Reddit mentions: The best diabetic blood test strips

I think the best thing the Republican party can do is to take a more solutions-based approach than they have the past four years, as opposed to the constant effort to vilify and obstruct Obama. It plays well with the Conservative base, but that's about it. I think to a majority of independents, the Republicans were viewed as pro-Wall Street in the Dodd-Frank debates (which obviously played out poorly for them in the wake of the financial crisis), and they were viewed as pro-status quo in the healthcare debates.

Republicans were never going to stop some type of financial or healthcare reform from happening. Especially with healthcare, it is abundantly clear that there is a problem. But the overall message from Republicans seemed to be that "America has the best healthcare in the world." That is the absolute wrong message to convey when individual diabetes test strips go for $18 a pop at the hospital, but a 50-pack goes for $21.19 on Amazon. The healthcare debate irks me the most, because there are definitely some actual free-market solutions that would substantially bring down costs. But Republicans completely botched the debate, made few attempts to appear reasonable and solutions-driven, and Obamacare and more government intervention is what we got. Even now, all we get are votes to repeal Obamacare every other day, and hardly any effort to promote a viable (and PREFERABLE!!!) free-market alternative.

Free. Market. Solutions. That should be their mantra. Hammer it home every time they come across a problem created by too much government intervention. Give numerous specific examples. Admit when there are problems, especially when they are clear as day for everyone to see, and promote free-market solutions for those problems.

So for the record, I didn’t use this one specifically, it’s just the first one I saw: link

From the photo, the bright blue things are lancets - they’re basically the needles that go into your fingers. You’ll want to alternative fingers when testing - that helps prevent scarring (if you reuse them too much, it’ll get dull which causes the scarring). New lancet per blood draw. You’ll want to take the blood from the sides of the finger (though idk why) - too far to the side though and it’ll hurt more than necessary.

The test strips (here’s a closer look) are what reads your blood after pricking your finger. The side with the arrow goes into the machine and you’ll want the strip in the machine before you draw the blood (other side of strip, in the middle). Not sure if it was my machine being finicky, but I had to angle it a certain way so the blood wasn’t drawn up too quickly or the machine would throw up an error - you’ll have to play around with that. The strips are really the most expensive part in all of this (there’s bits of gold in it) but it’s also the bit you can’t reuse.

The silver pen looking thing is what holds the lancet. You basically open it like a pen and put a lancet in before recapping. You’ll probably have numbers - the lower the number, the less the lancet comes out (shallower prick), the higher the number, the more the needle comes out (deeper prick / if you develop calluses).

Ideal, by the books method of using it is alcohol swab the finger/area you will prick. Put a new lancet into the pen thing. Turn on machine and put the strip in. Immediately prick, squeeze blood out, dip the strip into the puddle of blood and wait the 1-2 seconds for your result (or notification of error...in which case you repeat the dipping with a new test strip). Clean and bandage your finger.

You’ll want most tests under 140. Occasional blips are ok (ie your baby shower and gender reveal are ok) but don’t make it a daily thing.

The meals don’t have to be full sit down meals - 3 normal meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) + 3 snacks in between...which is a lot easier said than done in the beginning. After like a week, I found myself constantly starving so that made eating a lot easier (ofc then I found myself staring longingly at my food and waiting for the next meal to come).

For tracking purposes, I found glucose buddy to be great. I jotted down what I ate in the notes section and at the end of the week, you can download a report with your numbers and your meals come up as little footnotes.

Edit: as an aside, the monitor comes with a pouch for you to put everything into. There’s a mesh zipper pocket on one side (for bandaids, alcohol pads, lancets) and elastic bands on the other. Both the pen and monitor goes alongside the spine, the test strips stay in the container it comes in and goes perpendicular to the spine.

Depends how flimsy the desk is as to how much vibration gets transferred to the cameras. You could well be OK without doing anything. If not, you can buy very cheap little security camera mounts from amazon and stick them non permanently to the walls with 3M picture hanging velcro strips. Mounting them up high on a wall will be much better for roomscale standing games anyway because the cameras get a better FOV of your play area even when you lie prone on the ground in a shooter for example.

Security Camera mount

3M Picture hanging Velcro

np!

This one gets pretty good reviews:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JIK6CIW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Dont forget you need ketone strips as well which are sold separately:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010MPEOOK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I also bought a less invasive lancer to take blood:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013PT257I/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&th=1

For some reason, this subreddit really likes to downvote stuff pertaining to actually testing if you're in nutritional ketosis. I, myself, find it helpful to ensure I'm not getting carb creep from surprising areas.

I bought this meter: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00JIK6CIW/

And these strips: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B010MPEOOK/

I have struggled a lot with this. It got to the point where I thought I could definitely tell the difference between a UTI and a flare, but I would go to the doc for a urinalysis just to be told that there was no sign of infection.

This product saved me many a time. Super cheap and way cheaper than what I thought was the only similar product on the market.

I get my GlucoCard Vital test strips, Meter and Lancing device va Amazon and save significantrly even over insurance.

I got these.

Nova Max Plus Ketone Test Strips - 40 Ct https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008P0WMI0/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apap_nda83P6TlFDBe

Justified it by saying I'll use the money I saved on food.

I'm guessing it's a rental so you can't use any nails, screws, or anything which will mark the walls?

If so, I'm in the same boat. I've been using some picture hanging strips which are basically like a velcro that goes on the wall. So far it's held my frames up for months in my last place and in this one. When it came time to leave the last one the frame pops off the wall easily, and then you stretch the sticky part of the hanging strip to make it release (there are fully instructions on the pack). I can highly recommend them.

I've recently canvassed the available strips and the absolute cheapest are these guys from GenUltimate, 13c/strip if you have amazon prime or buy in a little larger quantity and get free shipping. They're for use with the One Touch Ultra or Ultra mini, which are like $20.

Next up is the Walmart Relion Prime. The meter's only like $9 but strips are 19c each so you end up saving a bunch buying the GenUltimate strips for the One Touch Ultra.

Everything else is more $$.

https://www.amazon.com/Call-Express-Glucose-Diabetic-4boxof50/dp/B01J4DORAW. Ive been using these for months. Super inexpensive and seem to be accurate.

You can find test strips on Amazon for similar prices (or even cheaper) if you look hard enough.

Diathrive is selling 100 test strips for $24, while you can get 100 True Metrix test strips from Amazon for $16.

Agreed! Few products have earned my loyalty as much as these - I use them for paintings and pictures and even after several years, they come off with no issue

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Command-Picture-Hanging-Strips-Removable/dp/B00OI6F67O

I use those 3M Velcro things. More than strong enough for movie posters at least.

https://i.imgur.com/j9TeWke.jpg

These things : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Command-Medium-Picture-Hanging-Strips/dp/B00OI6F67O/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1521979783&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=3m+picture+hanging+strips&psc=1

Comments at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074ZN3H2Z is a good example of this..

Marked "not for sale in US" but not in the product description, packaging has labels over labels, many people report incorrect readings (accurate readings are sorta the whole idea..) and the real manufacturer claims these are counterfeit.

Amazon keeps selling them, though.

You sound like you're in america. Do you have a Walmart or drug store nearby so that you can grab one of these just to have on hand? $9 is cheaper than an ER visit, but at this point it sounds like you need to go in.

Medical debt is just that, medical debt. If you're already in it, some more isn't going to make it worse. They're not going to send you away because you owe them money. They're going to treat you and add another bill to the mix, but all it is, is a bill. Go get help before you do something to yourself that will cost you even more.

Apparently "Care Touch" makes a meter who's strips are about $0.16/each on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Care-Touch-Glucose-Strips-Monitor/dp/B0794DFH6F/

Will have to try these once I exhaust my supply of Contour Next strips.

Yes there are at home tests... here's one on amazon

Amazon usually has strips for cheap.

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https://www.amazon.com/Accu-Chek-Guide-Test-Strips-100/dp/B079432PN5/ref=sr_1_4

cheaper on amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NAJ9KPS/

Just looked it up and apparently, yes, it's completely possible to test uric acid at home. I had no idea that was a thing. Here's a couple links-

http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Touch-uric-acid-strips/dp/B00B72291I

http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?_rel=uric&search_constraint=0&search_query=uric+acid+test+strips

http://www.uricacidmeter.com/

http://www.uricacidtest.com/contents/en-uk/d19_uric_acid_meter.html

I wonder if anyone else here has any experience with these. Maybe I'll start a separate post to see.

Not to scare you, but excessive thirst is a main symptom of diabetes.

You can check your blood glucose level yourself with this. If you are concerned but don't want to run to a doctor right now it's a simple thing to do.

It's probably nothing, but it's always best to consider the worst case scenario and work your way back.

Those are not cheap...

https://www.amazon.com/True-Metrix-Blood-Glucose-Strips/dp/B01MDOITXR/ref=sr_1_2_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1485550494&sr=1-2&keywords=true%2Bmetrix%2Bblood%2Bglucose%2Btest%2Bstrips&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/Genultimate-Glucose-Touch-Lancets-Care/dp/B01NAJ9KPS/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?keywords=test+strips+one+touch+ultra&qid=1563625116&s=gateway&sprefix=test+strips+one+&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/True-plus-Glucose-Tablets-Raspberry/dp/B00FEKDPF8

Gen Ultimate Strips

You might need a new meter, but that's also fairly cheap:

One Touch Ultra 2

I found these are the cheapest: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XT694NL/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Works with this meter: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B004AI8O4M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here are the Azo ones: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00854L57U/ref=pd_aw_vtph_121_bs_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=8WAE3AK20KNKQZST925Z

But you can use any dipstick that shows leukocytes and nitrites.

I have this one.

https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Ketone-Meter-Monitoring-System/dp/B0778RHL8C/

The lancer sucked and I got a newer one at CVS. I bought replacement strips from Walmart. So. freaking. expensive.

I found it useful to start correlating how I felt with ketone levels, and also when I had some dawn phenomena (I now fast more like 16+ hours before labs).

This isn't true. The blood meters test for Beta Hydroxbutyrate. Zoom in on the picture of the strips and notice it says B-Ketones? Guess what that means? https://www.amazon.com/Precision-Xtra-Blood-Ketone-Strips/dp/B010MPEOOK

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06XD2QHJH/ref=zg_bs_3762021_22?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=J0K0EVFQDF8NJRT73SQS

It appears they have slightly gone up in price which is very disappointing. I first bought these for less than $13 for 100 so this is the second increase i price in a short period.