I got this True Metrix meter because Sam recommended it.
After using it for a while, I can only assume he recommended it because he is trying to kill me.
Maybe he just wants me dead so he can steal my “Lancets of the World” collection. Sam, you can have it. The 28 gauge lancet from Portugal is in mint condition.
So in your experience are there containers of the strips that work reasonably well and others that don’t with the true metrix? That was my general impression hard to be certain though…
(IPhone)
Maybe so…not sure.
I guess I’m on a bad vial now.
You guys are showing two devices with drastically different numbers…you don’t need to do that! Just use the same device and get two blood drops! They’ll vary so drastically most of the time you might as well be holding two different devices.
Literally…when we’re calibrating for our son, or we’re just double checking numbers if they appear too skewed…the results we get are always 50 or more off from each other…literally always. It doesn’t matter if we use the SAME blood drop, or different blood drops.
Yes sometimes that is the case… but some meters are much more consistent than others… and which ones work well vary from one person to another
Please get a different meter! Please! I promise you that is a meter problem.
I will buy you a meter! You need another one.
I showed this True Metrix result to rag Sam a bit. I am chunking it. My FreeStyle is absolutely wonderful. I can take two tests with it and they are always within a few points.
I have 3 and they are all the same way. I have the built in PDM that I use with the Omnipod and I have two Onetouch Ultra 2’s. We’ve literally used all 3 at the same time to test and everytime they’re each very far apart in numbers between drop 1 and drop 2.
It doesn’t surprise me at all that your one touch ultra is terribly inconsistent…
Do you see the same extreme variability with the PDM? That surprises me. Not all meters work well for all people. We all have unique blood chemistry… shopping around to find one that works well for your kid is well worth it…
One of my ideas for this forum is a meter swap where we can trade meters and strips for a week or two and see how that goes and discuss our results
That would be cool!
Yes. Every BG meter we’ve ever used (even the trial / training ones that our diabetes coaches used during our initiation phase) were all way off one drop from another…or even two strips on the same blood drop. I don’t know how it could be his blood, but I can’t help but wonder!
I’m not a biochemist or anything, but i am certain that some people have far more consistent results with some meters than others… of course its impossible to tell which one will work well for you until you stumble upon it… that’s why i hope the meter swap will help
Couple of things…
First the obvious stuff, just have to say it:
Dry fingers?
Clean fingers? No jelly, orange juice or chocolate on them?
Second, do 2 tests on the PDM meter, two in a row, right away. If they are far apart, call Insulet to swap it for you. Absolutely raise Cain until the swap if for you. That is unacceptable.
Yes, Yes, No.
Second, do 2 tests on the PDM meter, two in a row, right away. If they are far apart, call Insulet to swap it for you. Absolutely raise Cain until the swap if for you. That is unacceptable.
Yes. What’s considered a good range for 2 blood drops to actually be in? If it continues, we’ll certainly have it swapped out.
It’s highly proportional to what the levels of BG are… if at “normal levels” which in my own case for example might be considered anywhere under 130 or so, I’d not expect to see more than 10 pts variation on “good” tests with a meter that actually is working correctly for me… at higher levels, much more variation. At bg of 200 say, i would not be surprised to see variations of 30-50 pts on the same meter.
I agree with Eddie though, not necessarily that your meter is malfunctioning, maybe its just not a good fit for you
ETA though— consistency and accuracy don’t always go hand in hand though… you really don’t need a super accurate meter… you’ll get a sense if one tends to read a bit high or low, and adapt accordingly… but consistency is key
Yes, this is what we’ve settled into.
Just to reiterate what Sam said, the variation depends on the BG level.
Here is an easy way to think of it:
If you are at 210 or 230 (a 20 point difference) is there any difference to what you would do? Most likely, you’d treat a 210 the same as a 230. In other words, 210 or 230 makes no difference to you.
But if you are at 60 or 80, that is the same 20 point difference, but the difference in what you would do is HUGE!
I have tested my BG more than anybody on the planet. I started in the 80’s when home BG testers first came out. I got the most tests I could from insurance, and started supplementing with buying extra strips. 20 times a day, sometimes within minutes, just to see the trend. The way Dexcom does an update every 5 minutes, I do that with BG testing.
BG testing is the most important tool I have. Given a choice, I’d gladly keep BG testing over CGM or pens or pumps or almost anything.
I encourage you to do whatever it takes to make this the most trusted tool in your arsenal.
(not saying anyone should test as much as I do, just saying that whenever you test, having confidence in that number is so important)
