Blood sugar monitors and accuracy

A

animal-inside

Well-known member
Trusted Member
I got a "one touch Verio" monitor right now. I've had it for 5 years.. I'm not what's going on with it now, but it doesnt' seem to be accurate anymore.

For example, I'll go to test and based on what I ate and did, I know I should be under 6.0.. I'll test and I'll get 6.2.. and because I don't think that's accurate, I'll retest right away and get 5.6 or 5.7... I thought maybe my test strips were old so I got new ones and the same thing keeps happening.

Regardless of my number, if I retest right away, I always get a lower number the 2nd time.. I've never had a retest test higher.

It's not dirty/wet hands.. I ruled that out.

Anyone have issues like this with monitors?? I'd like to get one of the monitors where I can test myself all day by just swiping the monitor to the sensing pad thing on my body.. I don't have diabetes so I'm not sure if its covered under my plan or not. Or if I'd have to buy it privately.

I use blood sugar monitor to diet.. it really helps me understand if I've got my macro's and timing down or not.. I also use it constantly when I make any diet/supplement changes to see if it affected my blood sugar.
 
I did lots of reading today on diabetes fourms and redit... Looks like the one touch blood monitors are pretty well know to have the issues I am having.

Better monitors look to be Contour Next One or Accu-check
 
Normal. Finger-stick meters swing ~10–15% and the first drop reads higher; second pull is cleaner so it’s always lower.
 
animal-inside said:
How is the second time cleaner? Cleaner of what?
Click to expand...
Cleaner refers to the blood it gets, it is more pure capillary blood. First can have interstitial which will read artificially higher.

Many labs and clinics will avoid the 1st and only use a second drop for this reason as its a "true" reading, more consistent and usually lower.
 
Z155 said:
Cleaner refers to the blood it gets, it is more pure capillary blood. First can have interstitial which will read artificially higher.

Many labs and clinics will avoid the 1st and only use a second drop for this reason as its a "true" reading, more consistent and usually lower.
Click to expand...

I donated blood once and when they checked ferritin my levels before draining me of a pint, they deffiitely let me bleed a bit out of the pin prick before taking a sample.. I specfically asked the lady why and she told me something similar to what your saying.. and I specifically asked her if thats the same for testing blood sugars and she said no.. She told me blood sugar readings would be the same if I took the first drop or squeezed a bunch out first. I asked because back than I was really trying to get my blood sugars down and consistently frustrated that I was doing everything I was supposed to, but my levels weren't responding and wondered if I was just testing incorrectly.

This was just what she told me
 
animal-inside said:
I donated blood once and when they checked ferritin my levels before draining me of a pint, they deffiitely let me bleed a bit out of the pin prick before taking a sample.. I specfically asked the lady why and she told me something similar to what your saying.. and I specifically asked her if thats the same for testing blood sugars and she said no.. She told me blood sugar readings would be the same if I took the first drop or squeezed a bunch out first. I asked because back than I was really trying to get my blood sugars down and consistently frustrated that I was doing everything I was supposed to, but my levels weren't responding and wondered if I was just testing incorrectly.

This was just what she told me
Click to expand...
And yet my answer reflects exactly what you are seeing happen, they clearly aren't the same and are lower with the "cleaner" blood
 
Z155 said:
And yet my answer reflects exactly what you are seeing happen, they clearly aren't the same and are lower with the "cleaner" blood
Click to expand...

Just got back from the pharmacy... I explained to them that I find my glucsoe montior isn't accurate. I told them how each time I test I get different numbers, usually lower..

They asked me how old my monitor is and I told them about 4 or 5 years.. The lady told me that's my issue.. She said they don't have long life spans at all.. She said you get a free monitor each time you buy the strips and pins and I should get a new monitor each time.. I've always declined the new monitor when they ask because I had one at home.. she repeated, get a new one each time.

I told her how when I donate blood they person drawing blood always squeezes out some blood and wipes it off and takes the second blood when testing my iron.. I said that lady explained to me the second bit of blood that comes out is much more accurate... I asked the phamaracist toay if that's true for blood sugar testing and she said no, not at all and that the first drop is fine.. She said theres always going to be slight difference betwee drops, but nothing like the variation I have been getting.. She also said what can mess up blood sugar testing is how hard you squeeze your finger to get blood out though.. she said if you squeeze to hard you can crush something in the blood (I forgot what exactly it was) and when you crush it and eveyrthing spews out it can dilute your blood and get a incorrect reading.
 
I tested new and old reader tongiht..

I poked myself 8 times in less than 5 mins..
New one varied by 0.2 each time after 4 pokes.. 4 pokes were 5.8-6.0
Old one varies a lot more... 4 pokes were 6.4- 5.3...
 
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