Testing machine help

[LizziR]

Hi i am new and cut right down on the carbs since being diagnosed type 2, 2 weeks ago, i am trying to control at first with diet, being tested again in 10 weeks time to see how i am doing. I am thinking it would be a good idea to have a blood monitor to see how i am managing - any suggestions please on easy to use ones (i am the least technical person you will meet!). Thanks in advance 😎

 

[Martin.A]

Hi, and welcome to the forum. Getting a BG monitor is a good way of tracking your progress and managing your diet but the thing to bear in mind is that the monitor is a one-off cost whereas the lancets and test strips are a running cost, so the recommendation is to choose a monitor that's cheap to run. The Gluco Navii or TEE2 monitors are the ones that are most often recommended by members but shop around for the best deals. Buying online is usually cheaper.

Don't worry about the tech - they are very simple to use.

 

[harbottle]

I would go for a Contour Blue - bluetooth connectivity and strips are not expensive.

Personally, I would avoid the Gluco Navii.

 

[rebrascora]

Personally, I would avoid the Gluco Navii.

Any particular reason why? It is probably the longest standing and most widely used meter on this forum and I can't remember reading anyone having issues with it, unlike the Sinocare... 🙄

You mention Bluetooth connectivity but for a person who describes themselves as " the least technical person you will meet" I imagine BT isn't going to be a particularly attractive factor to the OP. It wouldn't be for me either who is probably capable of challenging the OP for that position.

 

[harbottle]

I found it cheap and nasty with awful connectivity.
I didn’t like the wide variation on results when I did some testing to see what it was like with multiple readings at the same time - something I don’t see on the Contour and Trivium meters I have (Trivium strips are too expensive, and the app doesn’t integrate with Apple health)

 

[rebrascora]

I found it cheap and nasty with awful connectivity.
I didn’t like the wide variation on results when I did some testing to see what it was like with multiple readings at the same time - something I don’t see on the Contour and Trivium meters I have (Trivium strips are too expensive, and the app doesn’t integrate with Apple health)

I doubt the connectivity and integration is going to be an issue with the OP.
As regards a scatter of results, I think we all know that it is easy to place too much emphasis on accuracy and we can expect a reasonable spread from most meters and it isn't really that important. I have a Caresense and a Libre reader which doubles as a meter and I get a spread of about 1.5mmols between the 3 and I am basing insulin doses on one of them, so I don't sweat accuracy and I certainly don't think a Type 2 on no medication needs to.

@LizziR My advice would be to go with one of the two mentioned (Gluco Navii or Spirit Tee2) as they are very well tried and tested here on the forum for reliability and economy of use and are good basic meters but see which one currently has the cheapest test strips or will give you a good deal with a multi-purchase of test strips. The test strips are where the cost lies and you will go through a lot in the early weeks and months of intensive testing. Test strips are not universal so whichever meter you buy, you will be tied into those test strips.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hi i am new and cut right down on the carbs since being diagnosed type 2, 2 weeks ago, i am trying to control at first with diet, being tested again in 10 weeks time to see how i am doing. I am thinking it would be a good idea to have a blood monitor to see how i am managing - any suggestions please on easy to use ones (i am the least technical person you will meet!). Thanks in advance 😎

Welcome to the forum @LizziR

There are lots of different meters on the market, and the SD Gluco Navii or the Spirit Tee2 - which have already been mentioned both have pretty affordable strips (about £10 for a pot of 50), and are reasonably consistent in performance.

It is the strip cost you need to bear in mind, as some brands can cost £25-30 for a pot of strips!

Feel free to ask away - we have lots of T2 members whose brains you can pick about how to use a meter to improve your BG results, by tweaking your menu 🙂