Just a minute ago I tested while my dinner was finishing cooking. my BS read 47 I wasn't feeling any symptoms of a low, so I tested again and it read 57. At this point i was like WTF!!! I tested a third time and my my meter read 62. I went ahead and ate my dinner withouttaking my novolog. I am just wondering if anybody has had something similar happen and what they did. My meter is a precision Xtra. is there a way to check calibration or something of my meter. Color me confused!
Yes, you will find the meters are not always accurate. But your reading are probably pretty close. I think the FDA allows a +/- 20% Wait until you get a 47, 150, 85. What do you do then? Pick your favorite number. You will find a ton of rants about meter accuracy on here. With the advancement in technology the meters should be more accurate.
I have that problem with the One Touch and Ping meters. Sometimes I'll test and say, there no way! So I'll test again, and usually work from the more forgiving number.
Yes it can certainly happen and I know its crazy as all. Meters have a +/- 20% they can be off and STILL be considered accurate. All those numbers you listed fall into that range. Happened to me one day too...I checked around lunch time and I was like 147 but I was higher than I thought I SHOULD be...so I checked on another finger a few mintues later was like 150 something and a few minutes later was 160's....
Happens to all of us. I usually go somewhere in the middle of 3 readings when it happpens LOL
Meters suck.
And Jim is right. Accuracy isn't dead on, but you can find a good +/- window. I'm on Novolog too...and I can only imagine how many lows or highs that have been caused by me correcting too severely for a meter read.
Calibration is possible on my meter (I'm using a One Touch Ultra). There's a solution that came with it. I'm not familiar with the precision Xtra.
Each machine is different. The best way to know how accurate and consistent yours is, is to take it to the lab when you get blood drawn. Test then and then compare. My Freestyle lite is never more than 5% off. My old one before it croaked of old age was always within 3%. Do this a few times and you will see how steady your machine is and how close to actual values it is.
Cora
Yep, all the time here too. I can test on three different meters and get three completely different results. I usually go with the one that gives the number that "feels" the closest to whatever I feel like at the moment. Not exactly scientific, but.....
Join my club. The EMS have come to "rescue" me and do not believe it when I tell them, alive, awake and coherent, that my BG is 10!! "You should be unconscious," No. After 50 years of this SH*T, I can uinction well below what seems possible.
Yes, you can check the calibration with a liquid that provides a specific BG--check with your pharmacy. THEY ALL HAVE A RANGE OF INACCURACY!!! Also, your reading can be off by 40 or so. Why can't the machines really work?
VaMike, good luck.
I'm glad I'm not the only one! I've found the Ping meter remote extremely inaccurate (even more than the allowable +/- 20%). I had the company replace it for me twice, and it's still inaccurate.I think it's a design flaw. I switched back to an old One Touch UltraMini of mine that I know is accurate. Frustrating!
Ok first off the numbers aren't that far off. There is a variance - your sugars won't be "Exactly" the same even if you test a second later. This is totally normal. If you had tested and was at 47 and then retested and was 200 then there is a problem.
Yes there is a way to calibrate your metere (or test that it's accurate) take it to your pharmacy - they will have testing stuff. you can also call the company and get them to send it to you.
Everything is fine - this is totally normal. Don't worry about it.
:)
I have to say that I get a laugh out of complaints about the meters. Yes, they are not perfect. But count your blessings that you didn't have to live through the Clinitest days. That was a urine test involving test tubes, eyedroppers, and a tablet that when it reacted with the liquid heated up to about 1000 degrees and you could burn yourself. And if you had a high renal threshold, you wouldn't spill glucose until you hit about 180. No way to dose accurately at all that way. Count your blessings.
Cora
I don't laugh at people that hope for progress.
For your information, I am not complaining. Just asking, due to the fact that I am newly diagnosed and had not come across this yet.
To be honest VaMike, I get variability between readings, as everybody else has reported, but I rarely get anything outside of +/- 20% of each other using the same meter. I occasionally will get outside of +/- 20% if I doublecheck using another meter, but nothing like others have reported.
If I do, I can usually explain away the results due to my own error (dirty hands, bad sample). I don't always wash my hands, probably don't more often than I do, but if I'm unsure of a reading, that's the first thing I'll do before doublecchecking. The drawback is that I've gone through a lot of test strips just doublechecking questionable readings.
I know you aren't complaining - and you have the right to complain if you want too. :) We know you are asking but us long time diabetes just remember the days when we didn't have meters and had to guess. Then the first few meters were so unreliable and took minutes to process. It's been amazing to see the developments. Anyway you are allowed to complain and I'm glad you asked the question. Hopefully we put your mind at ease.
Not just meters, my friends. Also you can get a different number out of every finger, or out of the same finger a few seconds apart---well, I suppose a case can be made that this is the meter, too! So it goes.....Sigh!