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View Full Version : over the counter A1c tests

Soundy
08-21-2009, 09:46 PM
Today I was having a low day where couldn't keep BG level up...I went to the doctor and sat eating snacks and getting poked every 15 minutes or so ... managed to get sugar up to 117 while there but it started going back down and within an hour of that reading was 72 and he gave me a couple glucose tablets to chew up...been hanging around 85 since I got home and feel OK...earlier when BG was low felt limp...weak and wobbly ...took a long nap and feel better

anyway ... with the sugar issues going on and lupus and no other doctor but him to take care of me he had nurse draw blood ...a whole tub full ... running A1c and liver function and thyroid and pancreatic something and kidney function and ANA and some other things I forgot ... I figure several hundred dollars out of pocket since my insurance isn't picking up anything

my question is this ... someone told me that Walmart has an over the counter A1c test kit that you collect blood and send in and receive the results in the mail or my email... the kit is $9...seems too good to be trues since the lab charges $55 for
A1c test ... I asked him about it and he said he hadn't seen them and had nothing as far as advice in it's use... but we decided why not give it a shot ... he called Walmart to see if they had a kit ... they did and one of the receptionist ran and picked it up...

we followed instrutions ...prick finger , fill two circles on the card provided with blood and let dry 30 minutes before sending off... plan is to compare results of this kit test and the lab test sent off and see how close they are to each other ...

has anyone used these ???
ShottleBop
08-21-2009, 10:12 PM
I haven't, but I have read posts by other people who have. They said that the Walmart results compared favorably with the A1c run by the lab.
Granny Shanny
08-21-2009, 10:15 PM
I haven't used it yet either, but I will, because my next "official" A1c isn't scheduled for six months. I need feedback a lot sooner than THAT! :D
enigmalady777
08-21-2009, 10:19 PM
I have used the Walmart Relion A1C kit and the result was the same as the lab results my doctor ordered several weeks later.
butterflykisses
08-21-2009, 10:33 PM
Bayer also makes one that comes with two tests that give you results in like 5 minutes? I think. I haven't used one, but I think I am going to get one and use it before I go in to see my endo next month. It's $30 for two tests, so a bit more than Walmart's mail in test, but it would be nice to get the results "immediately", if they're accurate. It has to be ordered, as far as I can tell.
ShottleBop
08-21-2009, 10:39 PM
Bayer also makes one that comes with two tests that give you results in like 5 minutes? I think. I haven't used one, but I think I am going to get one and use it before I go in to see my endo next month. It's $30 for two tests, so a bit more than Walmart's mail in test, but it would be nice to get the results "immediately", if they're accurate. It has to be ordered, as far as I can tell.

That's the A1cNow!, available online from Walgreens. I bought a pair. The first one I tried reported an A1c of 5.8, compared to my lab A1c of 5.3 three months before, and despite a three-month average (using my Aviva) of 100. I've decided to hold onto the second test until next month, when I'm due for more labwork--I'll compare the home result to the lab result then.
sarahspins
08-21-2009, 11:42 PM
I have used the walmart one and it was .2 higher than my results with my endo (in-office machine).

I've used the A1CNow in the past (before Bayer bought out Metrika) and found them highly accurate.. either spot on, or like .1 off my doctor's office.
Soundy
08-22-2009, 06:41 AM
Thanks for input ...I guess I will just wait and see when it all comes back...with insurance not paying for anything diabetes related (would pay for insulin if I needed it ) every bit I save helps ... if reliable and close to lab one I will use it when it needs run again