Here are blood sugars from my Ultra Mini that I will be tossing once I receive another Ultra 2:
203pm 307 mg/dl
What? Dexcom says 163. I don’t feel like I am 300. Let’s test again.
204pm 123 mg/dl.
What? 84 point difference. Did I have sugar on a finger or something. Better wash hands and test again.
205pm 167 mg/dk.
Closer to the dexcom, but who knows whats right. Find my Ultra 2. Test with that.
207pm 163
Let’s check again because I don’t know what to think.
208pm 161
That’s more like it. Sync Dexcom. Life is good. Glad I didn’t trust the 307 and bolus. I like the ultra mini because it is small and will fit in my back pocket. I am a huge Onetouch fan. So much so that I don’t use the meter on my omnipod. Based on the experience with the mini, I am going to stick with only using the Ultra 2. Anyone else have this issue with the ultra mini?
Ah here we go again. Non specific glucose D test strips versus glucose specific d test strips. If one has body system that leaks man made sugars from intestines to main bloodstream; any non specific glucose D meter reads all sugars in the blood and can be anywhere from 40 to 100 or more points off.
This disgrace should be ended by the FDA who refuse to demand proper labeling and proper technical specs on a meter and its test strips and pointing out what interferor's interfere with the readings to protect the user. Instead we all get the usual uninformed blather that all meters read the same. (NOT!)
The dexcom has a molecular filter so it reads only glucose d and that is what your body runs on.
Been there - done that!
Best wishes and good luck.
Did you try to replace the battery? I found OneTouch products become erratic when the battery gets low. After years with the OneTouch, I just switched to the VerioIQ. It doesn't have many of the features of the UltraSmart 2, can't record things for upload, etc but it does have some further features.
I actually believe that LifeScan will be phasing out the OneTouch and VerioIQ will be their meter product in coming years.
I also hate unreliable meters. If I get a reading requiring treatment, I always retest with more controlled conditions (like rewashing and drying my hands and using another site).
I have been having the SAME problem! Reading high but feeling normal, even lower than normal at some points....I am constantly testing only moments apart and finding big fluctuations in my numbers. I never had this problem with my freestyle meter. I think I will definitely get a new one ASAP. But is it one touch in general? or just this modle...I believe they use the same test strips, right? I am thinking I may switch back to my freestyle.
do you use a freestyle? i remember you were very helpful when I had this issue. But cannot remember which meter you use. Thanks for the help, this has been a big issue for me.
The Onetouch line all share the Onetouch Blue strips and are all interchangeable. The VerioIQ uses Onetouch Verio strips. I did experience erratic readings with my OneTouch mini that ended up being resolved by changing the battery. That being said, I've had two experiences with erratic readings this week with my VerioIQ. I read a 23 mg/dl (my lowest ever) 2 hrs after lunch, then retested 1 minute later at 148 mg/dl. Then I tested upon awaking at 63 mg/dl (again lowest ever reading, I have bad DP), I ignored it and then twenty minutes later at 168 mg/dl (that was more like it).
When the meter is so erratic that it gives you a reading that suggests treatment in exactly the wrong direction, that is a problem.
I have a hunch each of us has a meter that works best for us. My FreeStyle numbers were always more consistent than the results that I get with my AccuCheck. Unfortunately, my insurance no longer covers FreeStyle.
I've been using a OneTouch Mini for the last four-ish (?) years. I love my mini because of the size. I've never compared my meter to any other, because I've always used One Touch. I've also never had any major number variations like the ones you've shown. You should check with that test liquid that comes with most meters. Hope you're able to figure it out!!!
Intestines don't leak sugar into the bloodstream. The glucose-specific strips eliminate the contamination from fructose, which occurs in the body naturally and is used for things other than making energy, which is what glucose is used for.
I was told that all meters read the same from my endo--not true!! Since the newer 15% accuracy meters came out, he's figured it out.
I was never real happy with my OneTouch meter(s).
I've got 2 meters now, that seem pretty dang consistent in their results (with me at least). I don't get any results from left field unless my sample is clearly bad (crap on fingers, or too small a sample).
I had that problem with all OneTouch models. I think the Mini was worse than the UltraSmart, but I'm not really sure if that was true or not...
Yes, you just got the onetouch WTF reading. I finally dumped my onetouch because of that exact issue. The Countour next is similar in size and i find the readings more consitent. I also use the walmart relion prime meter when i'm running low on strips. It is acurate as well.
Oh boy an open door. All meters do not read the same in the face of interferors. FDA already knows that.
i started out with a accu check aviva. For a while it seemed okay. As I started testing more frequently and carefully; I found that depening on the foods I ate, I would see meter jump 2 hours out of cal and correct readings. Tracing the food back and its labels I found the man made sugars that caused this and was repeatable. Foods that had no man made sugars allowedt he aviva to work correctly.
I also had some candied fruit I was using in a fruit cake and it sure made my accucheck jump through the roof. I checked the label and by god the nuts had used galactose. Repeatable again.
Originially I thought I could carefully restrict the foods - nope the malto-dextrose and others are in everything.
In the end, I gave up on the accuchek and went to a glucose D specific meter that stopped all the fun and off readings.
Yes all meters read the same when no interferors present. How does the average patient know, can detect and why should he have to worry about this due to short cut cheap designs.
Saying this is not a problem does not make it so or fix it nor guarantee that all humans systems are exact and built by robots. argument by sophistry not actual science. Literature I read says that in fact the man made sugars can leak over and do.
For me they are not all the same. IT was not the fructose causing the problem but the man made sugars and fully testable on my body and repeatable.
Why any dolt would make a meter with a safety hole like that that would causing massive over dosing and did in the past killing 13 people due to this exact issue.
My body does not play nice, docummentable,and does leak the man made sugars over the so called stomach/intestine liver barriers and easily and repeatable and demonstratable.
Jim,
Thanks and I will now call it the One Touch WTF going forward. I will change the battery. The Ultra 2 for me seems more accurate with less variation within minutes of last testing. I have been a One Touch user for 20+ years. Haven’t switched to verio yet as I have a bunch of strips with multiple meters that work with them.
Hi Andrea,
I use an omnipod but couldn’t get into the freestyle even though it is part of the pdm. I cant recall why I didn’t like the freestyle when I tried it 4 years ago.
It really is a pain if we now all have to test twice either with the same meter or now two different ones. The dexcom does give me another measure if I feel the meter reading may be questionable.