I know that test strip safety is always a concern for most diabetics. I know I make a great deal of decisions off of one test. I know if it is higher I will do a correction or if low I will reduce basal etc. I know for me the scariest part is that if the number is wrong I am not able to feel low or high so I could go off incorrect information and make the wrong decisions. I know I also use the Dexcom as well but I know that can be off as well so what can you trust. I know luckily for me Duchess is rarely ever wrong if she keeps alerting I know somethings is off and most of the time I retest on a different meter to just double check the figure and I also will wash my hands to make sure that something is not on my hand as well. I like to have the most accurate information because at the end of the day the test strip accuracy will affect my A1c and other things as well. I rely upon the test strips to provide me with a number of where I am at not just maybe where I am at. It is quite disturbing that there is so many on the market that do not meet the already bad variance level of 20 percent. I know if it is above that I can see how this could really affect one A1c but also their long term ability to avoid complications. I know I have had some meters that the tests show up as higher than another brand meter. I also have seen where one meter shows lower on average than the other brand meter. So this really in many ways leaves us without the correct or accurate information we need to make proper decisions for our blood sugars. I know I have observed first hand that at times my meter says it was 95 but Duchess was alerting non stop so i treated it but I know that I believe I was actually in the 70's most likely she normally will go nuts if I am below 80 so that is very fitting with what is going on.
I know I have thought for a while that the 20 percent variance is too much but I had heard that some are off as much as 40 percent which is terrible. I know the FDA really needs to do more checks on the accuracy of all brands and also push for a lower variance to help all of diabetics to have the most accurate information so we can properly care for ourselves. Diabetes is already frustrating and tough to deal with without adding test strip accuracy to the mix of things. I know not feeling my lows I feel like that is huge part to deal with but I rely so heavily on this information for my 16-18 tests a day that I average. I know if the accuracy was better it would be one less thing for all of us to worry about.
I know I have thought for a while that the 20 percent variance is too much but I had heard that some are off as much as 40 percent which is terrible. I know the FDA really needs to do more checks on the accuracy of all brands and also push for a lower variance to help all of diabetics to have the most accurate information so we can properly care for ourselves. Diabetes is already frustrating and tough to deal with without adding test strip accuracy to the mix of things. I know not feeling my lows I feel like that is huge part to deal with but I rely so heavily on this information for my 16-18 tests a day that I average. I know if the accuracy was better it would be one less thing for all of us to worry about.
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