do i carry on using test strips?

[Carina1962]

I'd like some opinions from you please. As you prob know i'm Type 2 and i have by first HbA1c result on Tuesday. I am running out of test strips and do not get them on prescription and i'm not sure whether to just use the urine sticks which my DN told me to use in the first place or just carry on buying the expensive test strips? members of my family have told me to take the DN's advice and use the urine sticks as they said that it will just be expensive for me and that i obviously don't need to use them but i really am not sure what to do.

 

[Tezzz]

I'd like some opinions from you please. As you prob know i'm Type 2 and i have by first HbA1c result on Tuesday. I am running out of test strips and do not get them on prescription and i'm not sure whether to just use the urine sticks which my DN told me to use in the first place or just carry on buying the expensive test strips? members of my family have told me to take the DN's advice and use the urine sticks as they said that it will just be expensive for me and that i obviously don't need to use them but i really am not sure what to do.

Hi Carina,

I'm sorry to hear you're having to pay for strips. I bought some on eBay and other times I shopped around chemists till I got a good price.

I had a look at BloodSugar 101 http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/ and there was some useful info on the Diabetes on a Budget link.

What kind of meter do you have?

 

[Peter C]

I'd like some opinions from you please. As you prob know i'm Type 2 and i have by first HbA1c result on Tuesday. I am running out of test strips and do not get them on prescription and i'm not sure whether to just use the urine sticks which my DN told me to use in the first place or just carry on buying the expensive test strips? members of my family have told me to take the DN's advice and use the urine sticks as they said that it will just be expensive for me and that i obviously don't need to use them but i really am not sure what to do.

Hi there,

You know what will happen if you get a good HbA1c - they'll say "you don't need to test, you've got good control". They can't seem to get their heads around the concept that T2s can get good control via testing.

print off the Diabetes UK Position statement on testing and take it along.
http://www.diabetes.org.uk/About_us/Our_Views/Position_statements/Self-monitoring_of_blood_glucose/

DUK ran a great campaign through 2007 and 2008 on T2 strip restrictions. They put up a template letter on their site , all you had to do was pop in your postcode and the letter went to your MP, your MEPs and the chairman of your PCT. I used that DUK facility and my MP responded to me, questioned the PCT and pressed the PCT when he wasn't satisfied with their answers.
That campaign seems to have ended now.

If your GP and PCT are still recalcitrant on test strip prescriptions you might need to bring in your MP.

As they say on Strictly .........."Keeeeeeeeeeeep testing !"

 

[Caroline]

Try and get your GP to prescribe the strips. Even if you have to pay for the prescrition it is cheaper than buing them.

The argument/reasoning many people use is it helps you work out which foods send your sugars up so helps give you better control. The better your control the less likely you are to get ill or have anything else go wrong, so it works out cheaper in the long run.

If this doesn't work, then shop around and see who does the best deal. Sometimes you can get them more cheaply direct from the companies or suppliers, but you may have to buy a lot in one go.

 

[sofaraway]

Worth asking them if they will prescribe them, once you find out your A1c. What you might wnat to do is be more selective with your testing. You'll have built up a picture of what different foods do to you at different times of the day. So for example if your breakfast always puts you in range at 1/2 hours then you don't need to test at that time, only once in a while or if trying something new out. I don't pay for my test strips and I have started cutting a couple of tests out that I did from habit. Good luck with the A1c