Control Solution

[Glucoweb]

Just curious how many people regularly test their meters using the control solution?

[fgummett]

I do a fasting blood sugar at least every 6 months so I generally test with my own meter on the same arm within 5 minutes and compare results. I expect them to be within 15% of each other.

[palefacegirl03]

I usually have to call the company and ask them to send out a new bottle of control solution because mine has expired.

[davef]

I got a bottle of control solution from Bayer about two weeks ago and haven't gotten around to using it yet. I started using the meter at end of Nov'07

[Scrabblechick]

I do a control test for every new batch of strips. Averages about once a month.

[art]

every batch of test strips.
Never found a faulty batch but I still test them anyway.

Art

[shiftzor]

Don't have enough strips to waste them on test solutions personally. I think I would quickly discover if i had a faulty batch. I can see the argument for using control solutions, I have some for my new one touch ultrasmart might test my contour with it.

[Geoff]

I test every time I get through 50 test strips which is about 1 week to 10 days

[Tashia]

I honestly had no idea what that stuff was for... I hate reading directions. It usually just sits in the zipper part of my meter unused.

[Scrabblechick]

Well, the nice thing about the control solution is that, if your meter gives you a really bizarre reading that you KNOW can't be right, doing a control test will tell you if you meter is working normally. You might not have washed your hands very well, or you might have gotten hold of a screwy strip. So, I test every batch, which only uses one strip, or if my meter seems to be acting strange.

[kazza]

Um never. I take the advice to use control solution just like I do to use an alcohol swab to clean my finger before testing...

[LoDeSp]

I've never used a control solution before, but my numbers have been really low lately, so I just ordered a bottle.

[UpNorth]

I've never bothered about it lol I just compare to the meter at the lab when i'm there :T and if i have a totally wierd reading, i wash my hands and test again, if it's still a wierd reading, i open another container of teststrips and test if it's just as wierd still... So far, washing hands has done the trick...