottom shows Contour and Contour Next test strips rather than ones that would actually work for this meter.

https://shop.diabetes.org.uk/collec...ood-glucose-monitoring-test-strips-vat-relief is (I think) the link, and £8.33 makes them cheaper than the usually recommended ones, I think?

 

[picitup]

Yes the photo as advertised isn't very good for the UK. You can change the display between mmol/L and mg/dL.

Bruce, that link is correct for the test strips for the Core meter thanks. I'm new to all this so I'm not sure what you mean by the usually recommended ones, but yes, they are cheap. For my old Glucorx Nexus, the strips were £16.00 per 50 from Boots in the high street so the Core ones are half price in comparison.

Search engines eh? 🙂 Try Amazon. If you search for something specific, you get loads of 'related' ie 'not related' hits.

 

[Leadinglights]

Yes the photo as advertised isn't very good for the UK. You can change the display between mmol/L and mg/dL.

Bruce, that link is correct for the test strips for the Core meter thanks. I'm new to all this so I'm not sure what you mean by the usually recommended ones, but yes, they are cheap. For my old Glucorx Nexus, the strips were £16.00 per 50 from Boots in the high street so the Core ones are half price in comparison.

Search engines eh? 🙂 Try Amazon. If you search for something specific, you get loads of 'related' ie 'not related' hits.

People found the GlucoNavii or TEE2 were the most economical on test strips but the price seems to have gone up recently.

 

[IrvineHimself]

In anticipation of getting my state pension, I was looking at this. I haven't made a final decision about whether I actually want one yet, but, at first blush, the running costs seemed quite reasonable. However, having read this thread, the ones from the Diabetes-UK shop definitely appear to be a better option. The one thing I don't see either in the Diabetes-UK shop or Argos is lancing devices for the Kinetic or Core systems?

 

[Bruce Stephens]

The one thing I don't see either in the Diabetes-UK shop or Argos is lancing devices for the Kinetic or Core systems?

The Core meter seems to come with one (and 10 lancets, which can last for a while). Any lancet device will work fine, so if you don't like that one you can just get another one (Accu-Chek FastClix is popular; though the lancets aren't standard they come in drums of 6 which can be convenient).

 

[IrvineHimself]

The Core meter seems to come with one (and 10 lancets, which can last for a while)

How often does the lancet need replacing, and would I need a 'sharps' container for disposal?

 

[picitup]

The Core meter seems to come with one (and 10 lancets, which can last for a while). Any lancet device will work fine, so if you don't like that one you can just get another one (Accu-Chek FastClix is popular; though the lancets aren't standard they come in drums of 6 which can be convenient).

Yes, that's right as my Core meter has just arrived. You get the lancing tool and 10 lancets. They come in a re-sealable bag which is marked 30G.

They are on eBay:

100 30g Lancets

£3.99 for 100 with free postage which is quite reasonable I think.

or.... 200 for £6.99 with free postage:

200 30g Lancets

 

[rebrascora]

How often does the lancet need replacing, and would I need a 'sharps' container for disposal?

It is a standing joke here on the forum that we change our lancets once a year on St Swithin's day although those of us now using Libre do much less finger pricking than we used to so maybe we can now make it just once a decade to change it 😱. Technically they are supposed to be single use but I am yet to hear of anyone having a problem reusing it multiple times. You should also dispose of it in a sharpsafe but there is also the option of a needle clip which nips off and stores the lancet tips..... or some people keep an empty bleach bottle, which of course has a childproof lid and dispose of their needles in that although not strictly legal to then dispose of in household waste, people do and is it any more of a danger than a razor which might have nicked you.

 

[picitup]

Hehe I'm glad to hear that. I used the same lancet for 50 tests and it still worked fine, although I think it got a little blunt towards the end and stang a little, but I survived it lol.

Good tip about the bleach bottle. I'll use it thanks

 

[picitup]

People found the GlucoNavii or TEE2 were the most economical on test strips but the price seems to have gone up recently.

Oh, thanks

 

[picitup]

It is a standing joke here on the forum that we change our lancets once a year on St Swithin's day although those of us now using Libre do much less finger pricking than we used to so maybe we can now make it just once a decade to change it 😱. Technically they are supposed to be single use but I am yet to hear of anyone having a problem reusing it multiple times. You should also dispose of it in a sharpsafe but there is also the option of a needle clip which nips off and stores the lancet tips..... or some people keep an empty bleach bottle, which of course has a childproof lid and dispose of their needles in that although not strictly legal to then dispose of in household waste, people do and is it any more of a danger than a razor which might have nicked you.

If you change your lancets once a year, then 200 will last you 200 years! Still you could pass them along to your kids along with your diabetes

 

[rebrascora]

If you change your lancets once a year, then 200 will last you 200 years! Still you could pass them along to your kids along with your diabetes

Got no kids so will have to take them with me to my grave and at 58 already I don't stand a hope of getting through even quarter of them, especially as sometimes I forget it' St Swithin's day and then I have to wait until the following year to change it! 🙄
Thankfully, someone usually posts a reminder on the forum the day before or the day itself, so that, as long as I log in every day, I should get the memo.

 

[rebrascora]

I must remember to ask the nurse to take them off my repeat prescription list. I definitely won't ever need another 200 and if I do, I'll buy them myself..... at 200+ years old I should have had enough out of the pension pot to splash a few quid on lancets although by then they will be obsolete and there will be a much snazzier way of obtaining a BG reading.... or they may even have come up with a cure by then!!