Suggestions, new monitor readings higher, messing up my calculations.

[medidia]

PS I know the readings may be within standards, not an issue. And there are no problem with the new lancing device.
I recently bought a new monitor, contour plus blue - I'm very happy with it, my purse and my fingertips prefer it to the GlucoRX next (which I'm going to give to a family member)
However the readings are higher by 1 (I compared the two monitors). My fasting BG has shot up from 6's to 7's. I no longer have any 5's during the day.
I have a beautiful spreadsheet with all the measurements since I was diagnosed in October, with various averages and targets and it's all meaningless now. Has anyone else had the same problem?
My whole remission journey has been based on keeping very detailed records, and it's worked well so far, I want to keep it that way.

 

[Leadinglights]

I recently bought a new monitor, contour plus blue - I'm very happy with it, my purse and my fingertips prefer it to the GlucoRX next (which I'm going to give to a family member)
However the readings are higher by 1 (I compared the two monitors). My fasting BG has shot up from 6's to 7's. I no longer have any 5's during the day.
I have a beautiful spreadsheet with all the measurements since I was diagnosed in October, with various averages and targets and it's all meaningless now. Has anyone else had the same problem?
My whole remission journey has been based on keeping very detailed records, and it's worked well so far, I want to keep it that way.

A difference of 1 is neither here nor there as they will be within the permitted accuracy of any monitor, the problem with averages is they are just that and hide a possible spread of readings. You may have had differences of 1 even with the same monitor.
Look for your trend rather than individual readings.

 

[helli]

You do not have to use the lancet device with the meter that it came with. The purpose of it is just to get blood out of your finger
If you prefer the pricker from the Contour Plus Blue but the GlucoRX meter, your fingers can enjoy the delights of the Contour pricker while your spreadsheet enjoys the readings from the GlucoRX, for example.

However, it is important to bear in mind that all home meters need only comply with an accuracy standard of +/- 15%. For example, if your laboratory tested reading was 6.0mmol/l, home meters can report anything between 5.1 and 6.9.
It is possible that your older meters are slightly under reporting.

 

[medidia]

A difference of 1 is neither here nor there as they will be within the permitted accuracy of any monitor, the problem with averages is they are just that and hide a possible spread of readings. You may have had differences of 1 even with the same monitor.
Look for your trend rather than individual readings.

I'm not disputing the accuracy. The trend is the very issue I'm having, it's going from a steady reduction to a sudden increase, across all the metrics.

 

[medidia]

You do not have to use the lancet device with the meter that it came with. The purpose of it is just to get blood out of your finger
If you prefer the pricker from the Contour Plus Blue but the GlucoRX meter, your fingers can enjoy the delights of the Contour pricker while your spreadsheet enjoys the readings from the GlucoRX, for example.

However, it is important to bear in mind that all home meters need only comply with an accuracy standard of +/- 15%. For example, if your laboratory tested reading was 6.0mmol/l, home meters can report anything between 5.1 and 6.9.
It is possible that your older meters are slightly under reporting.

I know, the lancing device was just faulty, got a new one.
I know, not worried about accuracy, just the comparison with older measurements, recording trends etc.

 

[Drummer]

But your fasting glucose has not changed - nor have any of the other glucose levels, jut the meter and the number it gives you. It was only really about the difference between the before and after eating levels, which is the best way to deal with type 2 long term.
Try thinking of it in the same way as changing the clocks twice a year - its just a number and if it continues to decrease then that's fine - isn't it? If you went back to your old meter you'd get the same numbers.

 

[Inka]

I'm not disputing the accuracy. The trend is the very issue I'm having, it's going from a steady reduction to a sudden increase, across all the metrics.

But you know the reason for that, so it’s irrelevant. It might be that your new meter is actually closer to your real blood sugar than the other one. Your post seems to imply you think the old meter was closer - but, of course, most of us would prefer a meter that read slightly low!

None of it matters. The meters have a margin of error so they’re never going to give you an exact number. Just stick to one meter and look for averages and any increases or decreases. Start a new spreadsheet.

 

[grovesy]

For years I have only used the Accu-Chek Fastclix pricker. I much prefer to another I have used I bought a spare for when it breaks.

 

[rebrascora]

I understand that it is the stats which now look bad and many of us using Libre have to deal with this, where something happens and ruins your stats and it is frustrating because part of keeping those stats is to motivate you to do better or keep doing what you are doing to achieve good results. What you have to keep in mind is that you know why this has occurred and therefore you know it isn't an issue with your blood or routine or diet, it is just a temporary adjustment of your trend due to the meter readings being higher. Once you get a few months into your data with the new meter you will hopefully see a downward trend again beyond this step up.

I have used a few different meters and my current one reads higher than most others, but my current one is my "official" one supplied by the clinic, so that has the final say. I have no idea which is closer to being my actual BG but certainly there is a regular approx. 1mmol difference. I don't keep spread sheets so I don't see that step up in levels on my data, but try to just accept it as it is an issue with your data measuring and not with your blood glucose levels.

 

[Leadinglights]

The lancing device is immaterial as a drop of blood is a drop of however you obtain it.

 

[rebrascora]

Maybe I misunderstood but I thought the issue was the cost of test strips hence the change to the Contour Blue for cheaper strips but that the meter was giving consistently higher readings making stats look poor whereas the lancing device change was just a passing comment.

 

[Docb]

Hi @medidia. If I have got it right, you have got a new meter and the readings seem to be higher than your old meter. You have also got lots of data on a spreadsheet from the old meter and you want to integrate the old data with the new.

The fact that the readings from one meter are a bit different to another should not be a surprise but if that difference is consistent then a correction factor can be applied to one or other data sets to compensate. It is quite an interesting problem to work out how best to do that.

Can you, for a few days, use both meters when making a test? A dozen readings should give you a good idea if the difference is consistent and provide you with a measure of what that difference is and give you a correction factor.

 

[medidia]

Hi @medidia. If I have got it right, you have got a new meter and the readings seem to be higher than your old meter. You have also got lots of data on a spreadsheet from the old meter and you want to integrate the old data with the new.

The fact that the readings from one meter are a bit different to another should not be a surprise but if that difference is consistent then a correction factor can be applied to one or other data sets to compensate. It is quite an interesting problem to work out how best to do that.

Can you, for a few days, use both meters when making a test? A dozen readings should give you a good idea if the difference is consistent and provide you with a measure of what that difference is and give you a correction factor.

the last paragraph is spot on I'm going to try that

 

[medidia]

But you know the reason for that, so it’s irrelevant. It might be that your new meter is actually closer to your real blood sugar than the other one. Your post seems to imply you think the old meter was closer - but, of course, most of us would prefer a meter that read slightly low!

None of it matters. The meters have a margin of error so they’re never going to give you an exact number. Just stick to one meter and look for averages and any increases or decreases. Start a new spreadsheet.

I'm not implying one is closer than the other, there's no way of knowing.

 

[Inka]

I'm not implying one is closer than the other, there's no way of knowing.

No, no way of knowing and it doesn’t really matter, but I interpreted it as you being a bit irked that your fasting readings had now shot up, according to the new meter and you were no longer getting any 5s during the day. Most people would feel the same.

 

[Docb]

the last paragraph is spot on I'm going to try that

Let us know what you find. I know another forum member is interested in this topic and it might be helpful alround if you could share the data.

 

[medidia]

Let us know what you find. I know another forum member is interested in this topic and it might be helpful alround if you could share the data.

I'd be more than happy to share personal information with other like minded people, but not on the main forum. If they want to send me a DM I'd be happy to share directly with them, the moderators, or any members who have questions 🙂

 

[Docb]

I'd be more than happy to share personal information with other like minded people, but not on the main forum. If they want to send me a DM I'd be happy to share directly with them, the moderators, or any members who have questions 🙂

Please DM me. All I would want is the names of the meters and the results. I would tag them to your username to distinguish them from any others.

 

[rebrascora]

Please DM me. All I would want is the names of the meters and the results. I would tag them to your username to distinguish them from any others.

I am guessing you mean "wouldn't" rather than would as you are trying to reassure the OP. about anonymity of information.
I find the site often seems to sometimes skip relevant parts of words and I am becoming increasingly convinced it is a glitch in the system rather than my typing.

 

[Leadinglights]

I am guessing you mean "wouldn't" rather than would as you are trying to reassure the OP. about anonymity of information.
I find the site often seems to sometimes skip relevant parts of words and I am becoming increasingly convinced it is a glitch in the system rather than my typing.

I was having awful trouble with my space bar so had to keep going back over what I had typed to put spaces in. Driving me mad but OH managed to fix it by realising that it had come adrift at one side so managed to put the clips back where they were supposed to be.
So any glitches were definitely mine.