A1C testing alternatives

[hawkeyegirl]

I'm probably spitting into the wind here, but I figured that if anyone had any bright ideas, it would be you guys.

I posted a couple of weeks ago about my son's first A1C draw. They did a veinous blood draw in the lab that's in the basement of my endo's building. It was traumatic for my son. It reminded him of the i.v. they did when he was in the hospital. They took two big vials of blood - for the AIC and an albuimin (sp?) test.

Some of you have posted that your A1Cs are finger pricks done right in your doctor's office. I've called around to the other endos in the area, and none of them have this capability.

What can I do? I don't want to put my little guy through this every 3 months. He liked going to the endo before this. Now it's going to be a screaming battle every time we have an appointment - and I don't blame him! I've thought of using EMLA cream, but I'd rather avoid a veinous draw altogether.

It's to the point where I'm tempted to decline the A1C testing for a while. He's in our total control at this point, and I know that we're doing our best for him. His A1C came back at 6.7, but I wouldn't be doing anything different if it would have come back at 7.7 or 8.7. This may be crazy thinking on my part (and please tell me if it is), but Jack's mental health is important here too.

Any ideas?

(I'm also all cranky because I read in Cheating Destiny that the machine that some endos have in their offices that allows them to do fingerprick A1Cs only costs $3,000. That's a drop in the bucket to the hospital system that my endo works for! It could make life so much easier for the diabetic kids - it's ridiculous that his office doesn't have it!)

[MReinhardt]

I am not sure where in Illinois you live. But I know my daughters Endo Does do the Finger AlC, that is at Cardinal Glennon, in St. Louis MO.

[Mom2Will]

There surely is someone that does finger pricks around you. We are now on our 3rd endo and all 3 have done finger pokes, one did a veinous draw for other reasons after the finger. We had an endo in NC, one in TN and finally SC. I wish you luck, the veinous draws are hard for me as an adult!!:rolleyes:

[momtojess]

I dont have any advice for you, but cant blame you for not wanting to put him through that every few months

When we were first dxd they only had the a1c blood draw. A few year sback they staerted with the finger stick a1c and I love it so much better.. Not only is it less traumatic, but we get the results within mins.

[hawkeyegirl]

I am not sure where in Illinois you live. But I know my daughters Endo Does do the Finger AlC, that is at Cardinal Glennon, in St. Louis MO.

We're up just west of Chicago. But thanks for the info!

I really like our endo, and don't want to change, but this is just eating at me. This poor little guy gets 4 or 5 shots a day, gets his fingers pricked all the time...then he has to endure this? For what? Sorry. I'm having myself a little pity party here today.

[MReinhardt]

We're up just west of Chicago. But thanks for the info!

I really like our endo, and don't want to change, but this is just eating at me. This poor little guy gets 4 or 5 shots a day, gets his fingers pricked all the time...then he has to endure this? For what? Sorry. I'm having myself a little pity party here today.


Oh I am so sorry that would not work........

[taximom]

I totally agree with you. Our current endo sends us to the lab every 3 months for a venous draw as well ....I really think it's the most traumatic part of having D for my DS. We have to go straight to Target afterwards ;). Our last endo in TX did them in the office with a finger stick. So quick, easy and then the endo can discuss it with you right away. I'm going to ask our current endo if they plan on getting an in-office testing device as well.

I was thinking about doing an at-home HbA1C test kit, and see if the endo will go for that.:confused: I hear they are quite accurate and cost about $30. I just haven't looked into where to get one yet.

[Adinsmom]

My son has his blood drawn at a lab once a year They check his A1C, kidney function, etc. On his other 3 month check-ups he has a A1C finger stick check.

I apologize if you already answered this. But did you ask your son's Endo if he does A1C tests in the office?

[Brensdad]

The pedi endos in our town don't have this capability either, but all the adult ones do, and I know that several other parents in our area go to the adult endos just to use the finger-stick A1c machine. Try that route.

[hawkeyegirl]

My son has his blood drawn at a lab once a year They check his A1C, kidney function, etc. On his other 3 month check-ups he has a A1C finger stick check.

I apologize if you already answered this. But did you ask your son's Endo if he does A1C tests in the office?

Yes. They sent us to the lab. :(

The thing is, the machine that I referenced in the first post checks both the A1C and kidney function. I understand if there is other stuff that they want to check for yearly that would require a lab draw, but there's no way he should have to go through that every three months. Not when there is a (relatively) cheap alternative.

I may talk to my endo to see if he would be receptive to using that machine if we could raise funds for it.

[Brensdad]

I was thinking about doing an at-home HbA1C test kit, and see if the endo will go for that.:confused: I hear they are quite accurate and cost about $30. I just haven't looked into where to get one yet.

I used one of those once, and it was a nightmare. I recall buying it at Walgreen's for about $20.

[hawkeyegirl]

The pedi endos in our town don't have this capability either, but all the adult ones do, and I know that several other parents in our area go to the adult endos just to use the finger-stick A1c machine. Try that route.

I did. I called the adult endos, and they said that they don't do any office A1C testing. We seem to be in some sort of time warp here where new technology hasn't made its way to Northern Illinois yet. :mad:

[Julie]

I could be mistaken, but can't you purchase an a1c kit from the drugstore? I've never used it, but I know they're out there.

[taximom]

I used one of those once, and it was a nightmare. I recall buying it at Walgreen's for about $20.

Oh, that stinks. I was hoping it might be a good alternative. Guess not.

[taximom]

I did. I called the adult endos, and they said that they don't do any office A1C testing. We seem to be in some sort of time warp here where new technology hasn't made its way to Northern Illinois yet. :mad:

We probably go to the same endo.

[wilf]

..
I may talk to my endo to see if he would be receptive to using that machine if we could raise funds for it.

I was just going to suggest you chat with your endo. Not sure if it your job to raise funds for it - in my view, it's an important part of a modern practice. If you let your endo you are thinking of either leaving or not having the tests doen for that reason alone, it may move him.

[payam7777777]

i studied the home/office a1c meters a while ago. Jeff once told me that
Bayer DCA2000+
http://www.labnews.de/en/products/pr_dca20.php
is the best clinical A1C meter. also my understanding is that
HomeCheck℠ A1c
http://www.diabetech.net/a1c.html
is a great product and the
A1CNow+
http://www.metrika.com/
is not reliable.
here's the
A1C Monitoring Product Reference Guide
http://www.diabeteshealth.com/media/pdfs/A1CMonitoringProductsReferenceGuide_March_2005.pdf
also Four companies now offer test kits that allow FDA-approved at-home testing of A1C. You send in the sample and get the results back in the mail.

1. BioSafe Laboratories Inc. in Lake Forest, Illinois, offers the BioSafe Collection Kit for $24.95. BioSafe's kit uses a filter paper process. The URL is
http://www.ebiosafe.com/frame.asp?Current_Category=1&Current_Product=18.

2. Diabetes Technologies Inc. in Thomasville, Georgia, offers the Accu-Base Hemoglobin A1C Sample Collection Kit for $21.95 plus $3.85 shipping. It is available either over-the-counter or by prescription.The URL is
http://www.diabetestechnologies.com/.

3. FlexSite Diagnostics Inc. in Palm City, Florida, offers the A1C At Home collection kit. FlexSite's kit uses a filter paper process. One test is currently (June 24, 2006) on sale for $9.95. The URL is either
http://www.flexsite.com/ and http://www.alwaysincontrol.com/.

4. SimpleChoice, a SpectRx company, offers the SimpleChoice A1C test kit for about $25 (price set by retailers; no list price). It is available either over-the-counter or by prescription. SimpleChoice licenses the Diabetes Technologies test kit (see above). These companies claim to have the greatest accuracy. http://www.mysimplechoice.com/prod-a1c.htm

[payam7777777]

here in iran though we dont have access to ANY of them. here they use the a1c meters that belong to the mezozoic era. we basically gave up the a1c testing (we do it once a year/we test a lot and we know where we are) because the method used here is barbaric.

[hawkeyegirl]

Thank you for the information, payam. I have some reading to do. (The Bayer one is the one that is referenced in the book Cheating Destiny.)

wilf, you're right. I am going to be seeing Jack's pump trainer soon. She seems to be the "tech" person in the office (the one who is "up" on the latest and greatest). I think I'll talk to her about this and see what she knows. If I can get her on my side, I think my endo would be receptive to listening to what I have to say.

ETA: Thank you ALL so much for listening. I felt like I might be overreacting, and it's nice to hear that others think the finger stick A1C is just the obvious choice for a modern practice to have.

[sugarmonkey]

I thought we were behind the times here in NZ (we just got pumps in our area last year), but we've had finger prick a1c's since Phillip was dxd at least. I didn't know they did them any other way.

[sammysmom]

When my son was a baby, the endo office did not have a fingerstick machine, only a blood draw. We were already testing his bg 10-14 times a day so after the second or third appt, we flat out refused to have a blood draw for him. We knew that our results were accurate to the meter, just like they were when we did get the blood draw. The endo balked at it, but it was just too much to put my baby through every three months. When Sam turned 2, they finally got the fingerstick machine.

shannon