Free Style Freedom Lite Meter - freaking out! UPDATE

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lenistar

Member Since 2012
Hi everyone,

I'm super nervous because I just looked at the Consumer Reports list with the various meters (on FDMB) and see that the meter I use, the FreeStyle Freedom Lite, is listed as often giving low/false readings and is therefore not recommended. My cat Moritz hasn't been given insulin since the end of March, but now I'm freaking out that the measurements I've been taking have been false. I last test on June 13 and it was 88. Please help!!!!!

Thanks,
Elena
 
Re: Free Style Freedom Lite Meter - freaking out!

are you seeing any symptoms of diabetes, i.e. excessive peeing, drinking, weight loss, voracious appetite, etc.....? if you are not, then you probably don't have anything to worry about but, you might want to get another meter if/when you can.
 
Re: Free Style Freedom Lite Meter - freaking out!

Hello,
so sorry, stay away from any monitors with 'true' or 'free' in their names as both have been found by some of our members to give incorrect BG readings. Many members here have found ReliOn Confirm or Micro monitors to be reliable. The testing strips are some of the cheapest around. ReliOn is made by Walmart. Another brand some members use is Contour by Bayer but the strips are pricy if purchased at a pharmacy, though quite reasonable via online purchase. All my best wishes, Sophie (and Pudge)
 
Re: Free Style Freedom Lite Meter - freaking out!

I have no idea how old that list is on FDMB. I am a Consumer Reports member and their current ratings rate the Freedom Free Style Lite as excellent on accuracy. As Cindy said, if you are not seeing signs of diabetes you probably do not need to worry.
 
Re: Free Style Freedom Lite Meter - freaking out!

There were a few members who had definite problems with the freestyle meters a few months ago. My understanding is that the problem was more related to a large number of faulty strips rather than the meters themselves. They saw readings that were off by 100 points or more in side by side tests. Maybe pick up a relion and do side by sides to put your mind at ease?

Carl
 
Re: Free Style Freedom Lite Meter - freaking out!

I went to my vet and borrowed one of their meters (I'm in Germany, and they have an Accu-Check). With that his blood sugar measured 123. And then I measured with the FreeStyle Freedom lite, and it measured 85. I'm so upset, I don't know what to do. We're going to the vet's tomorrow because I'm actually moving back to the US next week (with Moritz), and we need to get his health certificate. Maybe I should have his Fructosamine tested tomorrow, too?
 
Re: Free Style Freedom Lite Meter - freaking out!

OK, that difference is not drastic, but it is different. One thing you should be aware of is that human meters are only required to be accurate +/- 20%. The numbers you got today:
AC 123 - that could be anywhere between 80 and 145
FS 85 - that could be anywhere between 70 and 100 roughly.

So, chances are that his BG was "really" in the 90-100 range. The good news is that number would be considered to be "normal" blood glucose (range of normal on a human meter is usually listed as 40-120. So that's a good thing.

If you haven't been testing him everyday, then the fruct' test might be a good idea. It will give you an average of his BG numbers over the past two weeks or so.
I am not sure what sort of documentation you are required to provide in order to bring a pet from Europe to here, or what the certificate actually needs to "say" to prove he's healthy enough.

What insulin is he on, and what is his current dose?

Carl
 
Re: Free Style Freedom Lite Meter - freaking out!

I have a VERY complicated diabetic cat and I have always used the FreeStyle Lite and I love it! Over the past I have bought other meters but have not been happy with them. I have also compared them with the Freestyle and the #'s have been very close.

When I joined FD I was very lucky to have some kind people walking me through all the problems Payne was having, four times DKA and the inability to regulate. With all the help here I was able to bring her from the brink of death to where she is now, ruling the house, happy and healthy!

One of the things I was told back then was don't worry so much about the meter, just use the same meter all the time and that has worked wonderfully! Payne gets shots 3x a day and I keep very accurate records, which I have compared with the vet, we are always spot on.
 
Re: Free Style Freedom Lite Meter - freaking out!

Carl, in response to your question, Moritz currently gets no insulin (he was on Lantus until the end of March when he had several teeth removed). His last Fructosamine was measured just prior to his teeth operation, and it was 276.7 (normal is less than 340 in the lab where this was done). Prior to this Fructosamine test, he was typically receiving a Minitouch of Lantus 2x a day. I'm not sure if "Minitouch" is a term used in this forum?

Are there blood sugar meters specifically for cats? I seem to remember reading (perhaps here?) that there are, but I can't remember exactly where now. Are these better/ more accurate? Or are the human ones ok?

Just for additional info., I'm including Moritz's most recent blood sugar results that I've tested at home. They've all been tested with the FreeStyle Freedom Lite.

May 16: 88
May 20: 106
May 23: 114
May 31: 88
June 6: 85
June 13: 88

I have actually noticed that he seems to be drinking more and urinating more lately. I thought this was because the weather was warmer and was thinking that cats, like people, are thirstier when it's warmer. Now I'm so worried... I've been so stressed about my move next week. This just isn't what I need right now.

Or does it sound like I'm over-reacting? Does it sound like he's still OTJ?

Thank you all for your support.
Elena
 
Re: Free Style Freedom Lite Meter - freaking out!

It sounds like he's still otj to me. Those are wonderful numbers:-)
Carl
 
Re: Free Style Freedom Lite Meter - freaking out!

Yeah? I'm just super worried now that the FreeStyle Freedom Lite has always been showing blood sugar readings lower that what they truly are (since tonight the his blood sugar as measured with the FreeStyle Freedom Lite was 85 and with Accu-Chek it was 123). I used two different drops of blood; not sure if that makes a difference.

Thanks again.
Elena
 
Re: Free Style Freedom Lite Meter - freaking out!

Oh and yes, there are pet-specific meters available. Very expensive for the meter and strips though. Vets will tell you they are more accurate but the jury is still out on that here. Most us us use human meters.
Carl
 
Re: Free Style Freedom Lite Meter - freaking out!

Yes. If you want a really accurate side by side test, you should use the same drop of blood. I think you're okay.
Carl
 
Re: Free Style Freedom Lite Meter - freaking out!

A fructosamine test might not be a bad idea since he's off insulin, it won't be affected by high and low swings of the insulin. It would tell you that he is still controlled or if the numbers are creaping up. A different meter might be a good idea, those have more bad reportings that good. That doesn't mean Moritz is no longer OTJ, just might mean that his numbers are different that what you thought. I use the Aviva myself and it does tend to be higher that the ReliOn and the Freestyles in general, more inline with the pet meters the vet uses.

The stress in your house could be stressing him, which could cause diabetes symptoms to come back since stress is often a cause/factor in diabetes in the first place. Try to keep his routine the same and make sure you are keeping the food low carb and test a little more often to monitor things. As long as the numbers are still in a reasonable range like you are seeing, I wouldn't worry and I wouldn't be looking at starting insulin or anything. Just get the move over and get settled so that his stress levels can come down.
 
Re: Free Style Freedom Lite Meter - freaking out!

Maybe when you've moved back to the states you can look at getting a second human meter. A backup meter is always a good thing anyway in case something happens to the primary. Your numbers now look OK, but I am one of the victims of the faulty Freestyle Freedom Lite Meter. I had heard it was worse at the higher BG numbers and not as bad at the lower ones. If you look at Neko's spreadsheet you'll see a different cat showed up when I switched meters. The recommendations here are good ones for a second meter. My vet uses the OneTouch herself and says she has compared it with blood sent in for analysis and she is happy with the results. It just requires a larger drop of blood.
 
Re: Free Style Freedom Lite Meter - freaking out!

I use the OneTouch and love it, and it is always spot on when compared to the same drop of blood with my vet's meter, an when bloodwork is sent out to IDEXX. The test strips are a little pricey, but not as much as the vet meter's strips.

I hope you can relax, and have as unstressful a move as possible. Moritz is micro-chipped, and ready to go?
 
Re: Free Style Freedom Lite Meter - freaking out!

Thanks again for everyone's replies. I think I'll get Moritz's fructosamine tested today.

Just a question about the normal range of blood sugar in cats -- I thought up to 150 was considered normal? But is it 120? Perhaps it's considered 120 if you're using a human meter and 150 if you're using a meter specifically for cats?

If it is 120 with a human meter, is Moritz's reading from yesterday of 123 with the Accu-Chek Compact Plus cause for concern?

Sorry I'm freaking out so much: I have issues with anxiety, and with the impending move and everything, I'm just feeling terribly overwhelmed.

Thanks again,
Elena
 
Re: Free Style Freedom Lite Meter - freaking out!

No need to be concerned. The average difference between cat specific meters and human meters is 30, but tests by people here have shown more variability than that. Also, human glucometers can be +/- 20% off so the 123 is still well within normal. Moritz may also be detecting your anxiety and his resulting stress may increase the numbers. If Moritz is seeing boxes and packing it may also temporarily raise his BG. I've seen posts here from people who've taken their cats to the vet and had quite an increase just from that.
 
Re: Free Style Freedom Lite Meter - freaking out!

Ok, thanks. I think I'll still get his fructosamine tested today just to be on the safe side.

Can I clarify (sorry I'm still a bit confused) that typically with a human meter (even though there can be a margin of error) that up to 120 is considered normal? I guess I'm concerned that if that's the case, and if the meter is giving me too low a reading rather than too high (since it can be +/- 20%) that his blood sugar might be higher than 123 and thus higher than the 120 limit (if 120 is considered the high limit with human meters).

Thank you again!
Elena
 
Re: Free Style Freedom Lite Meter - freaking out!

Yes, up to 120 is considered normal on a human meter. But I think I've heard it said that the majority of time should be in the normal range. Even if the meter was reading exactly right, 123 is not significantly out of range. The meter could also be reading low. Or if the test was done at the vet, it could be a reflection of stress.

If you used a different meter you might get yet another number. I use two types, a Relion Confirm and a Bayer Contour, and they have never given me the same number when I've tested on the same drop of blood. But they are usually within 10% of each other. What you are looking for is trends, not exactness. When I switched to the Relion from the Freestyle, my first test showed 16.2 on the Freestyle (World #) and the Relion equivalent was 24.6, over 50% higher. But as I said earlier, the Freestyle was much worse at higher numbers.
 
Re: Free Style Freedom Lite Meter - freaking out!

Thanks for responding so quickly. I just tested his blood sugar with the AccuCheck Compact Plus, and it was 106.

Can you clarify what you meant by "But I think I've heard it said that the majority of time should be in the normal range." That even if his blood sugar goes above 120 from time to time, that's not cause to go back on insulin?

Thank you so much!
Elena
 
Re: Free Style Freedom Lite Meter - freaking out!

Yes, one "violation" of above 120 is not a concern. You are looking for trends. Stress can cause higher numbers, but when the stressful event is over, numbers should return to normal.
 
Re: Free Style Freedom Lite Meter - freaking out!

Hi everyone,

We got back from the vet a bit ago, and I decided to have Moritz's fructosamine tested. I'll have the result tomorrow and will keep you up to date.

In the meantime, I'm thinking it might be a good idea for me to purchase a new meter here in Germany before I leave (then I'll have one less thing to do when I'm settling in in the US). I'm thinking the OneTouch sounds good, but there seem to be different versions. Are there any specific recommendations? If it's accurate in the US, a OneTouch meter bought in Germany should be equally reliable, right? I'll need to even see if it's available here...

Thanks again,
Elena
 
Hi everyone,

I just got Moritz's fructosamine result and it's 320 (with up to 340 being listed as normal). His fructosamine is higher than it was at the end of March (then it was 276.7) when he was still getting a bit of insulin (typically a Minitouch, 2x a day).

Do you think I have any reason to be concerned? I suppose the fact that I've been so stressed lately could have affected his blood sugar levels? Does he still sound OTJ?

Thank you!
Elena
 
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