Comment by Bubbaluv on July 27, 2010 at 9:46am

IMO, that theory sucks. I would definitely talk to your doctor about upping your script. My doc has me covered for 12 tests a day. My usual test regimen is 1 waking, 1 and 2 hours postprandial breakfast, before lunch, 1 and 2 hour postprandial, before dinner rinse repeat and one last test before bed. Basically i test at least 10 times a day. this leaves me a couple extra a day in case i have heavy workouts, or i can save up a few in case i try a new food and need to run a curve to see how i react to it.

The way my doc sees it, the testing helps me stay on top of my meals and exercise (if i mess up, i see it right away) so it helps in my overall management of my D. if your doc wont up your script, you might check out the Wal-mart Relion Ultima meter. Meter is like 5 bucks and the test strips are like 35 bucks for 100 strips, much cheaper than the better known name brands and the strips and meter are actually made by Abbott, maker of the freestyle brand of meters.

Comment by Kathyann on July 27, 2010 at 10:06am

How about testing before and after a different meal every day. And then maybe at bedtime. I hope you can get the doctor to change this tho.

Comment by Frances on July 27, 2010 at 10:08am

Do you need a prescription for the Relion stuff or is it over the counter?

Comment by Bubbaluv on July 27, 2010 at 10:26am

Test equipment is over the counter in the US. you only need a prescription to have it covered by insurance.

I forgot to weigh in on the second part of your question and i would would agree with Kathyann although i would alway test waking, then mix up meal time testing (test lunch one day, dinner another) and do pre-meal and 2 hour postprandial tests.

Comment by Judith on July 27, 2010 at 12:12pm

Kaiser did this to me last January. I went from 200 strips/month to 50. I just bought what I needed online. I challenged them on many levels. Their responses all boiled down to "we poor dumb diabetics just don't understand that we don't need to test so often." Docs have some discretion to prescribe more but mine bit the new policy hook, line, and sinker. Kaiser GPs are asked to rely solely A1c for treatment of T2s.

Comment by Bubbaluv on July 27, 2010 at 2:55pm

Sorry to hear Judith. HMO's suck! I'm on a PPO so my doc doesn't really answer to my insurance company, or at least answers less to them ;-) I think its more sinister though then just thinking we are dumb. My take is, insurance companies just don't care because there is no long term financial benefit for them. For example, when i quit smoking, my Chantix was 145 for a 1 month prescription (been on it for 7 months) and insurance covered 0, zilch, zip squat. And you say, but if i get cancer, they'll pay for that, chemo, hospitals drugs. hundreds of thousands of dollars. But, more likely, my current insurance company wont. when it comes to health insurance, most people change jobs 3-5 years and with new job comes new insurance.So more than likely, i will be someone elses problem 15 years from now so they have no incentive to help provide a drug that can save the system in the long run. in the short term, they get out of paying a few thousand in prescription costs.

D is the same way, why pay for more strips now when by the time you develop complications, you'll be someone else's issue.

Ok, off my soap box...

Duck's idea of checking ebay is good too, particularly if you don't want to have a bunch of meters for different purposes.

Comment by Pauly on July 27, 2010 at 4:41pm

If you are testing one needs to zero down what are you testing for. If you are eating high carbs then expect high numbers, then its kinda a waste of a test strip. Testing to me is for knowing what foods I can eat, tolerate, and keep in line on post meals. My morning fasting is also very important.

If you can only get three strips per day I would mix it up. Test one of your meals before and after and a night time or morning. Since you are not on medication or insulin and not in danger of a hypo as a T-2 you have alot more leeway on what you can do.
Wake up
1 hour before a meal and 1 1/2 hours after a meal is what I do.

Comment by Frank Kwiatkowski on July 27, 2010 at 6:05pm

You have to push them to rewrite that prescription. I'm a type 1 and I couldn't imagine relying on three blood tests per day. That's ridiculous. Seven to ten would be a more appropriate number.

Comment by Cathy Jacobson on July 27, 2010 at 8:02pm

I am thinking that you need an advocate on your side with your doc and with your insurance co. My CNP wanted me to test four times a day, so she knew where I was at, but only wrote the script for 25 strips, on container. I had to do the math and knew I had enough for a week. I went in and explained to her that this simply wouldn't be enough for an accurate reading, and I would need at least 100 to get me through the month at her written instructions. This is your life, not your docs, not your insurance companies, you are the leader of this team and you need the proper supplies to do the job of taking care of yourself. I think in the area of supplies, meds, etc we need to be our own best advocates and go for what we pay for, either in services or equipment. If the doc or your insurance company don't get it or won't cooperate after your storming their offices, then it might be time for a new doc and insurance provider, OR contacting public health services. They often have more than enough strips and testing supplies to hand out some to people who need and want them.

Comment by Super_sally on July 27, 2010 at 9:37pm

I have to buy my own strips and am trying to cut back becuase though they're not expensive they do add up.

It helps once you've worked out how you respond to foods. So I am trying to reduce my testing. There are definitely safe meals for me, which are low carb..... and then I alreayd know from testing when I'm likely to go low, so I make sure I have a snack at that time (and fortunately I get clear symptoms once I drop below 70). If I eat how and what I know I should I won't have highs or lows. But what I want to detect is if things suddenly start deteriorating, or changing.

So I'd advise testing fasting in the morning, which is a good indication of how things are going. Then I'd recommend testing after your biggest meal. And the third one I'd save for testing after somethign unexpected that you want to know the impact of, or the time that you'e identified you are most likely to fluctutate. 3 strips isn't enough (4 or 5 would be better, and a minimum).

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