What meter do you use and why?

We use the Accu View Aviva. Mainly because that is what they gave us in the hospital. I have a couple of different meters coming for free so that I can try those but I thought I would ask here and see what everyone thought. Thanks for the input.

I have used many over the years, but am currently using the Freestyle CozMonitor that is used in conjunction with the Cozmo pump. I was already using the Freestyle Flash before going on the pump, so it was an easy transition for me. I still use the Flash as my backup meter – they use the same strips.

We use the Freestyle Flash. It’s small - but best of all, it not only has a backlit screen, but also a small light that shines on the end of the test strip that’s really helpful for those late night checks. (The strips are not cheap, though, so I hope you have good insurance!)

I love my freestyle flash so much I ditched the Paradigm Link meter that talks to my pump. I have been partial to the freestyle platform since the first one they came out with that allowed alternate site testing.

Ditto the Cozmonitor, though my backup is a OneTouch UltraSmart. I realized recently that my stock of strips for the UltraSmart would be out of date soon, so I’ve been working away at them at home.
My first one was an Ultra and I’ve also used the TrueTrack ones that you can get as store brand b/c the strips were less expensive when I didn’t have insurance. Haven’t had much chance to branch out as they’re all so darn expensive though.
Anyone using the new UltraMinis? They have different colored ones (pink, apple green, black, and silver w/navy) that make me want to accessorize :slight_smile:

I use the BD meter that goes with my MiniMed pump, but pre-pump I used a OneTouch Ultra. I am thinking about going back. I have another doctors appointment in August and this may be something I discuss with my doctor.

Thanks for all of the input. I am going to look into the Freestyle Flash. I really like the idea of the backlight. I seem to have to check blood glucose levels quite a bit in the middle of the night. We have an appointment with the endo in July and I am going to talk to them about it then.

Kathy:
Do you know if the Flash meter provides with a means of downloading the data to a computer?

I use the OneTouch UltraSmart and quite like all the memory functions. I was given a One Touch Basic at the hospital and have been using the brand ever since. I recently got a Cozmo insulin pump, so I would like to be able to use the attached Cozmonitor, but Freestyle isn’t a “preferred brand” on my insurance like the One Touch is, so I would have to pay about double the copay for my test strips. We all know how expensive those little things are, and testing 10x a day, the extra cost would add up too quickly!

We use the Freestyle Flash. I love how small it is. But, the best thing I like about it is that the strip lights up. It makes middle of the night testing much easier.

Our back up meter is a One Touch Ultra Smart.

Abbott has two software programs available for uploading the Freestyle data to the PC. The CoPilot lets you upload the meters AND will import from the CozMonitor software and the Precision Xtra if you happen to use that for blood ketone testing, so you get pump and multiple meter data all in one place. If you have the new Cozmo software, they are still working on a fix and it is temporarily not importable, but will be again soon. I purchased the cable, but the software is free on Abbott’s website. I asssume once the Navigator is available, it will also be incorporated into this program as well.

Don’t know if you’ve figured this out yet or not, but you can get the Copilot software from their website. You still have to purchase the cable (I think it runs around $24.99), but the software is free. You can get it here: http://www.abbottdiabetescare.com/content/en_US/20.40.10:10/product/Product_Profile_0005.htm

We use the Freestyle Flash. The light is a must-have for all the middle of the night checks on my daughter and the smaller blood size hopefully saves her fingers some. It is not the preferred meter for our insurance either unfortunately. I do keep writing and complaining though. She shouldn’t have to give up more blood for cheaper strips!

I used to hang out with the B-D pump simply because it automatically communicated with my pump. That was until I found out that it can give you false readings (well, that and they’re discontinuing production of the test strips at the end of this year) Then I went to the Accu-Chek Aviva. Like the feel of that one, and it has some big test strips too. Nothing like checking a low BG and you can’t get the darn test stip out and loaded because your hands are too shaky.

We just switched to the accucheck compact plus from the freestyle flash. I loved the flash but Jared had a hard time using it to test :frowning: due to having to load the blood on the side of the strip. He also likes that it spits out a strip which he thinks is cool :> and has an attached lancet device. Well anything that gets him to do his own testing. I called accheck and told them I was interested in trying the compact and they sent me one for free I had it in 3 days and it came with a drum of strips. You can buy a data cable for it but I think I’ll wait till next endo appt. in Aug to see if they have one for free. Gotta love those freebies:)

I have tried many meters over the years … my first one, back in 1985 or so was the AccuChek and it took about 4 minutes to get a reading based on the color of the test strips. Currently, I use the One Touch Ultra, not because I think its the best (for example, I find the Sidekick vial/disposable meter from Home Diagnostics, Inc. almost as accurate, quick and certainly convenient to carry around). I hated the One Touch Ultra Smart (which I received free from Animas when I was still pumping) … the data entry was a pain, and I found the charts close to useless … I’d rather export the data and chart things myself in Excel, and it was just too darn big to carry around with me. I tried the Freestyle Flash, which had some really cool features (I loved the backlight feature, and it was really small), and I had one that plugged into my Palm device (when I carried one) but I absolutely HATE the test strips and ended up needing more blood and it took longer than being able to see the blood entering the test strip, so I discontinued that meter. Now I stick with One Touch Ultra, but honestly, I prefer the size of the One Touch Mini, except that they don’t offer a way to export the data … yet. I have a device that plugged into the test port of my One Touch FastTake (the predecessor to the Ultra) and enabled a computer cord to attach, and I’m going to see if it works to enable me to export the data to my PC. If it works, I will be getting rid of the regular-sized One Touch Ultra!

I use a OneTouch Ultra. I can’t really remember why, but it’s probably because it was the cheapest.

i use the one touch ultra too, because the diabetes nurse at the hospital gave us a discount coupon for that, which came with discounts for lancets and test strips too! and also because the lancets are pretty fine and so are typically quite painless when i prick my fingertips.

I’ve always had OneTouch products, I guess because thats all I was given :-X Currently I have a OneTouch “UltraSmart”. Its decent :slight_smile:

I can’t say enough about the FreeStyle Flash. The light makes checking my daughter’s blood sugar at night so much easier, it requires a very small sample of blood, and gives you ample time to get the sample on the strip, as opposed to the One Touch which starts couting down as soon as you get a bit of blood on the strip.

The only drawback in my experience is that one cannot scroll backwards and forwards on readings. The meter has to be turned off and then back on again when I want to move back and forth in the data. (Does that make sense?)