Any Thoughts on the Advaocate Duo?

[PixieFrogw]

I have diabetes and I'm pregnant so keeping my numbers down is important. My clinic gave me the One Touch Ultra Two, but the price of the test strips is way too high (I don't have insurance). I found the Advocate Duo on the American Diabetes Wholesale site and found the test strips were much cheaper and I like the fact that it has a blood pressure monitor too. I got it free by ordering 250 test strips. I tested using both the One Touch Ultra Two and the Advocate for 10 days and found that the Advocate always tested higher, a 12 point higher average, but sometimes was up to 20 points higher. I'd like to take the Advocate to the lab and have it tested, but that would be yet another bill and I'm already swimming in doc bills. As long as the numbers are still in range it is fine, but that extra 20 points can put me way over. I'm debating on weather or not I should just automaticly subtract 12 points from the reading, but who's to say the One Touch is right. The control tests show they are working.

Has anyone used this meter or heard any good or bad things about it? I have tried to research it, but haven't had much luck. I would hate to have to get another meter when I still have over 200 test strips left for this one.

[Chris]

Pixie Frog,

I have used the Advocate Duo along with the One Touch brands also. The 20 points are still within range. The meters are considered to be accurate as long as they are within a 20% range. Therefore if your blood sugar is 100, it is considered accurate if the meter reads anywhere between 80-120.

This can be a problem, but it is how all meters work, this is why a lot of specialists say that it is difficult to compare the readings on your meters, but from my experience the Advocate is just as good as the next meter. If you use the control solution for the Advocate, it will also show you that it is within range and reading correctly.

The strips are a lot cheaper, mainly because your not paying for the name, which is what your paying for with all the name brand meters. I think they even lowered the price of those strips to $15.99 now when you order a certain amount, my last invoice was cheaper than the one before.

[Chris]

FINALLY, the Advocate now has the autocode meter I have been waiting for. For me, its just because I am lazy and don't feel like coding the meter, and it also talks which, I don't even have to look at the meter at all, I can keep my eyes on the sports game :)