? Tips on changing the meter

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by PPCW, Apr 7, 2021.

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  1. PPCW

    PPCW Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2017
    Hi,

    I have been using OneTouch Ultra2 since 2017 with Coby's 1st diagnosis. Since he went into remission quickly, cost of testing was not an issue. Now he is diabetic again and I am testing him a lot, the cost of the strips (~50 strips/week) and lancets is really adding up.

    I bought Relion Premier Compact about 2 weeks ago and the numbers are consistantly lower than my current one. The biggest difference I had once was 80 points! The average is 40-50 points (I just started putting the numbers on the spreadsheet). The difference is large enough that Coby needs a shot with the old meter and no shot with the new one. Both meters are tested with new control solutions and are within their parameters.

    Do you have any suggestions on how I can safely transition to the new meter?

    Thank you,

    Patricia & Coby
     
  2. Diane Tyler's Mom

    Diane Tyler's Mom Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2018
  3. Sprkl

    Sprkl Member

    Joined:
    Mar 28, 2021
    THIS!

    Because of the seemingly consistent inconsistencies with meters, how do we find reliable `trends' with our numbers? In my search, I was able to find information on which BGMs meet the ISO accuracy requirements:
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3317395
    (see table 4 and 5)

    FWIW, we were told by the pharmacist where we purchased our BGM and test strips (a day after buying them) that Control Solution is no longer recommended. This explains why we were unable to find it anywhere, but the manufacturer (Ascensia) hasn't bothered to update their PDF version of the manual, stating this. Instead, the person that I spoke with at `Ascensia Diabetes Care' after opening the box and discovering in the manual that CS is recommended before the first time using the BGM and/or when opening a new bottle of test strips, told me to go back to the pharmacy and buy the CS. Cash grab? After reading that @PPCW used Control Solution and still had vastly different results, seems to confirm that CS may no longer be needed.

    Perhaps taking the ReliOn meter to the vet and having them compare it with their BGM may offer some insight? The last thing we should have to do is throw darts against a wall and then try to create a curve that may or not be helpful.
     
    Noah & me (GA) likes this.
  4. PPCW

    PPCW Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2017
    This is why it is difficult to switch meters once you have established a pattern and have been treating based on this pattern with the old meter. I do think it is valuable to create a curve so I understand how the cat is responding to a particular dose.

    My current meter's numbers were actually very similar to his BG from the metabolic panel at the beginning of his diagnosis. That's why I trust the current one more than the ReliOn at this point. The best I can do now is to test with both meters to see if the variability between the two is consistant enough so I can shoot the same dose using the new meter.
     
  5. Noah & me (GA)

    Noah & me (GA) Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2016
    @Sprkl I used Aviva Accucheck meters for years and one day by chance I found buried deep in their website a recall notice for certain lots of strips. These are human meters so "it's just a cat" doesn't work. My vet and pharmacy had no idea. Just so stupid not to mention unethical.
     
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