So I ran to the pharmacy today and had to run to CSV instead of my normal guy because my script wasn’t due yet and if I am paying for them out of pocket, I figure the big box guys probably run a few pennies cheaper.
Anyhow… I open the box and pop the top and I freak out. The strip looks nothing like my normal rectangle strips. Diferent writing on it, a butterfly and the test end is tapered with two small dots on the either side instead of larder ones. I check the box (Freestyle and Freestyle Lites are different strips) but it says freestyle Lite. So i figure I’ll try it anyway and put a strip in my meter fully expecting an error. No error. Cool. Finger prick and just barely touch the strip to the droplet and…Boom! it works.
So i checked on-line and appearently Abbott got approvbal for a new strip doesn’t use the GDH-PQQ but instead use GDH-FAD enzyme which is not affected by non-glucose sugars. I have done a few more tests and all are the same, very fast, insanely small amount of blood. The butterfly is cute, if your a chick. Personally I would like skulls, but hey that’s me.
Anyway, thought I would post it up in case anyone stumbles on this and freaks out like I did.
PS, Is it a little weird to be excited about a new test strip?
When they no longer require BLOOD, or are accurate (hey what’s twenty to thirty percent error of our readings)… THAT will be weird !!!
Stuart
The new strips are backwards compatible too, so they will work in any Freestyle meter w/o requiring you to code them any more. Glad to hear the new design works well for requiring less blood too (the pointy part is supposed to break the surface tension of the blood droplet and suck the blood in faster…at least that’s the “theory”).
i just brought some the other day, and i was like OMG butterfly! freaking awesome!
lol, ok, so maybe i got a little over excited, but its not everyday you open up what you expect to be a normal, boring, everyday medical item and it turns out its been pimped!
I wish you could have posted a picture, you’ve got me all curious now.
Here’s a drawn picture (not the real thing, but very close to it). I googled it for nearly 15 minutes before I could even find this for some reason! Anyway, you at least get the idea of the pointed sides and the butterfly graphic.
New:
Vs.
Old:
Yes, I think it is a little weird. But this does not mean that no one will join you in this weird-ness. We’ll talk about it, we’ll show pictures of it, even comment on it using words like butterfly and pimped; and even use excited, normal, boring, medical and pimped all in the same sentence following one that said freaking awesome. When I was diagnosed too many years ago at age 11 I could not have predicted a diabetes diagnosis would come to this. It was never mentioned in diabetes complications. Nice to see.
I was wondering why the vial had a code label and number. Since the freestyle lite doesn’t require coding, the vials in the past have not had this info. so its compatible with other freestyle meters. cool.
Thanks for that! I hope it doesn’t take long to master the new test strips, I don’t have extras to waste anymore.
I actually found them easier since a smaller sample size works and you don’t have to hold the strip on the sample as long. The points the break the droplet really work well. Hope you have the same experience.
yea i saw them and used them my doctor had them about a week ago same thing took the same amount of blood to me :o\
BTW, Since it wasn’t covered by insurance, i ended up paying $79 US for 50 strips. at 1.58 per strip, should i be able to custom order the logo i want on them? Not knocking the butterfly, but what if i want a fuzzy bunny or pink elephant on mine? I mean, for a buck fifty, they should have a gold plated monogram
I used to have a FreeStyle Flash and I LOVED it, but my INSURANCE (insert cuss words here) wouldn’t pay for it, so I could pay $1000 a month, or get a OneTouch Ultra 2. Uck. Alas, I miss my FreeStyle Flash, and knowing now that it has a cute little butterfly makes me miss it even more.
If it’s weird to be excited about a test strip, then I must be outlandishly weird. :0)
i had the flash to and loveddddd it esp. for the light! but like you said my insurance wouldnt cover it anymore… funny how they cover one touch which is more expensive :o\ hmmm
That’s unfortunate, b/c I love the light function of my flashes I have. It’s all about “formulary” though, and which company can persuade the most to be selected as the Tier 1 company for everything from drugs to glucometers. Insurance companies are SO frustrating to me. They are in business to run it as such: a business…and they want to make money. But at our expense. I’ll get off my soapbox now 
I hope your one touch treats you well and hopefully your insurance will make the switch back to freestyle some day.
I love the Freestyle too and the light rocks. in the middle of the night or early morning, having that little light is huge. i am surprised more meters dont have that feature.
yea i am surprised also… the one touch ultra 2 has “back light” on the screen but that doesnt help me when im trying to put the blood on the strip! lol other meters aka companys reallyyyy need to get with the program!!!
Yay 
No more readings in the 500 range because i had an apple and didn’t get my finger completely clean
I guess it’s nice that it doesn’t use as much blood, but i used to use the Accu-Check Advantage, and the older strips for those things took a TON of blood.
The only thing I don’t like about the freestyle meters is a lack of meal tagging… I really miss using the original Freestyle (dot matrix LCD in addition to the number area)…(dont miss the AAAA batteries (yes quadruple A, not triple or double A) and even the Flash (backlight and strip light)…Abotts response was. Well you can tag your meals with the software… Now thats a royal pain in the neck… Really would like to see a fuller featured meter out of Abott…
The funkiest meter iv ever used was a glow in the dark/transparent meter… Older model of the Precision Xtra… Was a bit on the large side but was made with glow in the dark plastic on its face, a backlight and a strip light…
http://www.qualitymedicalsupplies.com/page/QMS/PROD/DC-MS/ME-9881404
The new model, not as cool.
But a lot thinner and lighter and smaller
http://www.abbottdiabetescare.com/content/en_US/20.10.30:30/product/Product_Profile_0004.htm