Blood ketone test strips?

[Northerner]

Given the problems many people seem to have getting an adequate supply of blood glucose test strips, I was wondering how many people have succeeded in getting blood ketone test strips on prescription, or how many have urine test strips only?

I'm fortunate that my GP was persuaded by my argument that, although the urine strips are ostensibly cheaper they have to be thrown away 6 months after opening, whereas blood ketone strips are individually wrapped and usually with 2 years to expiry - not forgetting of course that the blood strips are far more accurate and useful than the urine ones.

 

[ch1ps]

Hi Northerner

I get blood ketone strips on my script.

 

[novorapidboi26]

I get strips OK, for my Freestyle Optium.........

I think because I am on pump therapy and the risks of getting ketones is a tad higher I shouldn't have any problems in the future......

Currently I have only had one batch since starting the pump in January......

My pump will tell me to test for ketones in double figures, but I rarely do......

 

[sacol4940]

I never had any problems getting hold of either form my gp...

 

[AlisonF]

I get ketone blood strips on prescription with no problem

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I am planning to ask when my last pot of urine strips run out of date (around June-July).

There are 50 strips in the pot, and I suspect I will be throwing at least 46 of them away when the been-open-for-6-months deadline passes. 😱😱😱

 

[LeeLee]

I am planning to ask when my last pot of urine strips run out of date (around June-July).

There are 50 strips in the pot, and I suspect I will be throwing at least 46 of them away when the been-open-for-6-months deadline passes. 😱😱😱

Has anyone ever compared just-out-of-date strips with current ones to test how accuracy is affected by the deadline?

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Has anyone ever compared just-out-of-date strips with current ones to test how accuracy is affected by the deadline?

Well given that urine strips only really every give a vague indication any way, I'd prefer not to use them when the enzymes are getting tired!

 

[martindt1606]

GP has never questionned me about ketones. I started testing with the optimum and even when i switched to accu-check following my dafne course I received the ketone blood testers alongside the accu-check blood glucose testers. Now that i have the animas pump I've switched back to the optimum so that I only carry one test machine around. I do continue to use the accu-check lancet which i think is te best around.

 

[PattiEvans]

I get the Optium ketone strips with no problems. Except the first lot were actually out of date when I came to need them - I'd only had them 6 months or so. I was in Brittany when I needed them so could hardly pop around to the chemist. The chemist did replace them, but by then I had got over the flu & BGs had dropped.

 

[grainger]

I'm lucky and get mine on repeat prescription. No problems with it so far 🙂

 

[newbs]

I can't get either on prescription, have to buy the urine strips from the pharmacy. My GP reckons as my HbA1c is good (his opinion, not mine) then I don't need them.

 

[Northerner]

I can't get either on prescription, have to buy the urine strips from the pharmacy. My GP reckons as my HbA1c is good (his opinion, not mine) then I don't need them.

That's appalling! An HbA1c doesn't indicate whether your levels might be going from 2 to 30 occasionally, and the whole point about ketone strips is that they are for the emergency situations when normally good control goes out of the window, such as when you are ill

You should not have to pay for them - I would mention this to your DSN or consultant next time you see them. How would your GP react if you ended up having a (very) expensive trip to A&E because you weren't in a position to check for ketones accurately? Thumbs down for such penny-pinching nonsense! 😡

 

[newbs]

I haven't mentioned it to my DSN, she is very good so may well sort something out. I will do next time I speak to her.

 

[Copepod]

I don't bother with blood or urine ketone strips, as I use blood glucose readings to work out corrections if high. One less prescription item to worry about.

But, if they help other people, that's good.

 

[pgcity]

I get both on repeat prescription

 

[Monica]

We get the ketone strips for the Glucomen XL without any problems, but then (so far) I've not had any problems getting anything with regards to D.

I did have a GP tell Carol no for some painkillers (better than over-counter stuff), as she's on enough medication as it is 😱

 

[Lauras87]

I've never used blood ketone strips, if I'm honest I've never heard of them

Urine ketone strips, I only am given when ill

 

[trophywench]

Well trying to get pee ones on scrip is so hard. Always has been. They seem to think you don't need them if you haven't had to dial 999 recently. Don't like replacing the glucagon jab kit when it goes out of date either. I regard that as much more important than testing ketones so I don't try and get the ketone strips.

Never been offered blood ketone meter or strips by anyone. It would also be a pain to have an extra meter to have to find when I needed it. I've used 2 ketone strips since I had this pot 2 years ago. Didn't know they were out of date 6 months after opening, thought it was just the date on the pot same as blood ones!

 

[Mark T]

I was given urine strips when I was first diagnosed as they were confused which Type I was and were worried that I might suddenly go into DKA.

I did look at trying to get some more because they are useful for seeing if you have been given sugar-free when ordering soft drinks in a bar. But these days I more often order a coffee.