glucose monitoring systems

[Brambleberry]

Just been reading the pros and cons of different systems. I am going to discuss buying one to constantly monitor my BG. I get through far more strips than my prescription and feel like a pin cushion which cannot be good for peripheral neuropathy. I have been in touch the the Smart Sure monitor people about a solution for to calibrate. They will send me one free to last 3 months but said the machine does not need it, but the strips need to be confirmed accurate sometimes...mine has not been done since I got it mid October last year...and so there is the possibility that my readings might not be 100% accurate. But there is nothing in the instructions about this at all. I feel a monitor might iradicate all of this.
So are these expensive to run which one is best to go for if self funding?

 

[Lucyr]

I think libre is best for self funding, but will cost £100 per month so test strips may be cheaper. I’ve never used control solution on my meter. Bear in mind sensors aren’t any more accurate than a blood meter

 

[harbottle]

If you're worried about your meter, buy another one and compare readings or alternate between them. They should be roughly similar, but won't be the same - and some makes are more accurate than others. Someone posted a table recently showing a list of brands and their accuracy. (Something like 6.4 and 5.8 are quite common with my two meters, different 'contour' models with different strips). There are a lot of factors that can affect results and some meters may not take into account all these factors.

I have seen that there's a control solution available for my meters, but hardly no one seems to sell it and it's very expensive and I'm not sure it's needed these days.

As has already been said, sensors aren't any more accurate.

 

[Inka]

You could just buy a good quality meter. If you were to go for an AccuChek, for example, you’d get the bonus of a good finger pricker and tests strips in a drum. We’re always told to check ‘funny’ Libre readings with a glucose meter and I’d take what my meter said over my Libre.

 

[Brambleberry]

I got a finger pricker with my Smart Sure and tried to follow the youtube video that corresponds with it. It does not work so I do it by hand. You know when I was a student nurse back in 1983...showing my age! My first ward was ward 10 at the RVI Newcastle and as most people know this is a University Hospital and centre of excellence for diabetes in addition to a whole lot of other things....well I digress...the sister insisted we took BMs from the ear lobe because she did not want us compromising patients with peripheral neuropathy in their hands....just an interesting tid bit!
I may buy another model to compare.They are cheaper than CGMs for sure.