Meters

[bigpurpleduck]

Hi all,

I tend to stick with the same meter most of the time - the Bayer Contour Link. It's fast, easy to use (no callibrating, hurrah!) and sends the BG reading to my pump, which saves me entering it manually to bolus.

However, today I ran out of strips for this meter (I've more at home, and a prescription waiting at the chemist). When I'd used the last one, my BG was 11.7 (fine for me at the moment, given it was 2 hours post-meal & I've been having too many hypos lately). I got out my other meter - the Optium Xceed, and checked on this aswell out of interest - 13.9.

I know there is margin for error with BG testing. But why so much? On 11.7 the bolus wizard on the pump wouldn't correct because of IOB - on 13.9 I'd be giving myself almost 1u, which is a lot for me on the pump. Why are BG meters so inaccurate?

Also, does anyone else hate the Optium Xceed with a fiery passion?! It's so cheap & plastic-looking. And I hate how the strips are all wrapped up. Where is the need for this?!

Very nervous about relying on the Xceed for the rest of the afternoon now. I don't want to think my BG is higher than it actually is when I'm trying my damnedest to avoid hypos!

 

[Akasha]

I agree with you about the Optium Xceed meter. My mom traded her old meter in and got given this one. and has only ever used it twice. Both times when i have opened the strips for her! (she has hand trouble)

 

[Freddie99]

I love my Contour USB. I used to use a variety of Roche meters but sadly they are nothing compaired to the Bayer stuff. My favourite bit is the software you get with the Contour USB.

Tom

 

[newbs]

I love my Contour USB. I used to use a variety of Roche meters but sadly they are nothing compaired to the Bayer stuff. My favourite bit is the software you get with the Contour USB.

Tom

I also love the Contour USB, up until recently I had always used One Touch meters but my DN got this meter for me and it is great.

 

[rossoneri]

... I know there is margin for error with BG testing. But why so much? On 11.7 the bolus wizard on the pump wouldn't correct because of IOB - on 13.9 I'd be giving myself almost 1u, which is a lot for me on the pump. Why are BG meters so inaccurate? ...

Yes I have noticed the occasional significant difference between my usual meter. the Roche Accu-Chek Combo that is also the remote for my pump, and my alternative, the Xceed. One time I did the two tests using the same drop of blood and scored a 5 on the Xceed and 10 on the Combo! I do not think it is necessarily the Xceed that is less trustworthy, just that we tend to trust our regular meter more. The meters do have an accepted inaccuracy, probably somewhere between 5-10%, but I think there are also other factors that can significantly influence the result e.g. where the sample was taken; how long before the finger being pricked and the blood being drawn into the strip - I think a longer time tends to raise the reading for some reason.

... Also, does anyone else hate the Optium Xceed with a fiery passion?! It's so cheap & plastic-looking. And I hate how the strips are all wrapped up. Where is the need for this?!

Must agree with you on the aesthetics of the Xceed, even the case feels cheaper than the ones I have had for other meters. I even find it irritating the way it requires a relatively small blood sample compared to other meters but seems to take the strip forever to actually draw up the blood from the drop on your finger.
When I saw in the meter's accompanying literature that Abbott were based in Maidenhead I feared that it was another typical British company, ahead of the game in terms of technology - only meter to measure blood ketones - but well off the game with respect to the more simple presentation and feel of the product. I then realised however, that Maidenhead was just the UK HQ and that they have an US parent company. This rather glaring oversight does therefore rather surprise me, it is something the Americans normally get right if only because of the demands of their domestic market.

 

[bigpurpleduck]

Must agree with you on the aesthetics of the Xceed, even the case feels cheaper than the ones I have had for other meters. I even find it irritating the way it requires a relatively small blood sample compared to other meters but seems to take the strip forever to actually draw up the blood from the drop on your finger.

Yes yes yes yes yes!!! Glad it's not just me 🙂

I hate the Xceed so much I carry 2 meters everywhere with me - the Xceed for the ketone testing because I have to have it, and the Contour Link for BG testing. I'm mad at myself for running out of strips 😡

Anyway - does everyone just stick to the one meter?

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I've only ever used Roche meters and like them well enough. I was thinking of changing to a Contour USB cos they look so darned cool, but my DSN has offered me one of the new Accu-Chek ones that's pretty much the pump wizard (Expert?), so Ill be trying that in December

 

[bev]

Alex uses the nano and prefers this to any other - but does have the OX for ketones. It is quite big and the wait for the blood to be drawn up is annoying - especially at 3am in the morning when your sat on the edge of the bed waiting to see if there are any ketones - its so slow. But having said all of that we wouldnt be without it and if you asked someone 20 years ago what would they prefer - they would probably just be happy to have a meter that was so quick and so accurate...🙂Bev

 

[Freddie99]

I've had a play about with the Accu Chek Mobile, made by Roche. Here's the review:

http://diabetesdramasetal.blogspot.com/2010/11/heavens-review-that-might-be-diabetes.html

In short I don't like it.

 

[MIsmail]

I got the xceed. My doc said it's "the most accurate monitor and takes into account smal biologica changes."

Don't know if she was trying to keep me quiet, but I feel using one meter minimizes the errors and standardises the corrections.

Personally dnt like it as during the cold weather it's not reliable.....but then again I haven't found one that is.

 

[Ellie Jones]

I only use one meter for all testing, but do keep an emergency back up meter..

Two reasons why meters will give different readings, first the accepted tollerance level will give different readings on same model meter..

But when using two different manufacturers or models, whether the meters are reading plasma or whole blood will had to the differential of meters...

The higher the blood glucose the higher the differential is likely to be..

The new Accu-chek mobile is an up-grade version of the compact and compact plus, the latter I did have and my husbands uses he loves it, but I hated it big time, too bulky and too nosiy got fed up with losing drum position due to dirty reading window which ment that you had to open the cover to clean, then lose the drum info..

I'm using the nano at the moment not impressed with it at all, but it does work with the software with my pump, but saying that the pump software is pretty naff as well..

I got the byer contour the other day, plus cable but not going to use it, as the software doesn't handle pumps...

The best meter I've ever used has been the One Touch Ultrasmart and software, it's electronic log book is bee's knee's and the software is surperb if you using injection and MDI, but alas falls completely down when it comes to pumps... I'm gutted indeed about this..