• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

Not even one test strip

Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
L

Lilies

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Just been to gp for first visit since diagnosis. Didn't get a single test strip out of him ' the current thinking is you only need it if you are on insulin and at risk of hypo so I can't give u any, the blood tests we do are sufficient ' ... I mentioned about testing to see what effect foods have on me...water off a ducks back!
He seems quite casual about ut all I am apparently now on the system and at some point in the next year will have diabetes nurse appointment... But on list for dieticians spot, suspect that will be the eat lots of brown pasta stuff...

Oh and he also said that he expected to increase my metformin next time... Well that's me with a challenge am determined to loose weight and do enough exercise so I prove him wrong !!!
 
You go girl!!!! It's all money money money with the PCT though, nothing to do with health anymore!!! makes me soooooooooo angry.
 
I hope you DO prove him wrong Lillies. Go for it!

Every tough day you have between now and your next appointment, if ever your resolve is wavering, just picture his face when he was telling you you could not have any strips. Grrrrr.

I wonder how casual he would be about a 3/6-month only blood test if he was the diabetic and it was his eyes/feet/kidneys/quality of life that were on the line. Or his wife's... Or his child's...
 
The thing is you're on a hiding to nothing on the strip issue if you do prove him wrong!

But you're right that if you can get some weight loss you could well help your overall control. It's that which really matters in the end.

But it would be good to have the ability to check your progress on a daily basis BG wise. It certainly helped me to such an extent that I no longer need any meds and my testing is very infrequent to no ill effect. Feel free to quote me on that. Your GP is being VERY short-sighted.

By the way, I only ever tested once a day at different times (before breakfast, 2hrs after breakfast, before lunch, 2hrs after lunch etc etc). That approach worked well for me because my levels stabilised quite quickly. It would not be quite so effective if my levels had been all over the place, in which case more frequent testing would be useful (e.g. before and after meal readings on the same day).

Andy 🙂
 
Last edited:
In another universe .... it has been discovered that Abbot test strips are the cheapest to purchase if you need to - and you need to. But get them from Abbot, they supply direct to you at no extra cost so you can be 100% they are genuine strips and not obtained by whatever means and resold on e-Bay - I think ?14.64.

But you obviously would need their meter to go with the strips!
 
Just spoken to abbott test strips for xceed is ?17.76 for 50 the new insulinx meter is ?17.88 for 50,thats a huge difference then the pharmacy.
 
Excellent attitude Lilies.:D

Sometimes we need to take charge of our own regime when the medical professionals fail to live up to expectations.

I wish you every success and hope to read about your improved control.🙂

Rob
 
You can get a free Abbott meter here:

http://www.abbottdiabetescare.co.uk/free-meter-signup

I discussed this issue with my consultant the other day. He actually wrote the guidelines for my PCT and agreed that motivated individuals who wish to test, and are instructed how to interpret the results, should be given the means to do so. He did also say, and I imagine he is correct, that a fortune is wasted because there are many people who test but don't have a clue what to do about the results, and that studies have shown that HbA1c levels are barely improved by testing. My argument was that no-one should be left to test without proper instruction and regularly reviewing the results with the nurse or doctor, but of course this also comes down to time and money.

Personally, I think that testing and understanding the results gives people a much better understanding of diabetes and therefore a feeling of active management of the disease - with 6 monthly tests this does not occur because you don't know if what you are doing is right for you. If the subsequent HbA1c is poor then you don't really know what you did wrong.

I wouldn't give up on it. Read the following from Diabetes UK and go back to your doctor armed with greater knowledge.

http://www.diabetes.org.uk/About_us/Our_Views/Position_statements/Self-monitoring_of_blood_glucose/
 
It is my understanding that the main reason why intensive testing did not lower the A1c of those intensively testing was because that group weren't allowed to do anything about it once they knew their BG had shot up. No Well I'll eat less carb next time; No Well I'd better go for a smartish trot round the block then - Nowt, Zilch, Nada. Just carry on regardless.

And Oh! Quel surprise! - the intensive testing group aloso had a far greater tendency to become depressed; so there you have it folks - you shouldn't test, it will only depress you ........

As Northerner says, PCTs and GPs both know there are not the resources to sit down with every individual and train em; and therefore far too many use it as 'the perfect excuse' to save some money today. Tomorrow when legs drop off, kidneys fail and eyes go blind, we'll have to throw some money at it but not out of this years budget so we won't worry our little heads about it .....

Ostriches? Or classic Cranium Derriere Syndrome? - take your pick .....
 
Lilies said:
Just been to gp for first visit since diagnosis.
1., the blood tests we do are sufficient ' ...

2. Oh and he also said that he expected to increase my metformin next time...
Click to expand...

LOl ...and he doesnt even understand that his second statement proves his first statement WRONG !!!
 
trophywench said:
It is my understanding that the main reason why intensive testing did not lower the A1c of those intensively testing was because that group weren't allowed to do anything about it once they knew their BG had shot up. No Well I'll eat less carb next time; No Well I'd better go for a smartish trot round the block then - Nowt, Zilch, Nada. Just carry on regardless.

.....
Click to expand...

The Farmer study, much quoted by the medics, defined "intensive testing" as twice a week and then found no significant result on A1c from that. Quelle surprise !
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top