[douglisa]

Why do they tell you to change the lancets and are there any pokers that hurt less? When I say pokers I mean the thing that holds the lancets. lol What is the name for it? My fingers are sore and it has only been a week since I got my monitor.
Thanks, Lisa

[Handybear]

Are you poking the tips of your fingers? It hurts a lot. You have to use the sides of your finger tips. Far less painfull, plus it give you two tips on each finger.

[poodlebone]

Many (most, probably) do not change the lancet every time. Some will reuse it once or twice. Some change it once a day or once a week or will just keep using the same one until it gets so dull it no longer punctures the skin!

I like the Accu-Chek Multiclix. It uses drums that contain 6 lancets and works better than almost every other device I've tried. The Accu-Chex SoftClix is another good one. It uses special lancets (one at a time) so both of these might not be the best choice if you are changing it every time. I personally reuse the same lancet for months before I remember to change it. No infections ever.

[EeyoreButterfly]

Hi Lisa! Welcome.

The "poker" is also known as a lancing device. The one that came with my Freestyle Lite hurts less than the Bayer Ascensia Microlet that came with the Breeze 2. Those are the only two that I have experience with. I have heard others here swear by the Soft Clix that comes with the Accu Chek Compact Plus.

To me, it seems that the bigger issue is guage and depth. To my knowledge, most lancing devices have a "dial" of sorts that allows you to choose how deep it penetrates. The higher the number, the deeper it goes, and the more it hurts. Have you tried dialing down your depth? For my finger, I use the first depth, very rarely do I need to go to the second.

The other big issue is the lance itself. I believe the higher the guage, the smaller the actual needle and the less it will hurt. Many companies make universal lancets, so you will be able to find different guages that will work with whatever lancing device you use.

The reason you are advised to change lancets every time is two fold: sanitary (after all, it is drawing blood), and because they dull with each use. Especially starting out, I would think that it would be beneficial to controlling the ouch factor. Some people here are adamant that you change it every time, others never change it. It's basically about what works for you.

[douglisa]

Thank you for so many responses so fast!
I keep the lancet on one but I did not realize that I needed to do it on the sides of my fingers, that must be why they have been hurting. Thanks for telling me about that. Also, are there other areas I can test on than my fingers?
Your all so nice, thanks so much!
Lisa

[mortis505]

Hello and Welcome to DF!

Alternate site testing is supported by many meters, but you need to read the info that came with your meter.

[EeyoreButterfly]

Definitely read the info with your meter and your lancing device. The device that came with my Free Style Lite can lance either my fingers or an alternate site depending on the cap I use. The Microlet could not.

It's also recommended that you talk to your doctor about alternate site testing. Your fingers have some of the smallest blood vessles in your body, and there a lot of them crammed into a tiny space. This is what gives us our sense of touch. Because of this, blood sugar changes are registered faster in the fingers than in larger veins such as those found in the arms. This is why it is not recommended for people with hypoglycemia unawareness or if you think you are low and are testing to verify. You may already be low, but the alternate site hasn't caught up yet, if you get my drift. Your alternate site will always be just a little behind your fingers.

I personally don't do alternate site testing. I am very happy with my fingers, but that's not to say it won't ever change.

[Keezheekoni]

I use the AccuChek SoftClix. It's my favorite...no matter what meter I'm using, I always use that lancing device.

I change my lancet when I change the vial of test strips...so right now I'm using OneTouch, after every 25 tests, I change the lancet. I use only my fingertips and one thing I do is I use only one finger each day. In that way, each finger gets a 9 day rest until it is used again.

One other tip, don't wipe your finger with alcohol before you test. Not only will it make your fingertip's skin harden causing you to use stronger depths with the lancing device, but it can cause false readings if the alcohol isn't completely dry.

For alternate site testing, most meters allow this nowadays. However, I've noticed that if I use my forearm, I end up getting little scabs where I tested. It almost looks like a cat has been clawing me...

[davef]

Lisa,

Also check the manual for your Lancet Device to see if there is a way to vary the depth the lancet will go, most devices have a depth adjustment.