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A few newbie questions re BG testing

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Two_Hares

Two_Hares

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Morning everyone, hope you are all doing well 🙂 After introducing myself last week and being advised to get my own BG monitor it arrived a few days ago and I've been using it since, but I have a few questions I'm hoping you can help out with?

Firstly, I really struggle to get any blood first thing in the morning - I've been following the advice I've seen online - wash your hands in warm water, shake them down at your sides, massage the area to warm it up etc, but yesterday it took me seven attempts to get enough blood (and three wasted test strips!). Yesterday I did feel quite cold but this morning I'm very warm - followed the same process and it took me four attempts (and another two wasted strips), so if anyone has any other hints or tips I would greatly appreciate them! Both today and yesterday I can see that sometimes I have a puncture hole but absolutely no blood comes out. Also this morning the puncture hole seemed to be tiny - do you sometimes get defective lancets that just don't puncture enough? My lancet is set to the maximum length and I change my lancet each time I take a reading (as in morning, before food etc, not when I have to re-test).

Secondly, when I took my reading two hours after dinner last night I initially got a high reading (13.5), I decided to do another check and got 11. I then tried it again and I got 11.5 so I settled on putting 11.5 into my tracker. The reading of 13.5 came from one hand, the 11 & 11.5 came from two different sites on the other hand. Do I have any way of knowing what the most reliable is?

Thank you.
 
Hello @Two_Hares
Good to know that you have got your monitor. It does all take a while to get used to.
It sounds as if you are already trying all the tips I know of regarding getting a blood sample, but someone else may be along who has other tips.
I find that the side-top of my finger is the best site, is this where you are trying?

Regarding variations in readings, meters can have at least 10% inaccuracy and it is not unusual to get consecutive readings that are different, so take an average of the readings is an option. It does give you a good idea of where you are though.
 
Toucan said:
Hello @Two_Hares
Good to know that you have got your monitor. It does all take a while to get used to.
It sounds as if you are already trying all the tips I know of regarding getting a blood sample, but someone else may be along who has other tips.
I find that the side-top of my finger is the best site, is this where you are trying?

Regarding variations in readings, meters can have at least 10% inaccuracy and it is not unusual to get consecutive readings that are different, so take an average of the readings is an option. It does give you a good idea of where you are though.
Click to expand...
Yeah, using the side of the finger too. Maybe I'm just not very bleedy haha! Ah I thought it might be something like that with the meter so that's a relief. Thanks.
 
Its not only the meter but also the homogeneity of the blood. You cannot expect all of the blood in your system to have exactly the same level of glucose, it's bound to vary a bit because of the small sample size, how long it was before that drop was recharged with glucose, where it has been before it got to your finger and goodness knows what else. Personally I would look at 13 and 11.5 as indicators that your glucose is higher than where you would like it to be two hours after eating and be thinking of a plan to try and get it down. I would also be checking over the next few days to see if there is a consistent pattern and to see if it varies depending on what you have eaten.
 
Two_Hares said:
Yeah, using the side of the finger too. Maybe I'm just not very bleedy haha! Ah I thought it might be something like that with the meter so that's a relief. Thanks.
Click to expand...
I don't test much now but if I do I use my little fingers or ring fingers, side top. I used to be a blood donor and have always been a big bleeder 😎 so I think we're all individual and it just takes getting used to the knack.
 
The device for pricking your finger, does it have a depth setting? Lower settings hurt less. However, sometimes you may need a deeper setting.
The one that came with my SD Codefree is like this:
prick.png
 
The only other trick I have heard mentioned is to pause between pricking and trying to get blood as if you squeeze straight away the platelets try to plug the hole, but if you wait 15 seconds and then squeeze they have dissipated.... it can sometimes squirt though.
I think the main problem though is that our blood is more sluggish in the morning from our hands being still most of the night and maybe a bit stiff if you are anything like me and it just takes a bit to get the blood flowing. It will get easier with practice but I find either the side of my thumb or my ring or little fingers are the best choices on a morning. Maybe soak them in the warm water a little longer too.
 
I test regularly and use the sides of the tips of my fingers, trying to alternate hands. I do find it harder to get blood out first thing. I tend to lie there wiggling fingers a bit before I try. I also use the pad of my thumb sometimes. Do check the depth gauge on your finger pricker. I find it makes a very big difference.

However having said all that some people just bleed more. I don’t change my lancet as often as you, and when I am finding that no blood is coming, it prompts me t change mine. You are changing after every test so that can’t be a problem.

With regard to the variation in readings I would rarely get two identical ones at about the same time. If I do get a high one I then remember to wash my hands, which I do not always do. I tend to prick, wipe the first blob (counting that as washing the site) then get a second blob and test that one. As you struggle to get much out that might not be a good plan. They are also only accurate to within about 10% so will always be ‘ish’ readings.

I hope one of the many suggestions above works for you.
 
If you were a blood donor, they like you to drink a litre of water whilst waiting in urn for the anaemia test etc immediately before being ushered to a trolley these days.
 
Thanks everyone. Sorry for the delayed response but I never had any notifications to say anyone had replied! I've started making a cup of hot water now and holding it for a little bit before washing my hands and it seems to help, although the blood is still non existant some mornings (took me 7 attempts the other morning!) but as I'm getting to grips with how much blood my test strips need I know not to try them til I've had enough so not wasting as many thankfully. My pricker thing on the lancing device is set to maximum so I can't go any higher but the hot water thing definitely seems to have helped. I'll try the tip about drinking water before testing too. Thanks!
 
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