As a diabetes sufferer here in the USA, you cannot help but notice that the cost of keeping yourself well has increased dramatically over the past few years.

Here at sellyourteststrips.com we regularly get asked by our buyers and sellers just why it has become so expensive to treat a common disease like diabetes.  The truth is that we don’t really have an answer to that. There is no single element of the treatment that is prohibitively expensive, but it appears to be that the combined cost of both the test strips and the insulin overall that has pushed the prices up yet again.

Manufacturers have blamed Pharmacy Managers for increasing the prices at the point of sale, while health insurance companies complain that the manufacturers charge too much in the first place.  With no one willing to take responsibility for increasing prices, it is almost impossible to establish exactly why it has become so expensive to treat diabetes in America.

For a person living with diabetes, medical expenses are about 2.3 times higher than those for the average person without diabetes. People with diabetes accrue about $7,900 in diabetes-related healthcare costs annually and about $5,800 because of other health problems.

Insulin prices continue to rise

For some time now, manufacturers of insulin have been under scrutiny for unnecessarily hiking up the prices on drugs that have existed for nearly two decades. Lantus insulin, for example, has seen a huge 49 percent increase in price according to a study undertaken by the University of Pittsburgh.

Part of the problem is that although this type of insulin has been around for a long time when the original patent for Lantus expired in 2015, there were dozens of secondary patents in place to prevent competition, allowing manufacturers to increase prices much faster than inflation.

Shop around for your insulin

One of the best ways to keep the cost of insulin down for your own use to a minimum is to look around for cost-effective insulin prices. One option is to contact drug companies directly for assistance.  They may be able to provide you with coupons, or discounts for using their brand.  The ADA offers a prescription assistance resource where you should be able to find drugstores in your area that will sell it at a reasonable price.

Testing supplies can also be pricy

Blood testing meters are a limited expense as the one you purchase should last you a fair while, but the testing strips are a necessity every single day. Your insurance coverage may not send you as many as you need, or worse still will not cover test strips at all.

If you are on a low income or have no health care you may not receive as many test strips as you need to manage your condition effectively on a daily basis.  If you are lucky enough to receive more test strips that you need to use on a monthly basis, you could help someone else out by selling your unwanted, unused and still boxed test strips to us instead.

If you would like to find out about earning cash for your unwanted, unused and boxed test strips, complete our online quote form today.

If you have extra, unopened and unused boxes of diabetic test strips – whether you have switched brands, no longer need to test or test less frequently, or have a loved one who has passed away – don’t let them gather dust until they’ve expired and end up in the trash. We’re the best place to sell diabetic test strips online, and if you want to sell your test strips, we’re here to make the process easy and enjoyable!

Visit us at Sell Your Test Strips and get your free quote today!

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If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, or even pre-diabetes, there are certain types of food, drink and even lifestyle decisions that you would be best to avoid in order to keep yourself well.

The food you put into your body will have obvious effects on the way your diabetes behaves.  Some foods should always be avoided, and others should be only enjoyed very occasionally.

The most common food and drinks that you should avoid if you suffer from diabetes, include:

1. Sugar-Sweetened Sodas

These kinds of drinks are very high in carbohydrates for a start, as well as being loaded with fructose that is strongly linked to insulin resistance and diabetes. These kind of sodas and soft drinks are just about some of the worst choices for someone with diabetes to consume.

2. White Bread and Pasta

As comforting as a freshly baked bread or a big bowl of steaming hot pasta may be, as a diabetes sufferer, they can cause you negative effects.  These types of food are high in carbs, and low in fiber – a combination which can result in raised blood sugar levels.  You can still enjoy a freshly made sandwich or bowl of spaghetti but choose whole-wheat, high-fiber alternatives instead that will have less effect on your blood sugar.

3. Dried Fruits

This may come as a surprise to you as fruit is a healthy option, right?  Well, not always so.  In the case of dried fruit, they become more concentrated in sugar and may contain as much as three times the amount of carbs that fresh fruits do. Avoid dried fruit and choose fruits low in sugar instead to prevent spikes in your blood sugar levels.

4. Honey and Maple Syrup

Delicious on pancakes and much more, these sweet and tasty treats should be avoided if you want to effectively manage your condition.  Both honey and maple syrup can have similar effects on blood sugar, insulin and inflammatory markers as white sugar can, despite them seeming like a more natural alternative.

5. Fruit Juices

Another food group that seems to be good for you but actually isn’t, is the huge range of fruit juices available to us today.  Unsweetened fruit juice contains at least as much sugar as high sugar sodas do, and the high fructose content can worsen insulin resistance, promote weight gain and increase the risk of heart disease.

6. Packaged and Processed Foods

Convenience foods are designed to save you time both in the kitchen and on the go and do have some upsides.  But, if you are a diabetic, there is nothing worthwhile to be found in these.  Packaged snacks are typically highly processed foods made from refined flour that can quickly raise your blood sugar levels.

7. French Fries

The humble French fry is the perfect comfort food, but one that is not good for you at all if you suffer from diabetes.  In addition to being high in carbs that raise blood sugar levels, French fries are fried in unhealthy oils that may promote inflammation and increase the risk of heart disease and cancer.

8. Fruit-Flavored Yogurt

Another innocent looking food that really should be avoided if you have been diagnosed with Diabetes.   Fruit-flavored yogurts are usually low in fat but high in sugar, which can lead to higher blood sugar and insulin levels. Plain, whole-milk yogurt is a much better choice, and you can add flavor with fresh fruit.

If you have extra, unopened and unused boxes of diabetic test strips – whether you have switched brands, no longer need to test or test less frequently, or have a loved one who has passed away – don’t let them gather dust until they’ve expired and end up in the trash. We’re the best place to sell diabetic test strips online, and if you want to sell your test strips, we’re here to make the process easy and enjoyable!

Visit us at Sell Your Test Strips and get your free quote today!

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If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, your doctor or health care professional will be able to advise you about how often you will need to test your own blood sugar levels.  It is important that you understand what they are telling you, and that you ask any questions you may have about how and when to test.

How often you need to test will depend very much upon the type of diabetes that you have been diagnosed with, and the treatment plan your doctor has devised for you.

For patients with Type 1 diabetes – you will probably be asked to test before and after meals and snacks, before and after exercise and at some point during the night.  That could be anywhere up to 10 times every single day, meaning that you need a lot of testing strips to stay well.

For patients with Type 2 diabetes – your doctor will usually recommend that you test your blood sugar several times a day. This is usually recommended before meals and at bedtime if you’re taking multiple daily injections. Again, the number of times that you will need to test will directly impact how many test strips you will need to effectively manage your condition.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring

Some patients who are treated with insulin choose to use a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor).  These devices measure your blood sugar every few minutes using a sensor under the skin.  If your blood sugar is becoming too low or too high, the device will signal an alarm to make you aware. Even with one of these machines, you will still need to do some finger-stick checks in order to calibrate the machine and stay well.

Know what you are testing for

Knowing when to test is important, but knowing what you are testing for is equally as important in keeping you well. For many people who have diabetes, they should be looking at the following target blood sugar levels before meals:

• Between 80 and 130 mg/dL (4.4 and 7.2 mmol/L) milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) before meals, and
• Less than 180 mg/dL (10.0 mmol/L) two hours after meals

As a general rule, and unless your doctor has told you differently, you should aim to check your blood sugar at the following times:

• Before each meal
• 1 or 2 hours after a meal
• Before a bedtime snack
• In the middle of the night
• Before physical activity, to see if you need a snack
• During and after physical activity
• If you think your blood sugar might be too high, too low or falling
• When you’re sick or under stress

How to Test My Blood sugar

Using either a simple diagnostic test strip, a test strip with a Glucometer or even a CGM machine, it is vital that you have enough test strips to keep you well, and your doctor or healthcare provider will make sure that you always have a plentiful supply.

In some cases, you can accumulate too many unused test strips.  In this instance, sell them to us.  You get much-needed cash for unused test strips that would otherwise go in the trash, and someone else gets to buy the test trips they need at a reduced price.

If you have extra, unopened and unused boxes of diabetic test strips – whether you have switched brands, no longer need to test or test less frequently, or have a loved one who has passed away – don’t let them gather dust until they’ve expired and ended up in the trash. We’re the best place to sell diabetic test strips online, and if you want to sell your test strips, we’re here to make the process easy and enjoyable!

Visit us at Sell Your Test Strips and get your free quote today!

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