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Blood glucose monitors

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Pjlg11

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Steroid Induced Diabetes
Hi I’m 62 and type 2 I also have Addison’s disease (treated with high dose of steroids)
Want to get a monitor to check blood sugars I’ve seen a few adverts for ones that don’t need finger prick are these too good to be true? Also finding it really hard to find test strips that don’t cost the earth
Any suggestions would be appreciated
 
Don't waste your money on the non-invasive ones!! They DON'T work!!

If you are self-funding it there are some good cheap options you can look at (Copied from another thread)

If you are self funding your BG meter, the most important thing is the ongoing cost of the strips. Some popular options members here have found are the SD Gluco Navii, the Spirit Tee2, or the Contour Blue - which all have test strips at around £10 for 50. Some other brands can be 3x that much!

Some very cheap meters can be a little wayward with the results they offer, but these seem pretty reliable on the whole

They can all be found on Amazon

Hope that helps 🙂
 
Pjlg11 said:
Hi I’m 62 and type 2 I also have Addison’s disease (treated with high dose of steroids)
Want to get a monitor to check blood sugars I’ve seen a few adverts for ones that don’t need finger prick are these too good to be true? Also finding it really hard to find test strips that don’t cost the earth
Any suggestions would be appreciated
Click to expand...
Welcome to the forum
There are a few options, either a finger prick system where you apply a drop of blood obtained by pricking your finger with a lancet to a test strip which is inserted into a blood glucose monitor. Very simple to use and interpret the result. A few which people find reliable are the GlucoNavii, TEE2 or Contour Blue which have the cheaper strips. Cheaper on line than from the pharmacy. Used strategically they will give useful information on which to base your diet.
The other alternatives are something like the Libre or Dexcom which you may have seen advertised on TV which the sensor is inserted into the arm and stays for about 14 days, they are about £50 each and require a compatible phone. They can be useful as long as you understand their limitations and don't over react to the information.
It is often better to get used to finger pricking first but you could take advantage of the free trials being offered by Abbot or Dexcom.
Depending on what medication you are taking for your diabetes you may be able to get a monitor prescribed by your GP.
Diet is going to be important in managing your blood glucose levels so this link may help you find a way forward. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
 
My diabetes nurse seems to think testing is unnecessary but I test on occasions. Are you indicating that the steroid treatment for Addisons disease has induced your diabetes? I assume steroids are necessary for Addisons. It maybe your GP would prescribe a machine and strips but the downside is machines surgeries use often have expensive test strips and GPs may not prescribe sufficient. I have a machine and tested when I tried new foods. I have started testing again as I have finished a short course of steroids and want to eat appropriately ( have had a chocolate éclair today)
You don't need to change the lancet each time. In fact it is OK for months providing no new user.
 
Are you still on the Metformin you mentioned in your first post here @Pjlg11 ?:

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Thread 'New type 2'

I’m on high dose of steroids for life due to Addison’s disease
just been diagnosed with type 2 is there anyone else have the same issues and how you deal with it
been started on metformin 500mg slow release medication

How are your blood sugars? The two meters @mashedupmatt mentioned above are good ones to choose from. Although there are others available online, some don’t seem to be as good as others. Are you hoping to test regularly or are you planning to just test every so often?
 
Pjlg11 said:
Been moved to Dapagliflozin 10mg
Click to expand...
You need to make sure you drink plenty as otherwise you an become dehydrated as that is a mediation which encourages the kidneys to excrete excess glucose via urine so often means extra loo visits.
 
Pjlg11 said:
Been moved to Dapagliflozin 10mg
Click to expand...

Ok. The flozin medications require you to eat a reasonable amount of carbs per day. The figure I’ve seen is 130g carbs or more. This is because of the increased risk of DKA.

So, I’d be very cautious with the low carb link posted by @Leadinglights as you shouldn’t eat too few carbs on your Dapaglifloxin. Do you know what your last HbA1C result was?
 
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