Wildly inaccurate BG readings

science

(Erin Macfarland ) #1

I don’t test my BG levels too often but decided to this morning. I use a True Metrix device (from Walgreens, I’m in the states), and washed my hands like usual, my first reading said 334. Impossible…I tested again, different finger, 175. Still impossible. Tested again, different finger, Washed hands again just to sure. 127. Still seemed high. It’s not unusual for me to have a reading of 100 in the morning, I tend to test after coffee, and if I don’t sleep well it tends to be higher. But I slept ok last night, had dinner earlier in the evening and a snack before bed since I was hungry when I came home. But that seemed really high still, I do take Berberine to help with keeping BG levels lower. I thought, I’ll check with blood from somewhere other than my fingers and see what that would do. I poked my heel, and got an 84. Which seemed much more accurate. Has anyone ever had something similar happen?? Why would I get such crazy results?


(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #2

The 334 seems to certainly be an anomaly.
However, the other readings might not be so anomalous. I’d recommend checking against another device. I know that Walmart has some cheap ones. I once had a reading of 140-something on one meter and a 184-something reading on another meter, taken less than 30-seconds apart. Those are not normal readings for me (accidental sugar ingestion of 27g). But that’s just an example of wildly different readings.

Its hard to tell how accurate the 100-something readings were because you don’t test often. I’d recommend testing over the next week or two to try to establish a pattern.

As far as why…
I’ve noticed that how well I wash and what soap I use can effect the readings. Also, sometimes readings taken fromt the same finger can be different.


(Full Metal KETO AF) #3

Erin are your test strips still in date?

@KetoCancerMom What about alcohol swabs for injections? :cowboy_hat_face:


(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #4

@David_Stilley

I haven’t used those…though if you don’t wait long enough I assume they could skew results. I’m not sure if hand santizer would have a similar effect.


(Robert C) #5

What time is it when the clock strikes 13?

Time to get a new clock.

(Personally, I’d get another different brand monitor as a second opinion.
If it paralleled the erratic measurements, I’d follow up as necessary.)


(Joey) #6

For sure. You can poke yourself all over but I can’t imagine how you could have serum glucose of over 300 and also around 100 within a few heartbeats.

Contamination? Perhaps. But unless you washed your hands with Gatorade, I’m still skeptical.

Take meter back to Walgreens and tell the manager how dangerous it is to sell glucose meters with such remarkably unreliable accuracy… could be a matter of life and death in some cases. Would they like to own that risk?


#7

I use a Keto Mojo which I know is popular. I seem to get jumps is both Ketones and glucose not that large maybe 20-30 (BG) and 1.0 in Ketones


(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #8

Are those changes within the same minute?


(Erin Macfarland ) #9

@David_Stilley I will definitely check I hadn’t thought about that!


(Erin Macfarland ) #10

@KetoCancerMom they were within a couple of minutes. Pretty crazy right??


(Erin Macfarland ) #11

I meant to add too that I am very metabolically healthy, active…I did not work out prior to taking the reading either :grin:


(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #12

I should have tagged @Weeverrm. I know yours were within a few minutes.

Yes, it is crazy how different the readings were. Keep us updated, if you want, if you do decide to do some extra testing.


(Erin Macfarland ) #13

@David_Stilley, the strips were out of date six months ago! Do you think they’d be inaccurate after that amount of time?


(Full Metal KETO AF) #14

I’m no expert on that, I just knew they had expiration dates because I dug out my old one recently. :cowboy_hat_face:


(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #15

Just as an example…

I just tested (and didn’t wash my hands - thought they were already clean, but I guess not), and got a reading of 140! I knew that had to be way off, especially as my CGM was reading 90. A restest, after washing hands was 80. That reading was much more in line with what I expected. I don’t really have a good way to mark the 140 as a “test” reading…


(Trish) #16

Could also be the soap residue on your finger.


#17

Yes test change the strip and test again from the same stick even. The same blood bubble ( whatever it is call)


(Central Florida Bob ) #18

Somewhere around these forums, someone posted a paper from the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology that compared accuracy of 17 meters. The article is dated 2016, so some of the meters aren’t even around anymore.

The important part is not even the very worst meters were that bad. The worst were around 20% error - which is horrid. The best was around 5% - the Contour Next. Previously Bayer, now spun off as Ascencia (spelling?) I dumped the one I was using, which was middle of the pack - 12%, I think, and bought a Contour Next.

Hey… I found it.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1932296816672237


(Bunny) #19

A big YES! (I use multiple meters when I feel like playing with them) Note: I still want one of those fancy Libres to play with…lol

I have had the exact same thing happen to me, it could be from the residual left over from what your washing hands with (chemical composition?), using an alcohol swab (not letting the alcohol evaporate?) or using the same pin pricker over and over again which is responsible for causing sepsis deaths in the elderly from using the same pin sticker over and over again because they have a hard time changing them? Lots of deaths because of that one little thing alone! The pin stickers alone will kill you before the diabetes gets you!


(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #20

Have you asked your doctor for one? Mine is covered just like a medication prescription with insurance. I do have to pay 50% of the sensor cost (I don’t know where they come up with that). Still, its nice to have. Recently some of the readings have been way off (sensor vs fingerstick), but generally they are close. I’d love to have a sensor that also recorded ketones. That would be sweet!