A little meter frustration

[Scrabblechick]

So I went to the endo today and got a spandy new Accu-Chek Aviva. Yay! Or not?

I checked my BG with my old meter and it read 104. Not bad at 3 hours PP. Then, I checked it with the Aviva. 124. Huh? I know all about meter variation, but this is ridiculous!

Sooo, I said, well, I'll check another finger, same testing site for both meters. Old meter: 111; New meter: 131. Bleah!

My goal is >140 PP. By my old meter, I've been achieving this goal 90 percent of the time. If the Aviva is consistently 20 points higher, that ratio goes down considerably. Same with my morning FBG numbers. Old meter, looking much better. New meter? Who knows?

I'll call the office in the morning for my BG and A1C results, and I checked my BG this a.m., although they didn't draw the blood until nearly 3 hours later. Even though I was fasting, I'm wondering if my BG would much higher in that time? I'm just wondering that in order to get an idea of how close to the mark my old meter might be, since the blood was drawn so much later than when I tested.

WHICH ONE IS RIGHT?? WHICH ONE DO I BELIEVE? OMG, this is SO frustrating!! I am very serious about getting my levels down where they need to be, and this discrepancy doesn't help. Could it make that much difference in my A1C levels?

I was afraid this would happen with a new meter. Sigh.

[patricia52]

The AccuChek is considered one of the best-most accurate on the market today. Don't know what brand your old meter is. This is very interesting. Let us know what you learn from your A1c and fasting BG test.
That much could make a difference in your A1c.

[bkburns]

What happens when you do a calibration test?

[Scrabblechick]

You mean a control solution test? Both test very nicely within range. Grrr.

[mortis505]

ScrabbleChick, I also had similar problems with the Aviva when I used it and do to this day. It consistently read higher then my OneTouch. Inquire with your doctor about a "glucose now" test and have the doctor check it against their "in house" meter.

Just out of curiosity, what is your blood type?

[morrisma]

ScrabbleChick, I also had similar problems with the Aviva when I used it and do to this day. It consistently read higher then my OneTouch. Inquire with your doctor about a "glucose now" test and have the doctor check it against their "in house" meter.

Just out of curiosity, what is your blood type?

Blood type? Hmm, is there any possibility this has any bearing?

[shiftzor]

So I went to the endo today and got a spandy new Accu-Chek Aviva. Yay! Or not?

I checked my BG with my old meter and it read 104. Not bad at 3 hours PP. Then, I checked it with the Aviva. 124. Huh? I know all about meter variation, but this is ridiculous!

Sooo, I said, well, I'll check another finger, same testing site for both meters. Old meter: 111; New meter: 131. Bleah!

My goal is >140 PP. By my old meter, I've been achieving this goal 90 percent of the time. If the Aviva is consistently 20 points higher, that ratio goes down considerably. Same with my morning FBG numbers. Old meter, looking much better. New meter? Who knows?

I'll call the office in the morning for my BG and A1C results, and I checked my BG this a.m., although they didn't draw the blood until nearly 3 hours later. Even though I was fasting, I'm wondering if my BG would much higher in that time? I'm just wondering that in order to get an idea of how close to the mark my old meter might be, since the blood was drawn so much later than when I tested.

WHICH ONE IS RIGHT?? WHICH ONE DO I BELIEVE? OMG, this is SO frustrating!! I am very serious about getting my levels down where they need to be, and this discrepancy doesn't help. Could it make that much difference in my A1C levels?

I was afraid this would happen with a new meter. Sigh.

How do you know that your old meter is not inaccurate? I think if you assumed that every meter has a 20% error margin then these meters aren’t far apart. Also you have to take in other factors such as what you washed your hands with and which fingers you used etc. Meters are not as accurate as people perceive them to be, yes we have to use them to medicate but they are not 100% accurate and are only a "guide". I would personally trust your new meter as technology has improved over time, get some control solution and test your new meter. Do the same with your old meter, but i am guessing that both meters will report that they are accurate. ;)

[Scrabblechick]

Well, even considering the 20 percent margin, it's still a fairly large jump, IMHO. I guess my worry is that this is enough of a discrepancy to affect whether I know I'm managing my BG well or just sort of all right. I don't know if my old meter is inaccurate. I just bought it in February, so the technology isn't any older than the Aviva.

Mortis, thanks for the heads-up about your Aviva. The doc had a closet full of meters (literally) and I picked that one. I may try using the Ultra2 I got at my class, too.

To answer your question, my blood type is O-positive. Does that have any bearing?

[CrazyGramma]

When going for any bloodwork at the lab I have a glucose done, do a meter test as soon as the blood is drawn and compare the results. That's how I check my meter. If I recall correctly my educator was happy that the readings were 5.0 and 5.3 or something that close.

[Scrabblechick]

And I had my meter with me! I should have done just that, but I had to get to work and couldn't take the time right then, and then, of course, I forgot about it. LOL.

[xMenace]

Those are only two results. I'd like to see many more before making any conclusion. The numbers are very plausible:

Possible
Actual -10% +10% --- compare to --- Old --- Aviva
110 -- 100 -- 120 ------------------- 104 --- 124
120 -- 108 -- 132 ------------------- 111 --- 131

While there's concern, there's not enough data to support a conclusion.

[Kim_in_TN]

Oh dear, I would be extremely frustrated too! It's like weighing two different things on two different scales! I think I will not be changing meters if that is what happens! I'm sorry you are having to deal with this!!!

[Scrabblechick]

Well, I don't HAVE to change my meter. I just wanted one I thought was better. Apparently, it may not be. I'll see how my old one stacks up against the lab results, which I can get in the morning. That, for me, will be more definite.

It's not a huge deal, since I didn't pay for the Aviva, and I still have an Ultra 2 which I can get strips covered for, if I want them. I'll just have three meters lying around. LOL. I guess having three meters makes me an "official" member of the club. Heh.

DH said he thought the whole touting the accuracy was psychology to make you want to pay more money for what's supposed to be a better mousetrap. They don't want you to have an excuse to stay with the $50 strips when you could be paying $100. You know, he might have a point! LOL.

[Glucoweb]

The new meter might be more accurate than your old one. Just because your older one, shows the numbers you like, does not mean it is more accurate. However both tests fall with in the 20% accuracy range.

For the record, I hate ("I am using the word hate here"*) that meters only have to be within 20% accuracy, it has been a source of intense frustration for me over the past few years.


* quote borrowed from Jack Nicholson in the movie As Good As It Gets

[mortis505]

To answer the question asked, Blood type may not have any bearing. However, having said that, I am O-neg and just trying to gain some data. I had asked several months ago if blood type/rh factor made a difference in the test. Didnt get alot of info on that, but did find others with aviva problems. See here (http://www.diabetesforums.com/forum/monitoring/21351-aviva-problems.html).

[Scrabblechick]

Well, now knowing my A1C is 5.6, which corresponds, roughly, to an average BG of 122, that really does jive with the 30-day average on my old meter of 118. So that helps a great deal!

[terryok123]

i know you did it but did you wash your hands? use the same control solution on both meters.. .what is the results? then should get better understanding of what the reading will look like...Hmm.. I think?

good luck...