I read the thread about the test strip problems in the UK, and wasn't sure if I should post this in there, but this is what I'm facing here in the US, so I thought I shouldn't hijack that thread to discuss my problem.
I just got a call from my doctor's office, and they said they were filling out the form from the insurance company as to what testing supplies I needed. I told them I was testing 7 times a day......before and after each meal, and before bed, which was usually 6-8 hours after my last meal. This last test I feel gives a better fasting BG level than a morning reading, since the dawn phenomenon doesn't affect it.
They said that was too much testing and that I only needed to test 3 times a day. They said that since I was on Lantus, then one test is needed to get my fasting BG level. Since I was on Byetta, I only needed to test two hours after lunch, and two hours after dinner or before I went to bed.
Their logic is that since I'm on Lantus and Lantus only controls your basal BG levels, that obtaining one fasting BG reading a day will let me know if I need to adjust that dosage. Okay, that makes sense. But then they said that since Byetta is taken in either 5mcg or 10mcg doses, then no matter what your reading is, one or two readings a day after meals will indicate if you need to be on the 5mcg dose or the 10 mcg dose. With Byetta, since you don't adjust each dose before each meal, you don't need to take readings that often.
I asked them, if I don't test before and after each meal, how am I supposed to know how the food I ate is affecting my BG levels? By knowing how the food affects my BG levels, I can determine which foods to avoid and which are beneficial to me.
They said "
That's not important."!
I then asked them some questions about my Lantus dosage, and when they heard that my morning readings were 120 -130, they were satisfied. They continued to assert that as long as my fasting was in that range and that my spikes were below 180, that I had control of my BG levels. I asserted that based on what I've read here, that 120-130 and 180 were too high. It should be under 100 for my fasting levels and under 140 for my spikes. They said that levels in that range were for non-diabetics and that they weren't realistic for diabetics.
Okay, being the super logical person I am, I asked, well if 140 is normal for a non-diabetic and 180 is too high for a non-diabetic, then why isn't 180 too high for me too? If a reading of 180 can cause damage to a non-diabetic, why isn't it going to cause damage to me? They had no answer and said I needed to talk to the doctor.
So now, I'm only going to get enough test strips to test 3 times a day, and according to the doctor's office, this is what the insurance company considers normal for someone on Lantus and Byetta. The insurance company is setting this amount based on the medical profession's recommendation. How can you fight against this? They control the misinformation, they control the money, and they determine what you'll get, so how can you fight that?
As a side note, I experimented with foods, and the main one was mashed potatoes. Most people with diabetes have problems with their BG levels if they eat them, so I tried something. I took my Byetta like always, but I also took two of the Prandin tablets that I still have left over from before. I switched from two Prandins before each meal to Byetta twice a day, so I still have a bunch of Prandin tablets left over. I took the two Prandin then had a bowl full of mashed potatoes with dinner. I tested two hours after dinner and my BG readings were only 14 points higher than my before meal levels. I tested two hours after that, and my levels were about the same as my pre-dinner levels, indicating to me that the Prandin was effective in preventing a huge spike in my levels.....something that I wouldn't have known if I only tested three times a day.
