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How many glucose strips have you used to check your blood glucose levels in the past 24 hours?
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In the words of the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, contempt is “the unsullied conviction of the worthlessness of another.”
So even though my answer is zero because of CGM use, both medicare and I should never consider test strips to be worthless. At times they are absolutely essential. 🤷
I used zero (0). Generally, my CGM does the job for me. Occasionally, I use blood glucose test trips when I am changing my sensor, during the warm up period. Sometimes, I do blood tests when I think my CGM may not be accurate (which is rare). Unfortunately, I have to cut back my use of test strips, because Medicare does not cover the cost of test strips when I am using the Dexcom G6 CGM.
I did get strips through Medicare for only $3 for #100. I wrote an appeal stating why I needed them and it worked. I also had to prove that I had a meter – grrr.
Kathy, That’s good to know. How long did the appeal process take?
2-to verify CGM results
Usually only do finger stick first day of new Dexcom sensor
I’ve been calibrating my CGM. Libre 2 doesn’t always agree with the strips. When there’s a wide gap of 50ml, I wonder which one is the more accurate but usually opt for the strip reading, since that uses actual blood.
My CGM failed so I’ve had to test more than 2x a day.
8 – yesterday was a rough day sugar wise. Medtronic Guardian 3 is an adjunctive system so finger sticks are still required. I have always been “brittle” so am afraid to go another route since I get good control with this.
Use Libre 2
New sensor day, so I used 2 strips to calibrate it. Now I should be ok for a solid 7 days before I check accuracy again.
My sensor is at the end of the 10 day session and has been increasingly off in the last 24 hours so I have checked more often with fingersticks. 😕
Because of medicare I’m only allowed 3 strips a day…..but because I have a guardian 3 sensor, I test sometimes up to 5x a day.
This speaks to one of the things I don’t like about my Dexcom G6 – I can’t request an update of data after I’m out of range. Though it only takes readings every 15 minutes or so there’s no reason the reader can’t request data from the sensor whenever I want. I wind up using glucose strips so I don’t have to wait for recent readings.
Dexcom gets readings from the sensor every 5 (FIVE) minutes, not every 15 minutes!!!
But accuracy still isn’t high enough to truly make BG testing as unnecessary as Dexcom and many users falsely claim!
Zero since using DexCom G6
Currently using Freestyle Libre 2, so I have my glucometer and strips as a back up. Generally would use three per day.
I usually would have answered 0, but my CGM has requested calibrations due to an anomaly of BG values
My strips expire before getting used because I only use one or two during sensor warmups every 10 days.
I said 4, but that’s only because I used them to check my new CGM sensor as I always do at the beginning of its run, and one day later. I used 4 because I’m using strips that I’ve had so long that they are beyond their expiration date. I really should get a new prescription for fewer strips, since now, with a CGM, I find tht I can comfortabley go many days without a single finger stick between sensor swaps.
I don’t use as many as I used since I’m using Dexcom’s G6, but for those who believe that you never need to use fingersticks, don’t fall for the advertisement. It’s not as accurate as you may think.
2-My sensor was reading low and I knew I wasn’t.
5, but that was because I had to change my sensor twice due to faulty one.
3-4 but this was not the usual amount due to sensor change and verifying some erroneous numbers
I’m in the first 24 hrs of putting on a new Dexcom sensor. The readings are usually a little wonky the first 24 hrs so I double check to be sure it’s accurate.
2 as just put on new D6 sensor last night. Rarely use strips since D6 is so accurate but will test if numbers are questionable.
In the past 24 hours 0, but I’ve used up to 10 in one day (in G6) for various reasons. Checking to make sure the Dex is within range, when I fell off, when my diabetic alert dog alerts. Frequently the Dexcom doesn’t read my low bg’s accurately, it may say 80 when I’m 54.
me also!!
Not sure how this question is helpful without knowing whether the person is on MDI with finger sticks, on a CGM, etc. I tested twice because I changed CGM sensors yesterday and they’re almost always a little wacky in their reporting the first day.
what CGM are you useing ??
The readings I get off of Dexcom are not always trustworthy. They can be wildly inaccurate without giving me “errors”. It is for no reason that Dexcom is aware of, so I not only have one meter, I have two different ones to triangulate my blood sugars. For the 70% of the time my Dexcom is doing well, I use maybe only 2 or 3 strips. But, when the Dexcom is wildly inaccurate (off by 100 points… or more), then I use strips. When it is so off, you can try to calibrate, but usually ends up just “failing”. I have tried multiple calibrations by slowly bringing the number up or down over a day, but even then, the “fear” of it being completely off is imprinted and I usually test more when it happens.
Test strips, for me, are a necessity even though I have a CGM.
I have the same issue. My Dexcom reading of 100+ points high isn’t even unusual any more, so I use fingersticks a lot.
Yes, indeed. It’s frustrating, I know, StPetie!! It would be a bit easier, perhaps, if we knew _why_ the wild blood sugars happened!!!
I should rephrase one of my statements though. I made it sound like I only test if the difference is 100 or more, but I fingerstick more if the difference is about 30 / 40 point difference… the higher the difference, the more I use fingersticks to check and make decisions! 🙂
Me also!!!! I found finger almost same as LLab readings, but G6 way off!!!
Had to use Strips lately because of X-rays… But use at least 1 per day because found G6 way off from finger stick and Lab tests… Lets ask this after G7 has been used for a while!! also I wish more people would have said which CGM they are using !!
0 this year and only 3 all of last year – G6 Still the Best
I have a CGM and I check my sugar constantly.
Use a CGM and only use straps as needed
I have the Medtronic 770G with the Guardian 3 CGM sensor and the system requires a lot of calibrations and finger sticks.
I typically test before each meal + when it requires a calibration. It will also require a calibration if it sees min or max basal deliveries.
2 in the pasts 24 hrs. First was to confirm a low of 45 (BG was 47). I’m on the last sensor day, so when out of range or rapidly changing in the last 2 days of the sensor, I meter to verify the sensor is accurate.