11/19 Weezer AMPS 212, +2 224, +5.5 232

Status
Not open for further replies.
Linda for Weezer

Linda for Weezer

Member Since 2011
All is well in Weezer World.

Prayers for all of our friends in need of comfort, strength and healing today.

Yesterday’s Condo

Recap of yesterday
AMPS 229
+3 249
+8 236
PMPS 195
+3 218
+6.5 185
+8.75 223

There was an extensive conversation in Morgaine’s condo yesterday about the FSL meter accuracy (or lack of). This is the meter we have been using. I have about $300.00 worth of strips right now. It would be really hard to just write those off. Is there a good way we can continue using them and take into consideration the possible variance when making dose change decisions?

Wishing a kitty day for all, plenty of purrs, play, sunny spots and lots of love.
 
Re: 11/19 Weezer AMPS 212

Linda, I have been also having problems with meters and trying to find the right one that is most accurate. I bought a Relion confirm yesterday and will see how things go. I'm not sure what I would do with the FSL and all the strips you have. Maybe you can still use them but with the understanding that the numbers may be lower? And re-check with another meter if Weezer's bg is registering low or very high? I'm sure others will be able to better weigh in on this discussion since I am also confused about the whole thing!

Hope you have a good day!
 
Re: 11/19 Weezer AMPS 212

Good morning Linda! I use the Arkay meter so I am no help. I know how frustrating it is when you spend so much on the strips though. Hope you have a wonderful day and extra scritches to Weezer!
 
Re: 11/19 Weezer AMPS 212

~O) ~O) ~O)
Oh man.....
So, if I understand correctly, the FS meter reads fairly accurate under 100. On numbers over 100 it is reporting lower than what is real, so therefore can't be trusted?

IMHO unless it's a consistent measurable variance, then it can't be calculated accurately. If it where me I'd get a meter that can be trusted.
If the FS can be trusted at numbers under 100, you can perhaps use it as a back up meter when her Royal Highness starts throwing you green numbers. . .

ETA - I just read the last few posts in Morgaines condo (after my visit there) and it looks like the FS can't be trusted at lower numbers either.
 
Re: 11/19 Weezer AMPS 212

Morning! Been there with the meters... I used to use the Infinity - that had a 20% higher readings than my other meter. I took that into consideration when I did Mannie's test, when considering dosing, until I had had enough, used my supplies, and went back to the old meter. If it were me, I'd use what you have, knowing too that you have a meter that will read lower/higher. It was for me, hard to look at awful numbers on an SS day after day - a real downer... well I wish you luck.

Nice start today for Weezer - that yellow almost looks blue!
 
Re: 11/19 Weezer AMPS 212

Hi Linda, hope you can still use up what you have with the FS and strips and take the variance into consideration. I use the Relion Micro as a back-up when I get a crazy number with Mags. Have a nice Saturday.
 
Re: 11/19 Weezer AMPS 212

I have to go to read Morgaine's condo. Rusty uses the FSL and when I test it against the Relion Micro they are very close. I also have a Confirm, but have never used it. Well, something else to think about!!!!

Have a fine weekend, guys,

Ella & Rusty
 
Re: 11/19 Weezer AMPS 212

Very frustrating with the meters. We use the Alpha Trak and I grit my teeth whenever I think about the cost (so I try not to do that :lol: ). I don't know if it's any better than the others or not. Hope Weezer sees some blue today. She is soooo close.
Liz
 
Re: 11/19 Weezer AMPS 212

Wow, sounds like quite the converstaion went on about these FS meters. I kinda went thru the same thing with the aviva accuchek, i found out it read quite a bit higher than most meters and had only 60% accuracy whereas the One Touch Ultra Mini meter had 80%, but i had just purchased 200 strips for the aviva. I ended up using the aviva as a backup meter since i didn't trust how high it read. I guess in the end its really up to you.

Weezer's AMPS looks pretty darn close to blue today.....fingers, toes and paws crossed that she makes it down there today.
 
Re: 11/19 Weezer AMPS 212, +2 224

I use the Maxima meter, and have an Infinity as a back up. I, too, have a lot of strips for the Maxima, but I think it's pretty accurate. I did a test with both meters, and it's about a 10 point difference (if that).

Weezer's doing very well. Keep up the excellent work!
 
Re: 11/19 Weezer AMPS 212, +2 224

Linda,

There was another member who had a very similar looking SS....numbers almost always yellow. He posted that he tried another meter (I don't remember which one) and discovered a big difference, so he stopped using the FS. Every meter brand can have a bad meter here and there....it doesn't mean EVERY FS meter is bad. Many people use and love the FS meters. I have a FSL, and it reads almost exactly the same as my Relion confirm.

I would suggest that you get a different brand meter and test with both at different points in the cycle to see what the difference is. If you find that the FS meter isn't reading accurately, you could call the company and report your results (DON'T tell them it's your cat!)...they may send you a new (hopefully good) meter.

It's a good idea to have a backup meter anyway. I actually have 3 meters (Bayer Contour is the third), but I only use the Relion.
 
Re: 11/19 Weezer AMPS 212, +2 224

Good morning Linda ~O) We use the One Touch Ultra Mini...buying test strips has put a big dent in my wine budget but I have not changed...yet. Everytime I think about another meter I get so confused. :shock: No idea what to tell you about the FS but the experience on this board will have ideas!

Weezer is being a bit stubborn about leaving the yellow floor. She has been dipping into the blue and I think she'll move there very soon. You are doing so well with her increases and I know how hard it is to keep increasing. When Ollie went from 5units to 5.25units I cried...then he hit his dose and things started happening. Keep your chin up, you are doing a great job...Weezer will show you something soon....I truly believe that! :YMHUG:
 
Re: 11/19 Weezer AMPS 212, +2 224

Ah...Mz Weezer's wearin' her crown this morning but it's sure gettin' closer to those blues.

Morning Linda! Meters - GRRRR! I originally bought the Relion Confirm at Walmart and really really like it. Since buying that one, Lisa and Sir Do Lou sent me a couple of other meters with strips that she wasn't going to use. The first one I chose to use was the WaveSense Pronto meter. I was pleased with it also and found it reading about the same as the Confirm. When those strips were gone, I changed to the other one - the Relion ULTIMA. I do NOT NOT NOT recommend that meter for ANYONE. It reads about 30 points higher, takes tons of blood and the draw action is terrible. As far as I'm concerned, the Ultima should be pulled from the market.

Anyone know WHO controls diabetic meters and their parameters - the governing body? Is it thru the FDA? Maybe there IS none which is why there's no real oversight....??

Hugs my friend,
 
Re: 11/19 Weezer AMPS 212, +2 224

I am trying to think through the meter question. There is a 20% meter variance built into the equation, even if the meter is working properly. If Weezer’s actual bg was 200, the meter might read 240 and still be within the variance range. If I tested that same drop with another meter it might read 160 and still be within that variance range. That’s anywhere from a nice blue to a solid yellow. Now we add in the question of whether or not the meter is accurate. Right now Weezer is on the trip up the dosing ladder. When the time comes that she may be able to start back down, basing that decision on the meter readings is looking like a cr*p shoot, even if the meter is accurate. The guidelines say to decrease when the nadir is consistently in the blues. Do the blue numbers represent a range where there should not be glucose spilling into the urine? If that is the goal, would it be more accurate to use the blood glucose readings as we do now on a daily basis, but grant the decreases only if a urine glucose test shows no spillage?
 
Re: 11/19 Weezer AMPS 212, +2 224

Linda for Weezer said:
The guidelines say to decrease when the nadir is consistently in the blues. Do the blue numbers represent a range where there should not be glucose spilling into the urine? If that is the goal, would it be more accurate to use the blood glucose readings as we do now on a daily basis, but grant the decreases only if a urine glucose test shows no spillage?
Click to expand...

Urine tests are nice to have, and everyone should try to get an idea of where their cat's renal threshhold is, but a urine test alone doesn't give us enough information on which to base dosing decisions, at least according to our protocol. A urine test basically shows what has happened since the last time they peed. If the number dropped low and then bounced up again, the urine would probably still show glucose even though there was a low number some time in the past few hours. It's much easier to base decisions on actual numbers. (and we don't base reductions on nadirs being consistently blue. Reductions are based on either number going too low, or the cat staying consistently in the normal range, which is generally under 120. You can't get that specific with a urine test).

FYI, the range in which cats spill glucose into the urine does vary from cat to cat. I've heard anything from 200 to 250. Since Jazzy's numbers were always relatively flat, it was easy for me to notice that the range where she started peeing a lot more was around 170-180. Based on that, I think her renal threshhold was much lower than 200.

I agree with the advice to get a 2nd meter and see for yourself how your Freestyle runs. I have a bunch of meters and used and old Freestyle Freedom, a new Freestyle Lite, ReliOn Confirm, Aviva, and sometimes AlphaTrak depending on what strips I had access to at the time. I never noticed big differences with any of them and felt comfortable with all of them.
 
Hello Linda,

It makes things all that much more confusing when you don't trust your meter, doesn't it? We started out using a True2go meter because Walgreens was giving them out for free. However, we were getting consistently blue numbers and Bailey was still feeling like crap - thirsty and lethargic, and our numbers at the vet were always in the 300s. We switched to the ReliOn Confirm. I know this doesn't help you with your dilemma - just saying I understand how frustrating it is. cat(2)_steam

Have you tested your FS on yourself? This might give you a better idea of its accuracy, just a thought.

Have a great weekend,

Melissa
 
Linda, I am compiling data from my own BG tests now so I will post what i have for you later in your condo and in ours. From that you will be able to get some idea about the variance at different ranges. What i am seeing is that when the FS meters and I have 3 of them, read 140 or so, the other two meters put that at over 200. I have 7 meters in all and only the FS meters varies beyond the 20% variance. The others all fall within that range of one another. Morgaine had her blood BG done at the vet's and i brought the FS. She was 140 on the FS, 247 on the AT and the actual lab was 271. All of those were done using the same blood sample drawn from her vein for ther lab work.

So, since i am still using the FS and waiting to receive the Relion Confirm, I am making assumptions based on my own tests on me and the tests done at the vets. It might help you to look over all of my data.

I would suggest you get another meter and do some comparisons. Unless you are diabetic, you can not really get much info from testing yourself. Your BG numbers will always be in the normal range and the FS doesn't vary so much in that range. I posted about my experiment last night and i will share here. I intentionally raised my BG to over 300 by eating sugary foods. The FS tested way too low compared to the other meters and because I wear a pump, I can easily correct for highs by bolusing insulin. i know what my body needs to bring my BG into range and following the protocol for me, I used the Precision value to correct myself and it was accurate.

I don't know if it is just some FS meters or all of them. I have had 2 others replaced because of similar issues and others are reporting problems with them. As mentioned in my condo, I am going to be speaking to the director of the Abbott Diabetes Care unit next week. Meters are under the jurisdiction of the FDA. They are relied upon for monitoring a serious disease so in addition to our furbabies, millions of humans depend on them, myself included. It is dangerous for anyone to detrermine their insulin needs based on a meter that is not functioning properly. Abbott has a lot of money riding on the FS meters so i am hoping they take this seriously. from what i understand, when they had strips that needed to be coded, people reported a more functional meter. They changed the strips and there was some discussion about the lack of accuracy on several message boards at that ime. I am new to the FS and use it because my insurance covers it.
 
Linda:

Great discussion here today. I, personally, think we have enough to worry about besides fretting whether our meter is accurate and calculating what the number "might" be with the variance. In other words, I would do as others suggest and get another meter....maybe the confirm.....and check them. I use a OT Ultra Mini as well and love it. I also have a Contour and I did try the FS lite. The Contour reads really high at high numbers and about the same as the OT at lower numbers. The FS lite I had ALWAYS read really lower than the other meters.

I just recently had Gracie's bloodwork done and she was 212 on my meter; the lab had her at 215. I'm happy with that correlation at a mid-range number. The strips aren't cheap but I get them in large quantities off ebay and only buy from top rated sellers. I have other limitations as well on who I will buy from. I also have a backup OT and they are always within just a few mg/dl of each other which is pretty good because you could see a 20% variance in number on the same meter much less another one of the same brand.

Find one you trust and stick with it. I am a recovering member of Glucometer Addicts Anonymous :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top