"Meter Bashing"

Almost weekly, someone comes on board with a newly diagnosed sugarkitty, thrilled that they've found us, reading all sorts of information, getting prepared before posting by stocking up on low-carb canned food from Binky's list, having run out and bought a meter and strips, ready to take the plunge and begin treating kitty at home.
They make their introductory post, hoping for all sorts of wonderful informative feedback, which they always, always get. This place is "the bomb"!

Then they happen to mention that they bought a meter with the name "TRUE" on the box!!! What inevitably follows is multiple posts declaring that "ANY METER WITH TRUE IN ITS NAME IS JUNK!"

A couple of points I'd like to bring up -

1 - often, it seems that this has become an "urban legend" and it's one of those things that gets said often just because it has already been said often.

2 - In the link to "Home Testing Kits" on every page, you will find this:

That link, and that post, were put out there by Rebecca, and it's really hard for me to believe that she would be steering anyone, especially brand new members, in a direction that was incorrect.

3 - Rebecca has taken the time to post at least twice this summer, in response to people saying "TRUE = JUNK":

4 - The Consumer Reports list that Rebecca makes reference to lists several "True" meters in their top 15, and some are rated higher than other meters which are always pointed out as "good" meters that many of us use, including the Relion Confirm and Micro, the Bayer Contour and the One Touch Ultras.

While I realize, as someone has pointed out in one of the threads that Rebecca posted in, that Consumer Reports is a magazine for "humans" and while the meters may work fine for humans they might not work fine for cats. But in the same breath, we tell people all the time that "you don't have to buy an expensive vet meter like an Alpha Trak, because human meters work just fine for cats."

I also realize that some people, including people I consider close friends, were lulled into a sense of false security when they were using a "Freestyle Lite" meter and found out that their readings were bogus due to a problem with Freestyle's strips last year.

But it seems that we universally "bash" Freestyle and "TRUE" on an almost daily basis. My biggest concern is that we are sending conflicting signals to new members, and they don't even have to ask. They only have to click on the "Home Testing Kit" link, and then spend an hour or two reading posts on the Health forum before reaching the confusion point
"I just ordered a free meter, and now I find out it's a piece of junk???"

I think Rebecca's advice to everyone of us is something we should all keep in mind:

Carl

 

So were the meters changed to work better for cats? When? How widespread was this? Is there a certain model #, UPC, or something we could use to ID the newer meters with the older ones that are inaccurate?

 

Ry, I don't believe any meters have been "tweaked" to work better on cats. I don't think Relion has ever done anything to make their meters "cat friendly" either? Maybe they (TRUE makers) just made their meters "better" period? I don't know. Consumer Reports ranked them, not "us". I think the point is that just because they might have made a crappy meter a few years ago, it doesn't mean they still make crappy meters. I guess we'd have to compare the CR rankings from a few years ago to the ones they published recently? Or accept that a meter with the word "True" in it's name, that nobody here has actually had any issue with because it's brand new to the market and nobody has tried them, might actually be okay to use? If Relion came out with a meter that had "TRUE" in it's name, we'd probably just assume it was crap too.

I only ever used a Relion Micro, and other than a couple of bad strips, I never had any problems that I am aware of. (unless it was no good from the start, and I just never knew it, in which case it doesn't really matter anymore). The only reason I bought a Relion was because it was the cheapest way to go, not because anyone told me it was "good" or "bad". My vet said "buy a Relion, it's the cheapest to use". So I did.

Carl

 

People can buy whatever meter they like, but if you get a FreeStyle meter with the butterfly strips and think you are doing just fine with never a BG over 299, don't be surprised if you have a cat who's not looking like he/she is really in that range.
People can go ahead and take their chances, but I see no harm in warning new people about the consistently erroneous numbers obtained by those who used the FreeStyle with the 'new technology' butterfly strips.

How about if you change your subject to ask those who have experienced the problem firsthand.... you will get plenty of bitter owners posting. One look at their ss will show you that the sea of yellows, despite the dose rising and rising and rising and rising, started to look fishy.

Test strips are mighty expensive, as is all the care needed for our diabetic cats, and if someone has had firsthand proof of a meter / strips being faulty, is it wrong to warn those showing up later?
We are not talking just the odd person having problems, and we are not talking about 'a bad batch' of strips because the problem started when the technology was changed. Those who have the old test strips for the FreeStyle were doing fine.

My conscience is clear; I have seen those ss for people who were using the FreeStyle meters, and as soon as they switched to another meter, any other meter, you saw fluctuating BG numbers... the super flat yellows were gone.

ETA;
Take a look at Wendy & Neko's ss, just as one recent example, and you will see what kind of numbers are obtained from the FreeStyle meter's strips.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub ... utput=html

I bet I don't need to tell you the date she switched from the FreeStyle to the Relion, do I?

 

Gayle,

.
I said the freestyle strips were a valid complaint. Two dear friends of mine were directly affected by it.

If you have an issue with my raising the subject that far too many people automatically jump on the TRUE bashing train, take it up with Rebecca, since she has posted twice that we shouldn't be doing it. Frankly, I'm as sick of reporting the bashing as she probably is at seeing the reported threads. Why not do as she suggests?

Or explain to her why you don't feel compelled to do so? And why it isn't a good idea to stop saying every meter with "true" in its name is junk? Maybe even request she update the "home testing kit"link to omit the offer from Walgreens?
My conscience is clear too.
Carl

 

Carl,

I wish I would've seen this thread when I joined yesterday! I saw the post by Rebecca about the True2go and promptly went out and bought it, then had several members tell me it was crap. I just now, in the middle of the night, went to Walmart to buy a Relion so I could have a better meter to do my curve tomorrow. I also just posted a thread about it! viewtopic.php?f=28&t=79180

Courtney

 

Courtney:

I honestly don't know if the "True" meters have changed. Is there any possibility you can test with the Relion and the True meter and see how the numbers compare? The previous Consumer Reports review, listed the "True" meters as unreliable. The new review gives them high marks. They may be using a different manufacturer and re-packaging the meters. (For example, Arkray manufactures the Relion meters. You can purchase Arkray strips from ADW that work in the Relion meters.)

 

I've somewhat participated in those 'meter bashings' and really shouldn't have as I've not had experience with any of them - yes, I've been a 'parrot' which is something I don't like in others. Carl, thanks for pointing this out to me! With that said, I have tried several meters when Paige sent me all her mother's diabetic supplies - it included several different meters, all mostly brand new, some even with test strips left in the boxes!

(2011) I started with the Walmart Relion Confirm...which is still my most 'trusted' meter

(2008) Beyer Contour - it worked just fine too, same approximate numbers as the Confirm

(2009) Beyer Contour TS - worked fine too but I wasn't happy with the 'sip' of the strips - uses different ones than standard Coutour

(2007) OneTouch Ultra - reads about 30 points higher than the Relion above about 175. As numbers get lower, these 2 meters agree closely. This is my favorite 'back up' meter.

Accuchek Aviva - couldn't use the expired strips as chip includes dates. Meter doesn't seem to be able to be 'fooled'.

So.......you have my 2 cents....and I'll shut my mouth if I can only 'parrot'. I can't believe I've done that, dang Squeaks, you KNOW how you feel about someone only 'parroting'. If you don't know the WHY, then HUSH!

 

I know it's been many years but I never had ANY trouble with the "TruTrack" I use to use.It consistantly read 20 points off the Vets meter. Just my 2cents...:/
jeanne

 

My understanding is that two years ago, CR rated some of the "True" meters poorly. The latest ratings include some of them in their top 15. I don't have access to the old report from CR, so I don't know what about the meters was found to be "bad".
On their website about this last round of meter ratings:

They also talk about how the meters were tested for accuracy:

So they measured accuracy against a "lab" instrument.
I also found this encouraging to read: (emphasis mine)
Current Food and Drug Administration standards require that blood glucose meters be accurate within 20 percentage points of lab readings. We think the standard should be tightened, an improvement the FDA is considering. Our Ratings allow you to compare the accuracy of various models above and beyond current guidelines. All the models we tested were well within current accuracy regulations, but only those with Very Good or Excellent scores earned our recommendation. So, they are unhappy with the 20% margin of error just like we are :smile:

Here are their top 15:
1 Accu-Chek Compact Plus
2 Accu-Chek Aviva
3 TrueResult (Walgreens)
4 Bayer Breeze 2
5 FreeStyle Freedom Lite
6 True2go (Walgreens)
7 Relion Confirm
9 One Touch Ultra 2
9 Relion Micro
10 One Touch UltraMini
11 FreeStyle Lite
12 Relion Ultima
13 One Touch UltraSmart
14 Bayer Contour USB
15 Nova Max Plus Advanced Tech.

The top 5 were all rated "Excellent" on "accuracy), along with the Relion Micro, The FreeStyle Lite, and the One Touch UltraSmart. The remainder of those in the top 10 were rated "Very Good".
In terms of repeatability - None were rated "excellent". The best rating was "very good" (given the 20% variance factor, that makes sense). The only ones rated "Very Good" were the top 4, the True2Go, the One Touch Ultra 2 and the One Touch Ultra Mini. All the others were rated "Good" (including both Relion Meters).

I'm sure that cost of the meter and the strips went into the calculations at some point, but it does not seem to be a primary factor. Otherwise, you'd figure the Relions would be higher on the list?

I've also gone out and looked for "customer reviews" particularly on the True2Go Walgreens meter. What I found was that for every person who said their True2Go read consistently lower than a 2nd meter, there was another reviewer who said it read consistently higher that their 2nd meter.

Carl

 

I really don't like getting into these discussions but ……..

When I started here 7 years ago I was told the One Touch was the “gold standard” and I have never changed. Only once did I have a problem with strips which OT replaced and never any issues with the meters.

A lot of folks swear by the Relion/Arkray meters but last year I was approached by an online diabetes supplier and asked if I would use either meter rather than the OT due to the cost of the strips if nothing else. I explained to him that the readings were too far off in a comparison I had already done with the Relion. I don’t think he believed me so he asked if I would do another comparison. He sent me two meters of each brand which I compared with the OT twice a day on two cats, even DH volunteered, for two weeks. The Relion and Arkray were consistently higher than the OT, sometimes as much as 75 points. Now I wouldn’t mind a few points one way or the other but the gap was too big for me to feel comfortable with. Reagan was a low dose kitty so I needed accuracy. I gave him the results and he contacted Arkray who gave him the line about not being meant for cats etc. Arkray also called me and I gave them the results, got the same line. I asked how did they explain the human reading. I was told “well it’s in the acceptable range of under 20%”. Their attitude ticked me off and we had quite a discussion.

I didn’t post the results here because I had already seen a debate over meters and just didn’t want to stir it up.

Too bad we can't do our own comparisons and post the recommendations for people to read and decide which meter to use.

 

I don't use any of the true, tru or freestyle meters, so I can't comment on their accuracy. I did notice on the CR sticky from Oct 2011 where some were listed in the top 15, however in contradiction, they are highlighted in red with comments to the right that they are all inaccurate for cats and not recommended. If that is not the case, perhaps the sticky should be updated, or at least new information/results should be added. It can be quite confusing for newbies that are trying to absorb a ton of information.

Kathie

 

I know several people have tried to do this but I haven't kept up with how much info they have...someone did it in spreadsheet form within the last 3 months. Sorry, gray hairs growing into brain so can't remember who.... :roll:

 

I would normally steer clear of a post that is somewhat combative...but I figured I'd chime-in since I recently came across a new member who was advised that the "True" meter she had purchased is inaccurate...then I (apparently "stupidly") recommended the Confirm as an alternative. Then I read she was panic stricken in the middle of the night and ran to Walmart to purchase a different meter. First of all, I am cringing that a new member went through this added stress, and secondly, I am mortified if I played any part in it. This is why I avoid advising in Health.

That said, I don't "bash" meters...but I'm not shy about the fact that I love the Relion Confirm...along with the Precision Xtra for ketone testing (I've never used it for BG testing). I don't have an opinion about other meters...simply because...I haven't used any other meters. My reasons for choosing the Confirm were reliability, the tiny blood sample, the ease of obtaining strips at Walmart, and last but certainly not least, the ongoing cost of strips. The ongoing cost of strips is VERY important to those of us without deep pockets. With two FD's, one being a champion diver, I used over 100 test strips per week. Had I chosen a TRUE2go (if it was even around then), I would have been creeping towards bankruptcy court.

I understand Rebecca's concern about keeping up on the changes. In fact, I just went to CR, and I found 21 meters that were tested, with only the top 11 receiving a CR recommendation, and of those 11, 4 received a "Best Buy" (which correlates to meter cost, as far as I can tell). Three of the four "Best Buys" were Relion's (Confirm, Micro, & Ultima). The TRUE2go is number 14 on that list, and does not have a CR recommendation. So my recent visit to CR doesn't match up with the list you posted above. Either this is an example of how quickly things change...or I'm an idiot that doesn't know how to search the CR website. The latter is completely possible. I made a spreadsheet; I just have to figure out how to post it.

 

Hi Deb,
Thanks for the CR update. The list I provided was from a SS that another member posted the last time CR rated meters. End of 2011. I suppose they do this every year? Their latest ratings would be awesome to see I'm not a subscriber so I can't access their "secrets" on their site.
To post a link to your spreadshhet, just do so as if it were a picture, by "uploading attachment" to you post. That'll put a link in your post.

Carl

 

Deb,
Why "stupidly"? There's nothing wrong with a Relion Confirm meter.
Carl

 

I don't know how often their "Top (however many)" ratings list goes public. Their site is somewhat confusing, in the respect that, it doesn't state an "as of" date for their ratings. I find this odd, since I can't imagine their ratings are "up to the minute"...so shouldn't it at least say "2012 BG Meter Ratings"? The articles (like their "Buying Guide"), regarding BG meters, date back to September 2011. This matches the sticky SS meter rating info we have here. However, the meter ratings no longer match what we have for Sep 2011. My only clue is that the Confirm is priced at the current $15...when I purchased mine last year...they were $8.98 (holy increase batman!). I already created the darn SS (mainly because my brain doesn't interpret data that's not in an orderly SS), so I'll just post it in a new thread, so others can comment on their experience with specific meter models.

"Stupidly", because I didn't think to point out that, although I think the Confirm is da bomb, she should use what she purchased, and not worry about getting a new meter unless that one proved to be no good. I just chimed-in and started singing my Relion Confirm praises. She ended up panicking...thinking her meter was total garbage. I don't know Carl...when I think about it...who am I to tell folks a "True" meter is okay? I haven't lived the "True Meter Nightmare". All I know is that folks come here dazed, and financially strapped, after their gazillion dollar dx from the vet. Their heads are reeling, the learning curve is immense, and all they hear is "ka-ching" with each reply to their initial post. I don't want to add to that when it's not absolutely necessary...not even inadvertently.

 

I did buy the True Read from ADW and it came with 50 strips (strips would have only been $.45 each). Pretty much none of the first 25 strips worked, some user error :lol: but there was also a whole lot of E3 that was not user error- I think i got 3 to work out of the whole bottle. I emailed and complained and they sent me a control tester (which should have been in the original packaging when I went back to read what I had gotten). They sent me another bottle of 25 as well.

When I got to the second bottle I was getting more strips to work and looking back now the amounts were all over the place- 106, 187, 385 was the highest. A friend gave me his old Liberty meter and a ton of test strips (like about 1000) I chose the ones that had expired latest that year (around 200) and started testing the heck out of her ear with many HI, blacks, lots of red and pinks, and some yellow.

I bought the relion micro when the strips were getting low and tested it against the Liberty- all within the 20% variance.

So- was the True Read working? I really don't know. I just know it was frustrating and I won't buy one again.

 

I am happy to see my meter ranked highly, but with those new strips, the "Plus" I wouldn't rank it as high as I used to. I avoid buying the new ones in the blue box. They read higher. Which I could attribute to their 23% (?) better accuracy and assume the old strips read too low. But I also get errors 20-30% of the time and throw away a vast amount of strips when I am using the Plus. When they also cost more than the old style, that is not a good thing!

My meter is fairly new, bought in the last 6-8 months so I don't think it is that the meter is meant for the old strips. When I bought it the Plus were on the market and it said it worked with the Plus on the box.

I find the Aviva a very good meter, it sips a small amount of blood well so its easy to use. The strips go in easily and the whole feel of the meter is better than any others I've handled. It is close to the numbers my vet gets. But, I am very unhappy with their new strips and if I'd been using them all along, I don't know if my satisfaction would have been the same.

 

I have been using Relion meters for years and have always been pleased with them. The couple of times that I had issues that were caused by Callie knocking the meter off of the counter. I would call Relion's customer service and usually had a new meter the next day. I even compared them to other brand meters that I have and they are just as accurate.

 

I think that recent FDMB user experience, with meters, is worth its weight in gold. That said, in order to stay updated with independent testing, I posted the most recent rating results from CR on the Health board earlier this week. This Is The Link

I was able to edit the heck out of the post (without it showing...since there are no comments :lol: ), add photo attachments, and directions for best way to view, and print. Most meters come-in very close to the 2011 rankings. However, there are a couple meters, whose CR ratings have drastically changed.

I hope this helps.

 

Thank you Deb, this is exactly (I think) what Rebecca was after - that we all stay current with the latest available info.

Carl

 

Same here. I use the TruTrack for myself, (I am hypoglycemic), and Stormy Blue. I have used this brand for YEARS and have always gotten accurate numbers. Occasionally I will use another brand of meter and strips for a bit, (because I get them free from my Dad who is diabetic as is my niece whom my parents have raised), when I am running short of money to buy strips. I have NOTHING bad to say about TruTrack and am quite happy with the brand. They work great!

~M