Recommendations please - reliable sensor/finger prick test kit - newbie

[jefner]

Hello,I am not diabetic but I have thyroid issues and autoimmune Hashimoto's which can cause sugar disregulations and I experience times where I get hypoglycemic and find it quite frightening. I try and keep my lots of protein and good fats to keep it stable. When I feel I am having an episode what is the quickest thing I can eat/drink to alleviate the symptoms. I have tried a little orange juice but obviously don't want it to spike too much?

I just finished a 14 day freestyle trial just to see what happens which proved interesting and that my levels are good but I still feel I need to monitor my levels especially when I feel I am experiencing a hypo episode so I have evidence to take to my GP as the HbA1c blood test will show me as normal as it has in the past and won't show up hypo episodes.

Being new to all this I purchased a Gluco Navii sensor finger prick kit but upon reading reviews on Amazon it's not that accurate so I am looking for recommendations please for a good reliable one from the diabetic community please. I am in the UK

 

[Leadinglights]

Hello,I am not diabetic but I have thyroid issues and autoimmune Hashimoto's which can cause sugar disregulations and I experience times where I get hypoglycemic and find it quite frightening. I try and keep my lots of protein and good fats to keep it stable. When I feel I am having an episode what is the quickest thing I can eat/drink to alleviate the symptoms. I have tried a little orange juice but obviously don't want it to spike too much?

I just finished a 14 day freestyle trial just to see what happens which proved interesting and that my levels are good but I still feel I need to monitor my levels especially when I feel I am experiencing a hypo episode so I have evidence to take to my GP as the HbA1c blood test will show me as normal as it has in the past and won't show up hypo episodes.

Being new to all this I purchased a Gluco Navii sensor finger prick kit but upon reading reviews on Amazon it's not that accurate so I am looking for recommendations please for a good reliable one from the diabetic community please. I am in the UK

I'm not sure why you think it may be inaccurate as it is certainly on of the monitors which people find reliable, mine is getting on for 8 years old though it was the predecessor.
TEE2 or Contour Blue are other monitors but before laying out for a new one do check thigs like the battery, are your strips in date and you using the correct technique.
If you have been comparing to the Libre readings then they are not going to be identical as they measure something different and each are allowed a 15% range of accuracy.

 

[jefner]

I'm not sure why you think it may be inaccurate as it is certainly on of the monitors which people find reliable, mine is getting on for 8 years old though it was the predecessor.
TEE2 or Contour Blue are other monitors but before laying out for a new one do check thigs like the battery, are your strips in date and you using the correct technique.
If you have been comparing to the Libre readings then they are not going to be identical as they measure something different and each are allowed a 15% range of accuracy.

haven't been comparing against the Libre, was something I just trialed to see what my levels were doing and was informed on a different forum that they are fine. As I said I am new to all this so just looking for reassurance that the one I have is actually OK

 

[jefner]

I'm not sure why you think it may be inaccurate as it is certainly on of the monitors which people find reliable, mine is getting on for 8 years old though it was the predecessor.
TEE2 or Contour Blue are other monitors but before laying out for a new one do check thigs like the battery, are your strips in date and you using the correct technique.
If you have been comparing to the Libre readings then they are not going to be identical as they measure something different and each are allowed a 15% range of accuracy.

i only recently purchased it from amazon, I see two dates on the strip pot, not sure which one tells me the expiry date https://prnt.sc/j3E3X10MCh5A

 

[Robin]

i only recently purchased it from amazon, I see two dates on the strip pot, not sure which one tells me the expiry date https://prnt.sc/j3E3X10MCh5A

Th date next to the little picture of what is meant to be a factory (it has a big chimney) is the date of manufacture. The date underneath, with the picture that’s meant to be an egg timer, I think, is the expiry date.
The Navii gets recommended on here quite often from people who actually use it, and understand the limitations /permitted tolerances. Just because a meter (any meter) shows a reading to one decimal place doesn’t mean it is accurate to one decimal place. The best that can be claimed for ANY meter is, say, if you’re 5.5, then you’re probably somewhere between 5 and 6.

 

[jefner]

Th date next to the little picture of what is meant to be a factory (it has a big chimney) is the date of manufacture. The date underneath, with the picture that’s meant to be an egg timer, I think, is the expiry date.
The Navii gets recommended on here quite often from people who actually use it, and understand the limitations /permitted tolerances. Just because a meter (any meter) shows a reading to one decimal place doesn’t mean it is accurate to one decimal place. The best that can be claimed for ANY meter is, say, if you’re 5.5, then you’re probably somewhere between 5 and 6.

arrr that's helpful thank you

 

[helli]

When it comes to blood glucose testing (whether CGM, like Libre, or finger prick), it is important to remember that the accuracy is quoted as a percentage and all are subject to the same standard - 15% of "real" value, 95% of the time.

What this means is that the variation is greater for larger numbers and when comparing two readings from different meters, one may be up to 15% high while the other maybe up to 15% low. If your BG is in double figures, the variation could be more than 3mmol/l and both meters are still complying with the standard. In contrast, if your BG is around 5mmol/l, the variation for 2 compliant meters would be half of that.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

When I feel I am having an episode what is the quickest thing I can eat/drink to alleviate the symptoms. I have tried a little orange juice but obviously don't want it to spike too much?

Just to pick up on this question @jefner

From my T1 perspective, the first thing to do when you feel symptoms is to check them with your meter. Sometimes symptoms can occur at levels above 4.0, and some feelings (extreme hunger, anxiety, spaced-out) can be caused by other things - so for me an important step is to confirm what my warning signs are telling me.

Having said that, one of the things about BG meter’s permitted variability, is that if the number on the screen doesn’t match how you are feeling you should recheck with a fresh strip - so sometimes your symptoms have it right, and the meter is a bit out of kilter!

To treat a low glucose level, the standard “15 rule” advice is to take 15g of fast-acting carbohydrates, then wait 15 minutes, recheck BG, and retreat with a further 15g of fast carbs if levels are still below 4.0mmol/L.

Fast acting carbs can be from a variety of sources, but ideally would be high in glucose and contain little fat (which can slow absorption). So things like 3-4 Dextrose tablets, 2-3 Jelly Babies, Glucose gel, 10-15 Skittles.

Fruit juice can be used, but you’d need to work out how much represents 15g in carbs. Full sugar Coke is also speedy, but you only need a few swigs, not. whole can 🙂