blood glucose meters and test strips

A good way to see if yours is within normal variance is to bring along your meter when you go for a blood draw (from a vein). Within 5-10 minutes of them drawing blood, do your own blood test and save the results. Compare them with what the doc tells you your number was. Your result should be within 15% of the doc's result. What's important here is to know how you feel & how you function when your BG is at different numbers.

Before leaving her doctors office your mother should have gotten a wealth of printed information on how to control and manage her diabetes. A list of recommended home glucose test meters should have been part of that package.

takes 6-8 weeks for USPS to deliver unit. Mine came with 10 each test strips and lancets and a test fluid bottle. Calibrate to strip number prior to using.

Couple of years back Consumer Reports tested home glucose meters and found only one that provide consistent "accurate" results. This meter was the Johnson & Johnson Ultra Mini. Search online as J&J was giving these away for free with a 15 day supply of strips. Wait time is 5-6 weeks. I got two. Bottom line, if in doubt go to your doctor and get an A1c test. This is the gold standard in determining whether you are normal, prediabetic, or become diabetic.

00 for 50 even with good insurance. Any way to bring this down? Any other meters and strips that are less expensive?

Meanwhile I need a little clarification on what you are saying. You are saying that you test the blood sugar one minute and then a minute later you test again and it drops down. How much does it drop down by? Meters are not exact within a range of as much as twenty points, so if it is less than that it might just be the meter.

s interesting that you question the accuracy of your glucose meter for I was reading the September 2008 issues of Consumer Reports that rated both blood-pressure monitors and blood-glucose meters. Only one blood-glucose meter scored excellent overall and also scored the highest for consistency- the Johnson & Johnson Lifescan OneTouch Ultra Mini. The Ultra Mini was followed by Ascensia Contour, ReliOn Ultima (WalMart), and Accu-check Compact Plus.

Home glucose checking is designed to only give a ballpark snapshot of what our blood glucose is at that moment of time. Blood flow through the body is dynamic and the chemistry, including glucose, at any given point will very from one moment to the next. That said unless you took a blood sample and tested it many times (not taking a new sample for each test, thus a different blood chemistry) the variance in readings you recorded are normal.

I'm a novice when it comes to diabetes so I could use some help. I'm on 2.5mg of Glipizide and have been for about four years. My doctor discourages blood glucose testings -- says that's only necessary if I were on insulin. However, I will occasionally check my blood sugar -- maybe once or twice a month or if I'm not feeling well. I checked it on Sunday and found it was running somewhat high.

More or less why they invented meters for use on forearms, thighs, and abdomen. I rarely test so the finger is OK with me.

Before stating whether you are in danger of diabetes, or you are normal it would be nice to know the make/model and age of your meter. Age of the test strips, if you are within the expiration date of the test strips, and whether the meter requires calibration prior to use. Knowing the aforementioned helps to determine if your test results qualify or not.

If your fasting glucose is higher than 125 you are actually diabetic. If you get a blood glucose tolerance test your glucose level should be below 200 one - two hours after the test...

Anyone seen / used the new freestyle test strips? I was given them just a couple of days ago. The new shape is nice but I'm suspicious of them. http://www.abbott.com/global/url/pressRelease/en_US/60.5:5/Press_Release_0876.htm I've heard it said that sugar is sugar, your body doesn't know the difference. So why should our test strips? I take my blood sugar when I feel like it's high but these things give me numbers in the 80 -90 range, never above 100.

I've recently been diagnosed with Type II Diabetes and started testing my blood glucose at home with the One Touch Ultra 2 monitor. The test strips that I've been given are pre-coded, so I do not have to do anything to my monitor prior to testing, other than insert the strip.

You are already experiencing cardio system beat downs. Test, test, test and pay careful attention to what you eat. And, please do not put off seeing a doctor asap.

But while you had cited the reference range for a fasting blood sugar test which had the bottom number of the range as 60 and did not at first very specifically apply it to a random blood sugar specimen in a previous post, in a later post, you went on to say 67 is not considered low, hence the clarifying question I asked you.

Being pre-diabetic is a great opportunity to change your behaviors and control your blood sugar with weight loss if needed, diet and exercise; and good for you for dealing with it now! If you want to talk to other pre-diabetics send me a PM and I'll give you a couple websites that have forums specifically for pre-diabetes.

I'm looking for help with diabetic supplies, mainly test strips and lancets. I have two different meters-One Touch Ultra Mini and Accu-Chek Aviva. Is there any place to get free supplies or very low cost supplies for these meters? Your suggestions ar greatly appreciated! Thank you !

I took him in with classic diabetes syptoms and when they did the glucose test his results were low. At one hour he was 50, two hours 70 and three hours back down to 50. So she told me he was hypoglycemia even though prior to that we had never recorded any lows like that. I will check that website. Thanks.

I was a little concerned when I started smelling the sweet fruity smell again on my breath. I immediately went to the pharmacy and bought a blood glucose test. I tested myself at 9:15PM and it read 81mg. I wasn't satisfied because I read on the web that it is a sympton of untreated diabetes. I tested again and it read 86mg. I felt a little better. I woke up the next morning and tested again and it read 88mg. For what I read, these readings are normal.

You'll be fine, the meters cost so little to manufacture that a lot of comapnies give them to you. ReliOn is a good brand.

My husband has has Type II diabetes for 16 years and his blood sugar levels are checked with blood tests. This is what the Blood Glucose Meters do, they measure your blood sugar level by you nicking your finger and getting a drop of blood into the meter, which then shows them a number. I'm sure you've seen these on TV, but you don't need one unless you are diagnosed with diabetes.

'to slow absorption of glucose entering your blood stream' - never knew about the 'speed' of absorbion of glucose. Doctors never explain anything anymore. I am very well versed on thyroid after years of suffering on the wrong med for my situation and now I get to learn more new info that was never explained to me before about glucose. Doc just said 'eat a health diet and exercise' - how vague! And that is clearly not working for me as good as I need it to.

in blood glucose readings, does that mean my 79 random blood glucose test is A LOT higher than that? And if I WAS fasting for that exam (it was a few months ago, believe it might have been a morning appointment), what does that mean in terms of the false decrease? Does anyone have any realistic/substanial evidence/knowledge on this?

Blood glucose meters and test strips

Common Questions and Answers about Blood glucose meters and test strips

blood-glucose