How to Get the Best Cost Effective Blood Sugar Monitor Kit Online in India? How to Use it?

Me and my wife both are going to be senior citizens shortly and signalizing that forthcoming event, we both have become marginally diabetic in the recent times.

It is a warning signal for careful living during old age! We have already made certain restrictions in our food habits. Sugary foods with added sugar have become a no-no for us now. We are trying our best to manage with the least pills and also to keep insulin injections postponed to the extent feasible. But sooner or later it would become inevitable. We know it.

We are not alone. There are millions like us, in this country and around the world.

To manage the sugar and insulin balance within the body, it is essential to know the blood sugar levels on a regular basis. It is not practical to go to the doctor or to the medical lab for the blood test on a regular basis.

The modern electronic blood sugar test meter called glucose meter (or glucometer) comes handy for us in such a situation.

The electronic glucometer kit consists of the following:

The main apparatus is the testing meter with the electronic digital display panel which gives the blood sugar level. The unit of blood sugar is expressed commonly in milligrams per decilitre (mg/dL) or millimol per decilitre (mmol/dL) [1mmol/dL = 18 mg/dL] The first unit is what is in common use in India. So if any one says his or her fasting sugar level is 120, it means his or her blood at the time of test contains 120 mg of sugar in a decilitre of blood.

The meter is a life long device which only needs its batteries to be replaced after some 50-100 tests.

The test strips are the next essential item. It can be used only for one test and is a consumable item. Normally the test strips comes in packs of 10, 25, 50 or 100.

Apart from this we need proper needles or lancets to pierce our fingers to get the blood sample. These needles come pre-sterilized in packs of 10,25 or 50. They too are often used only once.

The lancets are to be fitted on to a lancet applicator which is a small mechanism to prick using the lancet mildly and surely without we feeling anything.

So, a normal glucometer kit should contain the meter with batteries, the strips bottle, the lancet pack, the lancet applicator and the instruction book and preferably a proper carry case for all these items of the kit.

There are now various manufacturers who supply these glucometer kits in India. Some of these names are 'One Touch', Johnson, DrMorepan, etc.

I was using one model by One Touch earlier. But for this, it was extremely difficult to replace its button cell battery. After I got its battery replaced, the meter started giving error readings. I had to throw it out.

I tried various medical shops in the city. They all had these meters and the strips. But the costs were very high. The meter was costing anything between Rs.1200- Rs.1800 with 10 test strips and ten lancets as initial supplies. Additional strips costed any thing between Rs.600-850 for a pack of 25.

Then I tried Amazon India and searched for the options. After some online research, I decided to give a try for this, TysonBio make JCB AC200 model of glucometer. It was the cheapest and the best buy option which costed only about Rs.1200 for the entire kit with 50 strips and lancets. 

 TysonBio AC200 Glucometer Kit Pack with the Test Strip Pack

The User's Manuals and  Log Book as provided

The carry case, the meter, the lancets, strips, lancet applicator

The Kit arranged in the carry bag

So, I ordered it online making payment through net banking. Though they indicated about a week's time for the delivery, it was delivered in three days.

I was delighted by the quality of the product. It was absolutely good and easy to use. The pack contained the meter with replaceable batteries (a pair of alkaline cells), 2 numbers each of 25 strip packs and lancets, a good quality lance applicator, the instruction book let, a booklet for recording the readings, a carry-case, all in a good pack.

I am sharing this for the benefit of those health conscious diabetic patients in India who are thinking of buying this meter. 

Now, a few tips for using the TysonBio AC200 Glucometer as shown in the pictures above. Its use is very simple and all instructions are provided in the user's manuals. In the original pack, the alkaline batteries are given separately. Take the meter, open the battery cover at its backside (slip the cover out) and insert the two cells with the correct polarity. (if you place the cells incorrectly, the meter will not work!) 

After inserting the cells, close the battery cover and then reset the meter by pushing a small pointed object (a ball point pen refill would do) inside the reset button hole at the back side. Then press the M-key at the front to put the meter on. When you first make it on, the first task you have to do is to set the date and time, sequentially. You can do it using the up/down arrow keys. There are more functions. It is better you read the user manuals and try it yourself for testing your blood sample.

If you find any problems in using the meter you may ask through the comments column.

You may also share your experiences with such glucose meters for the benefit of others.

Note dtd 08/02/2016: I found my instrument TysonBio AC200 got damaged due to leaking batteries. It was my mistake as I forgot to remove the batteries from the meter (a facility this brand has) when not in use for a long time.

I had a stock of the test strips and I wanted my instrument back. I found that this meter is no longer available with Amazon India. But fortunately, I found it on Snapdeal that too at a very low price as compared to any other model or offer anywhere. Today  I ordered it: the meter + 50 strips + 50 lancets just for Rs.990/- from Snapdeal.