Diabetes Test Kits

[OnMyWay]

On 7/29/2018 at 10:47 AM, Dave Hounddriver said:

I needed diabetes test strips that are only available in North America.  All the other sites were quoting me about 5K pesos for what I needed and then I found Galleon.  They quoted me just under 2800 pesos all in.  Shipping, customs, whatever fees you can think of and they were fast (in my opinion).

I just dug this up while looking for one of my posts, so I thought I would ask...

I recently went to a new endocrinologist and she has a lab guy come to her office when she is in Olongapo, only twice a month.  This guy is like a mobile lab for her and brings a box full of testing stuff.  He did an ultrasound on my thyroid and he gave me a diabetes blood test, using a little hand held diabetes digital tester.

So the bill came around and that guy charged me p900 for the diabetes blood test.  I'm not going back to that doc for that and other reasons.

When I got home I looked on Amazon and you can buy kits very cheap.  This is one of the cheaper ones:

https://www.amazon.com/OWell-Glucose-Diabetes-Testing-Refills/dp/B07CWGQPLP/ref=sr_1_8_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1538466153&sr=8-8&keywords=diabetes+testing+kit

I asked at Mercury and you can also buy those testing kits there for a reasonable price.  I think they were p1200-2000??  So, I basically paid for the lab guys whole test kit, or close to it.

I was just wonder why you can't get your testing needs here?  I don't need them now but you never know in the future!

[Dave Hounddriver]

59 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

I was just wonder why you can't get your testing needs here?

I have bought half a dozen different testing kits in the Philippines.  Each one was cheaper than I would pay in Canada and each one would give me a different reading.  Goes to show that is a very sensitive instrument and it's worth getting one that gives the correct reading.  Otherwise, you might mistakenly think your blood sugar is getting high, take too much medicine, and go into hypoglycemia.

 

How do I know the one I bought in Canada is correct?  I took it to the pharmacist who sold it to me and asked him to do a test.  He took a sample of my blood and compared it on his high priced tester in the store, and on my new machine, and on my mother's older machine.  Turns out my new machine was dead accurate and my mother's was way out.  The pharmacist said:  "It's not her machine, it's her strips.  If you leave them exposed to the air they read wrong."  So he put in a new strip and the reading dropped by about 38 points.  That's HUGE.  Get a good machine and be careful how you handle the strips.  Also, throw out the old strips if you have not used them in a month, even if they are in the airtight plastic container.  They do get outdated fast when exposed to the air.

Now are you still gonna trust a Philippine machine and the strips they sell here?

[OnMyWay]

5 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Now are you still gonna trust a Philippine machine and the strips they sell here?

It depends on the brand.  I can't recall the brands at Mercury but at least one was expensive, thus might have been a global brand name.

Thanks for the explanation!

[Rooster]

44 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

It depends on the brand.  I can't recall the brands at Mercury but at least one was expensive, thus might have been a global brand name.

Thanks for the explanation!

Mercury sells this exact one touch minus the BP machine included. I monitor my level using this kit. Additional one touch lancets, test strips are sold at Mercury as well.

A couple of other Expats where I live use the same kit. A relative in the states uses the same kit.

https://www.lazada.com.ph/products/one-touch-select-kit-25s-strips-25s-lancets-blood-pressure-monitor-miivio-jd716-i257047298-s353598124.html?spm=a2o4l.searchlist.list.3.1c513d65EMVds6&search=1

[Dave Hounddriver]

27 minutes ago, Rooster said:

1 hour ago, OnMyWay said:

Thanks for the explanation!

Mercury sells this exact one touch

I believe that is incorrect, in my observation.  There are many varieties of One Touch and I personally believe the ones they sell here are the outdated models from other countries.  Just my experience. 

Which test strips do I use with OneTouch® Meters?
 

Quote

 

The OneTouch Verio® Meter, OneTouch Verio®IQ Meter & the OneTouch Verio Flex™ meter use OneTouch Verio® Test Strips.

The OneTouch Ultra®2 Meter, OneTouch UltraMini® Meter, and the OneTouch Ping® Meter-Remote use OneTouch Ultra® Blue Test Strips.

 

 

[StayAtHomeDad]

3 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

I just dug this up while looking for one of my posts, so I thought I would ask...

I recently went to a new endocrinologist and she has a lab guy come to her office when she is in Olongapo, only twice a month.  This guy is like a mobile lab for her and brings a box full of testing stuff.  He did an ultrasound on my thyroid and he gave me a diabetes blood test, using a little hand held diabetes digital tester.

So the bill came around and that guy charged me p900 for the diabetes blood test.  I'm not going back to that doc for that and other reasons.

When I got home I looked on Amazon and you can buy kits very cheap.  This is one of the cheaper ones:

https://www.amazon.com/OWell-Glucose-Diabetes-Testing-Refills/dp/B07CWGQPLP/ref=sr_1_8_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1538466153&sr=8-8&keywords=diabetes+testing+kit

I asked at Mercury and you can also buy those testing kits there for a reasonable price.  I think they were p1200-2000??  So, I basically paid for the lab guys whole test kit, or close to it.

I was just wonder why you can't get your testing needs here?  I don't need them now but you never know in the future!

Go to any TGP (The Generics Pharmacy) and diabetes glucose tests only cost P30. Strips are expensive here but the test kits are relatively cheap. I order mine from a chinese company on Lazada and save a fortune. I have scoured Amazon quite a few times and they are still 2x to 3x more expensive than what you can find on Ali Express or Lazada.

Just curious, what was the result of the diabetes test? Hope it wasn't too high.

[StayAtHomeDad]

I should have added that they will do the test for you there at TGP.

[OnMyWay]

2 hours ago, JeSsDaDdY said:

Just curious, what was the result of the diabetes test? Hope it wasn't too high.

I was 5.2 and it says the reference range is 3.82 - 6.52.

I went to the endocrinologist due concerns about my thyroid, not diabetes.  I have been taking meds to boost my thyroid for a few years, and my readings are fine, but I still feel tired a lot.  Old age I guess! 

[StayAtHomeDad]

1 hour ago, OnMyWay said:

I was 5.2 and it says the reference range is 3.82 - 6.52.

I went to the endocrinologist due concerns about my thyroid, not diabetes.  I have been taking meds to boost my thyroid for a few years, and my readings are fine, but I still feel tired a lot.  Old age I guess! 

yeah, 5.2 is fine.. pretty darn good, actually. I wish I could keep mine that low.. :)

[bastonjock]

3 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

I was 5.2 and it says the reference range is 3.82 - 6.52.

I went to the endocrinologist due concerns about my thyroid, not diabetes.  I have been taking meds to boost my thyroid for a few years, and my readings are fine, but I still feel tired a lot.  Old age I guess! 

My best buddy who is diabetic , also uses steroids to counter the tiredness