meter accuracy - the FDA and my personal goblin!

[SilentAssassin1642]

20% either way, yup we get that. BUT I've posted about this on my blog (here clicky click) just recently - how wrong it is that meters are so out!

I had the very thing happen this morning. Tested with my pink meter as im trying to save strips for the bayer (left getting my script too late oops) and it said 15.8. Hang on I think, that's not right. Test with the Bayer, 11.8 - and I trust the 11 wholeheartedly!

It's annoying. Especially as just recently the FDA have said they'll do nothing about it - this is not me having a go at T2's by the way, as I feel fully that what the FDA says is a load of rubbish - that 95% of diabetics are T2 who don't test as often as T1's so the fact that meters are innaccurate doesn't matter! That is utterly disgusting. We rely on these numbers daily...

I'll stop ranting...go read my blog rant...its all on there.

 

[cocacola]

I have an Abbott Freestyle Freedom Lite. I am type 2 and testing to see what raises my BG levels.
I tested twice within a couple of minutes and got 2 entirely different readings 😡
No control solution included in the package with the monitor, so I am awaiting some on order from Abbot.
Just not good enough really
Not so important to me as my BG are mostly within normal levels. From fasting 5.5 to 2 hrs after meals in mid 7s.

 

[SilentAssassin1642]

I have an Abbott Freestyle Freedom Lite. I am type 2 and testing to see what raises my BG levels.
I tested twice within a couple of minutes and got 2 entirely different readings 😡
No control solution included in the package with the monitor, so I am awaiting some on order from Abbot.
Just not good enough really
Not so important to me as my BG are mostly within normal levels. From fasting 5.5 to 2 hrs after meals in mid 7s.

you're right, its not good enough at all. Even if your levels are mostly within normal levels, I'd still say its important to get accurate readings - because well, if what the FDA says is true then if you're reading in the mid 7's then you could well be either much lower or much higher 😱

So annoyed at all of this.

 

[randomange]

It's even worse that some meters give you the plasma glucose figure, and some give you whole blood, and since plasma figures are about 12% higher, the difference between two meters can be even greater.

Ignoring the fact that, actually yes, some type 2s *do* test a lot, when you consider that anyone on insulin is using these results to determine how much insulin to give, food to eat etc, it's shocking that they don't push for greater accuracy.

I think the best thing to do is to stick with a meter you trust until we get more accuracy between meters. I feel like my little aviva nano is fairly accurate - I can test two different fingers at the same time, and the results are always close.

 

[AlisonM]

If you remember, I got a scare a few weeks ago when my Bayer Contour 2 arrived, the reading was a whole two points higher than those I got with my Freestyle Lite.😱 It's been the same ever since, the ratio has been within what they call tolerance, but it really isn't acceptable is it?

 

[FM001]

The same has happened to myself on many occasions, different readings on different meters. The general advice is to stick with one meter only, and don't compare meter to meter, as the results will always differ each time, and leads to confusion.

 

[shiv]

sam i read about this too. it's absolutely disgusting and makes me pull a massive :O face.

i'm going to blog about it, please don't think i'm trying to steal your limelight but it's worth blogging about!!!

 

[rawtalent]

The one thing i always find hard about having diabetes is CHANGE. I'm sure many of us feel the same. You get into a nice little routine, feeling well, good control etc... and then something goes and spoils it.

You get ill, You decide to train for the London Marathon(although exercise is always good!), something stressful in life messes about with your nice stability etc...you simply can't resist that cream dounut you haven't eaten for 100 years!!! I can think of so many things and it's making me cross thinking about it.

The point i want to make is that i thinks it's best to stick to a meter you trust and whose results match the way you feel and your hbA1c results. Anything else will simply 'muddy the water' and cause confusion in my experience.🙂