Old Diabetic Test Strips Making This Difference?

Question

My family has a history of diabetes so I test my blood glucose often. Everything has been normal. I can no longer afford the test strips so I started using my late father's old ones. His monitor too as his strips don't fit mine. The strips are expired. I'm starting to get readings in the 600's. However I'm not passing ketones (those strips are new and unexpired). Could the old strips be causing these high readings? Thanks for any help.

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Absolutely!

The strips expire. The readings re nor good after the date indicated on the package. Readgins may be to high OR too ow.

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Asker's Comment:

Thanks.

Answer 2

Definitely the old strips. If your sugar was that high, you would be in the hospital!

Answer 3

Yes please throw them away and get you blood sugar checked at your Dr. I don't know what type of glucometor you are using but does the code # on the test strips match up with the code on the glucometor? How expired are they? To be safe you can call the company who manufactured them.

Source(s):

Type 2 diabetic

Answer 4

Absolutely! If you have health insurance, some will pay for supplies. If you are not diabetic, don't buy anymore strips. If you have a primary doctor, ask him to draw blood for a Hemoglobin A1C. This measures average of blood sugars over a 3 month period. If you are concerned about diabetes, have a glucose tolerance test done in a lab. If you are overweight, you must loose pounds.

Just because your family has a history of diabetes it is rarely hereditary if the onset is during adulthood. Sometimes it is history because maybe your family members are obese, or practice the same habits that makes them prone to diabetes. My 2 obese sisters do not have diabetes but my mom and I have. They are prone to diabetes because of obesity as are many other members of my family. That does not make it hereditary though.

I have been diabetic for 7 years now, taking pills not insulin. I became diabetic due to weight gain as an effect of a medicine. I am delighted to say that, although I have had an weight loss of 15 lbs since June, my blood sugar is normal and I don't have to take pills. I may have to monitor my diet, keep carbohydrates intake low (carbs breakdown into sugar)

The unexplained weight loss is now a problem--I am having a thyroid test done to see if I have an overactive thyroid which increases metabolism, therefore the weight loss and normalized blood sugar. I hope it's that simple, another pill to take


Please take my advice into consideration. I wish you well.

Answer 5

yeah it definately has to do with the expiered strips . You can purchase them cheaper on ebay at least that is what I do . good luck .

Answer 6

Yeah I thought by sucking the blood out of my used test strips and re-using them would save money and also using expired strips as well and no they dont work they give you broken readings.
If your blood was 600 you wouldnt be in the hospital you would be peeing and drinking a lot though.

Its probably cheaper in the long run to just go to your doctors every few months and have them check for diabetes

Source(s):

Im a Diabetic

Answer 7

Sometimes the company will replace old strips with new ones for free. Call them.