Question on best meter

Type 2
1

I am new to the sight. I have had diabetese around 5 yeras. So Glad to have support. I need a new meter…I have been using Walgreens’ drug store brand…“True Track” any suggestions on what meter is best?

2

ty so much…I appreciate the advice

3

I am using the One Touch Ultra Smart and love it. It has input options on the meter so you can label your BG reading before/after meals, exercise, etc. It also has BG analysis/averages/graph, etc. It also has the software option (about $30 for software and cable) to download into their management software where you can gather all sorts of information and graphs and logs and print them out the take to your appointments. The new strips seem to be all calibrated to code 25, so I have no had to change any codes. I find they are fairly accurate when compared to lab readings done at the same time. Meter choices vary by personal preference, but these are the reasons I like the one I use.

4

ty So much…

5

I used 3 fifferent kinds"
1-accu chek active,sweet,but simple,the strips take the average,so the result isn’t always accurate.bulky.
2-optioum Exceed\this was recommended,or forced,by the clinic on me,since it measures ketones(I’m type 1,but I just thought I would share :slight_smile: )
same problem above,it takes the average ,small and discreet,back light.
3-the last one,Contour,I just liked it,it seems good,so I bought it,really nice,you can mark readings according to(bf\af)meal and reminders to test,no back light,big screen.
hope it helps :slight_smile:

6

The best meter out there is going to be the one who has the basic features for your daily needs.

  • Do you need to save money on strips? (ie, True Track, and Side Kick from Walmart)
  • Do you need a small, very portable meter? (ie, One Touch Ultra Mini)
  • Do no need a meter you can grasp easily, and not need to remember to code it, or deal with individual strips that might easily fall off your hands? (ie, Bayer Breeze2)
  • Do you test at night a lot, and need to be able to see the display? (ie, Freestlyle Light)
  • Do you have eyesight problems, and need a larger display? (ie, Advocate)
  • Do like having memory storage capabilities, and being able to see your day, weekly, or monthly averages? (ie, Bayer Breeze 2, or the Countour)
  • Do you like being able to do complicated charting with your meter, with your BG level progress? (ie, One Touch Ultra Smart)
As far as accuracy goes, most meters on the market today are accurate to about +/- 20% of what a lab test would say. You may take your meters along, and test your blood just before you go in for some labwork, to test how 'off' of the lab values they were... and see which ones make you feel more confident in your daily control efforts. I have found that the Breeze and the Ultra Smart, have gotten some of the best reviews I have read so far, and are some of the meters that most accurately get close to lab results. I tried a One Touch Ultra Mini, and I hated it... always said I was low (in the 70s), when I was actually in the 100s)... But that was just my personal experience, and every meter will vary in these respects. :) The best meter is the one that meets your basic needs with its features, and the one that makes YOU feel more confident about your daily control. :)

Hope that helps. :slight_smile:

Liz.

7

This meter also has a backlight for night testing and testing in low light conditions.

8

I recently started using the OneTouch Ultra Mini and really like it so far. I think it’s more accurate than the Accuchek Aviva I was using before. Plus it’s smaller, and doesn’t have a code key to mess with like the Aviva.

9

I’ve been using an Advocate meter for some time, and the place I get the strips from recently said they were running out of the strips and gave me a Clever Choice meter instead.

For no obvious reason, the models they had for both brands were the talking type, which may make them even more useful to those with vision problems.

10

i Use the ReliOn confirm. No coding, average size, good memory (although a bit difficult to get to) and best of all, 50 strips is $19

11

Bought a “One Touch Ultra Smart” Now to get on the horse and RIDE! I think I am sensitive to carbs. Going to do the Atkins way a little while…NO CARBS. And see if my BS come down. Was 151 fasting this morning…Of course I did have a few Rum and SF Koolaid last night and 2 peices of wheat bread. O well at least I know what I did wrong…Thanks everyone for the advice on meters. I think I am going to love this site…

12

The thing I found with using the UltraSmart is dont try to use all the features at once… I started off with the blood glucose and averages, and then put in my insulin doses, Now im starting to use it to enter carbs…

A lot of people get overwhelmed when they first see it… But if you phase in the data, you can get even more out of it.

Unfortunately im starting to use an Aviva and just hate it… Cant tag meals/health or enter carbs… and no backlight… Think im not gonna move towards the Aviva even though my pump supports it.

The analogy I gave to a rep for one of the meter manufacturers is buying a meter is like buying a car, you can usually get 2 out of the 3 main features you want, and usually have to settle… Sample Size, Meter Size, Backlight, Data Management, Detailed information…

Iv found that sometimes you want a slightly larger sample size, as compared to sensitivity… Yes ideally we all wash our hands but… sometimes you even breathe a sugar related item (countertop anyone)… and its like… Wash, retest, etc…

13

Sometimes you can get samples/free meters from your Endo, sometimes not… Its worth trying different meters…Also the price of strips/copays can vary… (Some companies will even help you with copays that makes the strips cheaper for that meter)

14

I love the Life Scan meters but I have to admit I am using the Contour USB meter right now. I love the Contour USB because it has a colored screen and back light.

I would call Life Scan and have them send you out one of their Mini just so that you can have a backup for when you are not at home. I would also order a cable for the meters so that you can download your readings onto your computer.

15

Like the Glucometer DEX? I used it forever ago.
16

I use a Bayer Breeze2, and it comes with disks of ten strips that rotate…

17

Right now (other than pump paired meters) I think the Contour USB is the most expensive device out there. Was interested in it when it came out but 1. I will not buy it from Walgreens… 2. There are NO discounts, promotions, or anything for previous customers… And i was basically told when i called and asked, I would have been happy with some sort of rebate/discount (note i didnt expect/say free)… I was basically ridiculed by the CSR when I called… As if i should have known better… I don’t think ANY insurance will pay for it, so meet me part way folks… Also its not Windows 7 compatibile Boo hiss which matters to me.

18

I had constant problems with the Dex with its countdown starting prematurely and not being able to fill a strip… Gave up on it … Never tried the breeze…

19

I do have one small gripe with the UltraSmart… Even though Lifescan has locked on Code 25 strips since the light blue strips came out. the meter constantly requests i check the code and waits for an OK before it continues… (hard reminder, unlike the soft reminder which times out and starts the strip cycle… its almost daily for a pump user… a bit annoying)…Just soft-remind me, dont force me to waste a strip because my finger heals up by the time i ok it and it starts…

Also at my endos, its always the UltraSmarts that get stuck on downloading… usually restarting the machine or re-searching for the meter works… but its annoying having it time out 2x3 times before its detected.
(iv had problems like this myself)

And the rubberish keys tend to eventually stick, (the top row)… even though Lifescan is really good about swapping it out

20

When my major medical coverage ran out I had to find an alternative to the OneTouch Ultra Smart meter that I’d been using daily and the Ultra-Mini that I used while traveling. The Lifescan strips are too expensive for me to test 5-6x daily and pay out of pocket. Though the ability to record my insulin doses and unusual health conditions on the UltraSmart was convenient, it wasn’t worth the premium strip cost.

The meter I settled on was the Simple Diagnostics Clever Check/Clever Choice Voice meter manufactured by TaiDoc, the #3 glucose strip manufacturing company in the world, and the primary supplier in Japan, because of its combination of memory, download capability and DIRT CHEAP TEST STRIPS. At full retail the strips cost under $35 per 100, and by doing some canny online purchasing, I got my cost per strip down to $0.12 for a year’s supply.

I disabled the Clever’s voice feature immediately; the display is large enough to read, even without a backlight. The meter has only basic averages capability, and the download application from the manufacturer, which I use to determine trends and quality of control, is quite poor. To solve this I reverted back to recoding my insulin doses in a logbook, and bought a copy of SiNovo SiDiary. SiDiary works with most of the meters sold in the US and has analysis capabilities roughly equal to Lifescan’s application. SiDiary cost me $65, which was less than what I saved buying my first batch of Clever strips vs the Lifescan strips. If I were a PDA user, I would have gotten the PDA version of SiDiary instead of the PC version.