Monitors?

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Christie & Willie (GA)

Christie & Willie (GA)

Member Since 2010
Thanks to Jeanne for the advice to start a new thread!

Hiya! I'm a newbie as well, and I'm also freaking out over the monitor business. I've got an alphatrak rented from my vet through the weekend, and I went out and bought the relion to use as a comparison, hoping that if they were close or at least predictably off, I could go with the relion after my rental was up. I'm not sure if the problem is user error or what, but the numbers tend to be all over the place. Each time I've tested, I've started with the Alphatrak, then tested with the Relion. The Relion has been close to 50 points off each time, so I test a second time with the relion (third time overall), and then the number gets within 10. Tonight was even worse. Tested first with the Alphatrak and his levels were 365. Second test was with the relion, 315. Third test with relion was 287. third test might have had two much blood... poor willie was pretty squirmy that point, and of course that was the moment I got my first big drop of blood out of him since we've started.

Any ideas what I might be doing wrong with the Relion? If I'm having to test twice everytime to get an accurate number (if even then!), then any cost benefit is lost. I've found a site where, with coupon codes and cashback, I can get the cost per strip for the Alphatrak down to $0.82/strip and can get the machine for under $80. Right now, I'm so frazzled that I'm almost willing to do it. I know, of course, that this is all operating under the assumption that the Alphatrak's numbers are accurate.

I've called relion and ordered the control solution and will do that to see if it helps. LIke I said, this may be user error. I'm just wanting to strike a balance between cost and accuracy. I do like the way the Relion strips wick, and they are 0.3 sized, which is nice given that my cat is not a bleeder, and I've had better luck getting blood with the relion than I have with the alphatrak (4 strips and nothing but errors last night!! was ready to cry!!).

If anyone has any thoughts they can add to this topic, I would so appreciate it. I know I'm going to get the high pressure sale pitch to get the alphatrak when I return the rental on Monday, so I want to be prepared (at least I've found it way less than what the vet was charging...$155for the monitor and 100 strips online vs. $250 for the monitor and 50 strips at the vet). I actually just called to find out what came in their kit and got lectured for even considering a human monitor.

Of course, this may have been from the same person who instructed me to roll my insulin bottle, draw extra into the syringe and then shoot the air bubbles back into the vial, so who knows.

*sigh*

thanks for letting me blow off steam and for any thoughts you may have. I know my friends are sick of hearing about all this!
 
That is what we are here for - come on any time. We have probably felt the same way you are.

Meters have a 20% variance from one test to the next. So if your numbers are within 20% when you test a few minutes apart, it's expected. And it really doesn't change your dose. Say you test and get 300, then you test again and get 250. It wouldn't change your dose.

If I were you, I would choose a meter and stick with it. Either one will be fine. The advantage with the Relion, besides the expense, that if you run out of strips at 8pm some night, you can run down and get them.
 
It seems to me that, while accuracy is important, many times it is the consistency of data and then knowing what those numbers mean for your cat that is most important. Whether your meter and your vets meter agree exactly is less important than if your numbers are going up, down or stable. Of course, stable at 500 isn't good! But there is a range for normal and as had been said, the meter is more accurate at the lower numbers ie getting closer to normal. In my opinion, paying several hundred dollars for a meter is outrageous, and given the choice of where to put my $$, strips, insulin, and syringes would rank higher.
 
As others have mentioned - there's a 20% variable at play here. And that would also be in effect if you had 2 Alphatrak's sitting next to each other. Its not just brand to brand - its meter to meter and test to test.

If your cat's blood sugar is 100 - then you might get an 80-120 range. As you can see the difference there is pretty small. But when you get up into the 300's that 20% could be 60 points on either side or 240 - 360.

Your absolute best bet is to pick one meter, make sure you keep a supply of control solution on hand that is fresh. Test each batch of strips before you use them on the cat and/or if you get a very odd result ... and then put down all the other meters and don't look back.

I used a Relion Micro for a year and loved it. I would heartily recommend me to anybody, I'd use it myself i I were diabetic. The strips costing only $22 or so for 50 meant I could afford to test more often without worrying about how much each test cost. This was very important when Yittle started needing less insulin as he went into remission because frequent testing meant we were always able to safely treat his borderline hypoglycemic episodes at time and never needed to go to the ER. Considering Yittle took a tumble about a month and a half before he succumbed to cancer (he was in diet-controlled remission from diabetes at the time) and that ER visit alone was $600 I was glad I'd saved a little money before then.
 
When my cat was first diagnosed I ended up buying three different meters thinking the meters were off when my cat's BG spiked. One day I tested him with all three meters and they were within tenty points of each other. You probably just need to use the meter that is the easiest for you. All of the meters work on the same chemical principal to measure blood glucose. Wether the blood is from a cat, dog or human shouldn''t matter. So I don't buy the agruement that some vets give for a special cat or dog meter. I agree with one of the other readers who posted- two hundred and fifty dollars is a lot for a meter and fifty strips. I use freestyle lite which is one of the more expensive meters. When I bought it without any discount it was about eighty bucks and a hundred strips are about one twenty. I guess vets also make profit off from products they sell. They have to make a living but enough is enough! :-)
 
Thanks for all the input. I ended up going with the Alphatrak. I know that I'll likely be posting this experience on here to another newbie in six months... about how I ultimately abandoned the alphatrak and went back to the relion, but for right now, at least, the decision just preserved my sanity. I pulled the trigger after reading people's positive experiences using the freestyle lite strips in the meter. I've requested a free monitor which comes with 10 strips, so I'll see how they compare to the alphatrak ones and go from there.

I ended up paying about $180 for the meter, 100 strips, and two bottles of control solution through American Diabetes Wholesale and will get 8% cashback using Mr. Rebates, so $165 total. I ended up paying $85 less than what I would have paid at the vet, and got 50 more strips (their kit did come with lancets, but I already have plenty).

On a rational level, I agree with what everyone is saying and I know that my vet is likely wrong on the importance of using the alphatrak specifically. But right now, the (likely false) peace of mind and the one less argument I'll have to have with the vet about my treatment decisions was enough motivation for me to rationalize the extra expense. I do truly appreciate everyone's input. Without your help and the other info on this board, I wouldn't even know that I had a choice in the matter.

I think the important thing is that I at least recognize the crazy in me, right? ;-)
 
It's definitely gotten easier. The rice sock has helped immensely, and I think I finally have the whole business of where to prick his ear down. It's amazing that something so daunting a few days ago is already seeming so routine!
 
Great! When you first hear about what it entails, and then try it for the first time, it seems overwhelming. But once you get it, it is empowering.

Edited. You have a spreadsheet. Wonderful.

Have you posted over on the Lantus forum? They can give you tips on dosage and testing.
 
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