Is he meter reliable if it shows 94 and 88 on two consecutive readings taken a minute apart? (blood, fasting)

[syracusa]

I am starting to doubt the RelioOn Prime from wallmart is very reliable. it also happens to be the cheapest home meter out there.

I checked my FBG again this morning and it first showed 94; then I took it again, about a minute after, using blood from the index finger from the other hand 1 and it showed 88.

I certainly like the second number better, but how do I know which one is the true value?

Can home meters have such wide variation in results?

Also, I think that my fasting time may have been below 12 hours. Would that affect the results?
A few days ago I had gotten an 84 and 87 value - so an average of 85.

I am trying hard to keep the FBG under 86 but if these measures don't work (exercise, low carb, weight loss, etc) than what does? Why would my FBG have gone into the 90's today after a week of low carb, exercise and weight loss? I hope the 94 value was the inaccurate one though I'd didn't get any error message on it.

[Tallysmom]

I use freestyle and when I was learning I took readings a couple of times in succession. New strip, new prick, different place.

The readings were all different.

I think it's normal.

[legalsea]

I agree: there is no 'true value'. Blood sugar levels are dynamic. The glucose reading in one finger will be slightly different from another finger, different from the same finger after a few minutes, etc.

[syracusa]

Originally Posted by legalsea

I agree: there is no 'true value'. Blood sugar levels are dynamic. The glucose reading in one finger will be slightly different from another finger, different from the same finger after a few minutes, etc.

So then what is the value I should go by? Make an average of the two? There is quite a bit of difference between 94 and 88.

Also, do you know whether having started on a "low carb way of eating" recently, after my body was used to significantly more carb, may produce artificially high FBG at first?

I read somewhere something along these lines. The 94 was a little alarming for me, as a non-diabetic.

[gguerra]

Originally Posted by syracusa

So then what is the value I should go by? Make an average of the two? There is quite a bit of difference between 94 and 88.

Also, do you know whether having started on a "low carb way of eating" recently, after my body was used to significantly more carb, may produce artificially high FBG at first?

I read somewhere something along these lines. The 94 was a little alarming for me, as a non-diabetic.

Hello syracusa

Alarming? are you kidding? the 94 is perfectly fine. We're you fasting?
Set your mind at ease. These are the numbers

Normal Blood Sugars

• A normal fasting (no food for eight hours) blood sugar level is between 70 and 99 mg/dL
• A normal blood sugar level two hours after eating is less than 140 mg/dL

Diabetes is diagnosed by any one of the following:

• Two consecutive fasting blood glucose tests that are equal to or greater than 126 mg/dL
• Any random blood glucose that is greater than 200 mg/dL
• An A1c test that is equal to or greater than 6.5 percent. A1c is an easy blood test that gives a three month average of blood sugars
• A two-hour oral glucose tolerance test with any value over 200 mg/dL

Pre-diabetes is diagnosed by any one of the following:

• A fasting blood glucose in between 100-125 mg/dL
• An A1c between 5.7 - 6.4 percent
• Any value between 140 mg/dL and 199 mg/dL during a two-hour 75g oral glucose tolerance test

As for the meters:

• For home use meters, 95% of all measured blood glucose meter values must be within 15% of the reference value (a laboratory measurement); and
• 99% of meter values must be within 20% of the reference value

They are by no means an exact science. At best it will provide a good approximate value.