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Temperature Accu-chek Error

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Nyadach

Nyadach

Active Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Had a good one when out for my ride this morning. A flashing thermometer which seems to be the meter or the strips are too cold. First time I've seen it, and it was fine after warming it up an hour or so later...but that's not exactly convenient when your busy training on a few hills. Anyone got any info on was it the meter twinging or the chip in the strips complaining? curious on if anyone's seen this as well and has a little more info so I can try and stash them somewhere warmer against me and not in a pannier. Even shoving it down my shirt for a bit didn't seem to help 😛
 
It was the meter:

Error E-8 = The temperature is above or below the proper range for the meter (6C - 44C). Move to an area between 6C and 44C, wait for 5 minutes then repeat the test.Do not artificially heat or cool the meter.
Click to expand...
 
Yup. I've only ever heard this said (or had it happen myself) with Accu-Chek meters. I'd left mine in the sun on the seat of our motorhome. Stuck it in the wadrobe for a bit. My friend left his in his van last winter (he's a builder, hence why it was safely in the van in his sandwich box inside his work bag. Wouldn't work until after he got home in the evening which was a bit dangerous really. He swapped to a different make)

Raises the question really as to how accurate cold or hot meter readings from other makes might be, doesn't it?

Depending on what you're wearing , yes - nearer your body.
 
I've had this loads of times with several different makes of meters.
If I realise it's cold, I'll put my meter in a pocket closer to my body, but often I don't realise it's that cold and see an error message when come to test. After a few minutes next to my skin it works, although sometimes I take the batteries out too to try and warm it up quicker. Last weekend I wanted to test at end of bike ride in peaks before driving and it annoyingly took at least 5 mins to warm up. The numbers always seem to make sense, so my impression is that the accuracy is ok.
I've also lost count of the number of times I've slept in a tent with insulin pen and testing kit in the sleeping bag with me!
 
I had this happen when I walked up Snowdon several years ago with a group of people that were acquaintances rather than friends. The meter didn't work at all once it got too cold. I eventually realised when we got back to normal tempoeratures that my BG was 32 - I felt so rough but couldn't say anything because they didn't know me well enough and we all went out for an Indian - goodness knows what my BG was after that. At 4am I was in a right state, felt like I was slipping out of consciousness and very weepy, and they thought that I was putting it on - didn't even consider getting me help. Goodness knows how but I managed to have enough insulin to get me through it. It was a steep learnig curve - especially for one of them who has now been my OH for ten years but at the time didn't have a clue about diabetes (and even now doesn't like me mentioning the Snowdon trip)
 
In April 2010 we went camping in Shropshire and had a nice week but the nights were clear and cold. Inside the tent it touched -1c one night and not much more the other nights, so my Optium Xceed needed warming up for 5-10 minutes in the sleeping bag before it would work.

It was a rugged workhorse the rest of the time.🙂

Rob
 
Cheers for that folks, a closer pocket seems the easy fix for now 🙂
 
I've always found that in cold conditions, keeping kit next to my skin works well. If I get error message from meter complaining about being too cold, I find that I can warm it up fairly instantly by cupping in my hands and exhaling onto it, although I'm careful not to breathe into the strip hole, as that could give false / out of range humidity levels.
 
Thought your armpits were one of the warmest places? Or two of the warmest, there is only one of the other warmest place!
 
trophywench said:
Thought your armpits were one of the warmest places? Or two of the warmest, there is only one of the other warmest place!
Click to expand...

Difficult to breathe into your armpits, though. Same problem with the other place you're thinking about! An armpit isn't a good place to keep meter routinely, when wearing rucksack straps. A fleece pouch on a neck lanyard or breast pocket of T shirt works OK, though. 🙂
 
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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
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