Like everything else in life, I tend to learn the hard way. I've read earlier discussions on whether or not the Freestyle Lite test strips can be used with the OmniPod PDM. I decided to post today to save someone else from learning the hard way.
My last shipment of strips in January, I opened the box from Liberty to find Freestyle Lite strips instead of the regular Freestyle. I called Liberty and the pump representative told me that I could use the Lite strips with my PDM. So I used them because I needed strips badly at that point.
In a conversation with Insulet this morning, they told me NOT to use the Lite strips, they are not compatible with the PDM. In placing a new order with Liberty, I asked them to mark my file to send me only the regular Freestyle strips, not the Lite. The Liberty pump rep told me he had never heard of any incompatibility with the Lite strips.
I just did bloodwork this morning so I will see how my pump numbers compare to my A1c. I thought I was doing really well - my 30 day average in my pump data is 113 - but now I have no idea. The Insulet rep said that the Lite strips give inaccurate resdings - not always higher or always lower - just inaccurate. We'll see.
It's not bad enough that we have to deal with diabetes, but we have to deal with suppliers who don't know what they are talking about and apparently don't care enough to find out.
I don’t know for sure but I received a bottle or two of the Freestyle Lite strips in case I run out of regular ones, and when I used the control solution on a few different strips (Lite) they always came out in range.
Please let us know what happens so we can know for sure, but even if the strips do read accurately using something not officially sanctioned by Insulet voids the PDM warranty if I’m not mistaken. Something I also found out the hard way with rechargeable batteries…
There’s tons of threads on this issue on both sides of the fence. My personal experience is that my trainer and rep told me that they are not “officially” suppported because they are not approved by the government regulators (didn’t go through the government testing regeme), BUT, that they work perfectly fine, they just can’t tell you that out loud. I’ve used both and have had no issues myself.
I basically got reps from both Abbott and Insulet to admit at a conference once that they were exactly the same strips sold in different containers in order to get more shelf space in the pharmacy. They didn't say all those words in the same sentence, but it was very clear that's what they were saying without saying it. We have used both and had no issue. We only get the regular ones, but I wouldn't worry about using the others myself.
Most folks that use the Lite version have found that if you set the code to "17" instead of the 16 it usually shows on the bottle, they work pretty close to normal. Usually reading a very small amount lower than they should. YMMV of course.
Since I am a new Pod Person, I have the 'starter kit' and it comes with the Regular Freestyle strips and I was told that I needed those by EdgePark (my supplier of pump and pods). I have contacted my Part B supplier of Diabetes supplies (One Source) and they said to have my Endo send them a script (Rx) for Freestyle for 5 tests a day, lancets, control solution, etc. I have a backup meter with loads of test strips I just got two weeks ago, so I can be patient on that score. I will post what it has been like for the first 3 days and a change elsewhere. Suzanne
FYI I use the lite strips and set the pdm to 18 on the calibration. That seems to match the readings with the one touch ultra witch I find very accurate
