BG testing gizmos advice

[paultrose]

So my doctors say they only want to check my BG every six months

To me thats too infrequent.....id like to test it once a month or maybe every two weeks just so i can keep an eye on it

But ive been looking at all the checking gizmos and im totally bewildered by the choice.....even in the shop on here theres a lot of choice

I need something cheapish since its going to be used so infrequently but needs to accurate (or theres no point in doing it)...and easy to use....also one thats not going to be discontiued any time soon so im not left with a bit of kit i cant get consumables for.

i was looking on the Boots website at one and it got so many bad reviews im surprised they still sell it!....i havnt got a clue that what im looking at is a worthwhile product so i need some recommendations please

 

[gail2]

i use the contour blue + from this website a good little meter would reconmend it to you

 

[helli]

If using the meter rarely, you need to be aware of the lifespan of test strips. They are typically bought in packs of 50 strips with a shelf life of about a year. So, one test a month would not use a pack of strips.

 

[grovesy]

I thought most strips say once opened the shelf is limited.

 

[mashedupmatt]

GlucoNavii, TEE2 and Contour Blue have the cheapest test strips - they can be found on Amazon I believe - you'll obviously need a lancing device and lancets too (there are loads of these about and are very cheap - if you want push the boat out go for a Accu-Chek Fast Clix device and cartridges (It's the one which is most adjustable for comfort - I use one))

 

[Leadinglights]

If you want to keep a check on blood glucose levels then really once a month is not really enough to pick any issues up and give you a chance to make some changes. Many test every morning but even a couple of times a week would be worth it or if you feel unwell.
The GlucoNavii,TEE2 and Contour Blue are monitors with the cheaper strips, shelf life is usually several months as long as you keep the pot closed unless taking a strip out. On line prices are usually cheaper.

 

[JJay]

Remember that a meter reading is just one moment in time, and not really indicative of your “progress” if you are only doing them infrequently. Most T2 meter users on here use them in a more structured way - for instance a fasting reading first thing in the morning. Also pairs of readings - before and 2 hrs after meals, to check how well the meal was tolerated. Initially that will account for quite a lot of strips!

I too am an advocate for the Contour Plus Blue. Strips £8.49 for 50 from Chemist4U

 

[Bruce Stephens]

So my doctors say they only want to check my BG every six months

To me thats too infrequent.....id like to test it once a month or maybe every two weeks just so i can keep an eye on it

It's slightly more complicated than that. They want to check your HbA1c twice a year (as well as BG, probably, but the BG isn't so meaningful). While you could buy HbA1c tests once or twice a month you wouldn't learn much from doing that.

Presumably you'd want to check blood glucose, but doing one or two of those a month probably isn't enough to be useful (BG varies too much over a day). So you probably want to plan to do checks a few times a day on one day a month (or so). Something like that. Maybe also check before and a couple of hours after eating a meal, and do the same if you eat something unusual for you (to see how that food works for you). That kind of thing. You could try doing a single test early in the morning (a fasting glucose test), but even then I think I'd be more willing to believe a few such tests as being representative than just a single one.

 

[Lucyr]

To me thats too infrequent.....id like to test it once a month or maybe every two weeks just so i can keep an eye on it

There’s no point whatsoever in one random test once every 2 weeks, I’d save your money if that’s all you’d be looking at doing.