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Glucos monitor
- Thread starter Jo121
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Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
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- She/Her
The GlucoNavil codefree or Tee 2 are probably the cheapest (about £15) with strips about £10 for 50. Available from Amazon or I believe E-bay. The kit will come with a few lancets and strips but you will need to buy a good stock of strips but some people do reuse the lancets but maybe best to get extra until you get used to using it. These are regarded as being reliable and monitors do have to conform to a standard.
There is a U-Tube video in sampling technique which you might find useful, you only need a small drop of blood to apply to the strip so not too difficult if you make sure your hands are warm.
There is a U-Tube video in sampling technique which you might find useful, you only need a small drop of blood to apply to the strip so not too difficult if you make sure your hands are warm.
Ljc
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1.5 LADA
Hi . I assume you are not on diabetes meds that can cause hypo’s (low blood glucose) sorry I haven’t re read your previous posts.
So your go practice won’t provide one ?
It’s the ongoing cost of the test strips you have to be careful of .
Many sold in chemists use test strips that cost from £15 to £25 fir a pot of 50
Many self funders use this glucose meter
Gluco navii test strips are £8 a pot of 50 .
When you are initially doing in depth testing , ie on waking, before eating then two hours after starting to eat, the cost of the strips are important.
All meters sold in the uk even basic ones like this one, have to comply to certain standards , no meter designed for home use is dead accurate
So your go practice won’t provide one ?
It’s the ongoing cost of the test strips you have to be careful of .
Many sold in chemists use test strips that cost from £15 to £25 fir a pot of 50
Many self funders use this glucose meter
Gluco navii test strips are £8 a pot of 50 .
When you are initially doing in depth testing , ie on waking, before eating then two hours after starting to eat, the cost of the strips are important.
All meters sold in the uk even basic ones like this one, have to comply to certain standards , no meter designed for home use is dead accurate
I use a gluconavi as the test strips are reasonably priced and I use an accucheck lancer as you hardly feel the prick and you don’t have to faff with the disposal of each lancets
Thank you. I'm type 2 slim and active so it was a shock. No offer of monitor just prescription for metformin which I believes means I cant have hypos. Offer of a referral to slimming world until they saw my BMI was ok and then told to cut carbs. From what I've read using a monitor will help me monitor my blood sugar and see which foods cause me to spike as seems like everyone is different
Ljc
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1.5 LADA
Well at least they got the carb info about right . It’s best to cut them down gradually, as you shouldn’t lower your BGs (blood glucose) too quickly, it can cause false hypo’s and may affect your vision .
Though an Hb1ac of 89 is high many of us were much higher at diagnosis, so please don’t panic ok.
When you do buy a meter , sorry I forgot this info in my earlier post.
We use the mmol/L measurement un the uk.
You are entitled to claim VAT relief .
In the starter packs they only provide 10 lancets and test strips.
I suggest you start with two tubs of strips and one box of lancets .
It does take a bit if practice persuading a drop of blood to appear on Command
Have a read of Painless pricks by Alan S
Do you know if a Gp/nurse has sent off a prescription excemption form for you , if you are not sure ,do check as now you are on Metformin you are entitled to free prescriptions for all prescribed medications.
Thanks. I think I am experiencing the blurred vision as only had 40g of carbs yest. Tbh I only ate 900 calories all day yest I'm that scared to eat. I feel dreadful. Dizzy, and tired. I'm still not sure on the whole low carb high fat thing either as I dont want to cause other problems with high fat. Thanks for the monitor help and what to get first order
trophywench
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
High fat is a misnomer - it's really low carb and normal fat. Trouble is we've been so long told we're all going to die of heart failure pdq we've grown very scared of eating it. So - don't hack all the fat off meat before you cook it - always look for beef that's 'marbled', go for full fat yoghurt and milk (we don't eat tons of yoghurt and probably don't have that much milk every day anyway) but do carry on grilling rather than frying.
Maca44
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Early days and alot to take in so whatever you do go easy on yourself 900 cals is not going to help you. With regards to low carbs high fat, for me, I have reduced carbs to around 80- 100g's per day and as far as fat goes an example is Greek yogurt, the low fat one has more carbs so I have the full fat one and the same for milk I am not eating loads of fat but do have butter etc. Carbs is the key so that is the first thing I look at when buying food also I have given up potatoes rice chips completely but this is just me many can have these but smaller portions.
My Hb1ac was 125 in November 2020 now i'm off all meds and in remission the weight has come off and I don't get hungry eating this way.
Clifton
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I use an Accu-Chek mobile, which doesn't use strips - all contained in a neat cassette. I find it very much easier. The Accu-Chek lancet device is pain free and simple to use too.
The cassettes can be purchased on-line at a reasonable price - sometimes well under high street retail.
www.accu-chek.co.uk
Best of luck
The cassettes can be purchased on-line at a reasonable price - sometimes well under high street retail.
Accu-Chek Mobile
The Accu-Chek Mobile blood glucose meter is no longer available in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. But don't worry: the test cassettes continue to be available, so there is no need to switch to another meter unless you require a replacement. You can access support for your meter...
Best of luck
Thank youI use an Accu-Chek mobile, which doesn't use strips - all contained in a neat cassette. I find it very much easier. The Accu-Chek lancet device is pain free and simple to use too.
The cassettes can be purchased on-line at a reasonable price - sometimes well under high street retail.
Accu-Chek Mobile
The Accu-Chek Mobile blood glucose meter is no longer available in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. But don't worry: the test cassettes continue to be available, so there is no need to switch to another meter unless you require a replacement. You can access support for your meter...
Best of luck
Ljc
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1.5 LADA
Hi again. Unless you need to lose lots if weight , you don’t need to watch your calorie intake , its carbohydrates that we don’t deal with too well.
Tbh I have never believed that fats are our enemy, unless of course you have a condition that requires you to reduce fats , ie heart , vascular problems etc.
Now come the pep talk ok.
You need to eat and eat well, you need to keep well too , that takes good nutrition and not starving yourself.
Diabetes is a marathon not a sprint, so make changes slowly , your eyes will thank you for it.
T2 doesn’t come on quickly it takes time, possibly years before you notice , initially it’s much much kinder than T1 , so you do have time to sort this out .
Unless you need to lose lots of Wright Diabetes us not about reducing the amount of food you eat , it’s about reducing a certain food group (carbohydrates) and increasing others.
Pep talk over. ((((((Hug))))))
Here is some advice.
Keep a brutally honest food diary, include the carb (not the calories) content of each item.
For say a week eat what you normally would , then you will have a better idea of where you can begin to make changes.
When you reduce portion sizes of various carbohydrates it’s best to increase the good items, ie protein , veg and yes some good fats.
When you get your glucose meter and get high results on your tests, please don’t panic, you will get them down Honest
Here is how we do it .
Test just before eating, then two hours after the first bite.
If your post meal (post prandial) result is no more than 3 mmol/l above the pre meal reading then that meal was fine for you. (dont worry about the actual reading as this will come down in time .
If the result is more than 3 mmol then a bit of tweaking is required.
Our blood glucose fluctuates , this is perfectly normal.
Tbh I have never believed that fats are our enemy, unless of course you have a condition that requires you to reduce fats , ie heart , vascular problems etc.
Now come the pep talk ok.
You need to eat and eat well, you need to keep well too , that takes good nutrition and not starving yourself.
Diabetes is a marathon not a sprint, so make changes slowly , your eyes will thank you for it.
T2 doesn’t come on quickly it takes time, possibly years before you notice , initially it’s much much kinder than T1 , so you do have time to sort this out .
Unless you need to lose lots of Wright Diabetes us not about reducing the amount of food you eat , it’s about reducing a certain food group (carbohydrates) and increasing others.
Pep talk over. ((((((Hug))))))
Here is some advice.
Keep a brutally honest food diary, include the carb (not the calories) content of each item.
For say a week eat what you normally would , then you will have a better idea of where you can begin to make changes.
When you reduce portion sizes of various carbohydrates it’s best to increase the good items, ie protein , veg and yes some good fats.
When you get your glucose meter and get high results on your tests, please don’t panic, you will get them down Honest
Here is how we do it .
Test just before eating, then two hours after the first bite.
If your post meal (post prandial) result is no more than 3 mmol/l above the pre meal reading then that meal was fine for you. (dont worry about the actual reading as this will come down in time .
If the result is more than 3 mmol then a bit of tweaking is required.
Our blood glucose fluctuates , this is perfectly normal.
I have just seen this reply. Thank you for this advice. I'm still struggling massively. I'm not trying to reduce calories at all or focusing on them I'm just using my fitness pal to track what I eat to see the macros and it then tells me the calories. I've been really strict all week to the extent that I now struggle to eat anything like white rice without feeling extremely dizzy. Problem I have is that I dont like a lot of the food we are supposed to eat apart from the carb element. Brown pasta etc not a problem as I've lived relatively low fat probs higher carb for years. I dont like big portions of meat or meat without anything to mix it with such as potato or pasta so I'm really struggling. It's also all too time consuming theres no convenience foods to grab and go and I'm massively stressed.
I'm struggling to come to terms with having it if im honest especially as I'm slim and lead an active lifestyle. I'm also mourning my weekly saturday takeaway as now no nights off from cooking
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