The general consensus, however, is that you do have a little bit of wiggle room when it comes to using expired test strips. Others suggest six months, while still others suggest two years. One study suggests that you can use expired test strips for up to a year after their marked expiration date. There is no hard and fast rule about this.
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Because each brand uses different enzymes, it will depend on what kind of diabetic test strip you’re using. Exactly when or how long after an expiration date you can use a diabetic test strip varies.
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A strip that expires on Tuesday will not be perfectly fine Monday and then completely useless the next. You see, while the expiration date is there for a reason, it is often not completely accurate. The short answer to this question is: Yes … sometimes. And more importantly, you still want the most important question answered: Can my diabetic test strips be expired? But when exactly does this break down happen, you may be wondering. And then it will not be able to attach to the glucose in your blood or pull off the sugar electrons. Eventually, the enzyme will “die,” or break down. The enzyme is “living,” which is how a diabetic test strip is able to expire in the first place. The mediator then passes the enzyme through the circuit to get you your reading. The enzyme attaches itself to the glucose in your blood and pulls off sugar electrons. The basic explanation is this - a liquid-attracting layer moves your blood into the little window on the strip, which is known as the “chemistry strip.” This strip is made up of an enzyme and what’s known as a mediator. In order to understand whether or not you should be using an expired test strip, it can be useful to understand how they work. We’re here to give you all of the facts, so that you can form an opinion of your own How do diabetic test strips work? Many people have an opinion on whether or not using expired test strips is the right thing to do. Well, the conversation around expired test strips is actually very lively. When this happens, you’re probably wondering, “What’s the worst that will happen if I use these?” That’s why it can be so frustrating when they reach their expiration date before you’re finished with them and you have to throw them away. It’s understandable that you’d want to be able to get the most for your money from that. And in a box of 50, that can really start to add up.
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Bottle of Diabetes Indicator Strips For Blood Glucose Testingĭiabetic test strips can be expensive. Have you ever thought about using expired diabetic test strips to save money? Read this article to find out whether or not it’s a good idea.