Newbie - any advice on stabbing myself...?

[SusansHusband]

HI, I've only just been diagnosed, and am only just over the 'borderline' so hopefully diet will push me back under it. Not on any meds, but checking my sugar levels as an incentive to keep weight down. Problem is, my fingers struggle to produce blood, the finger pricking device is set to the deepest mode, but most times doesn't even produce any sign of blood (I get frustrated, take the lancet out of the device and jab it in my finger!) Any advice - is my 'lancet delivery device' faulty?

 

[Northerner]

Hi welcome to the forum 🙂 Have a read of Painless Pricks, by Alan S 🙂 Also, don't try and squeeze immediately - the finger's reaction is to instantly try to close the 'wound', so wait a couple of seconds before trying to get the drop 🙂

 

[Amjay]

HI, I've only just been diagnosed, and am only just over the 'borderline' so hopefully diet will push me back under it. Not on any meds, but checking my sugar levels as an incentive to keep weight down. Problem is, my fingers struggle to produce blood, the finger pricking device is set to the deepest mode, but most times doesn't even produce any sign of blood (I get frustrated, take the lancet out of the device and jab it in my finger!) Any advice - is my 'lancet delivery device' faulty?

Welcome!!!
When the skin on my fingers get a little tough... making it hard to draw blood, I usually go a little bit nearer to the side of the finger....helps for me.

 

[Kaylz]

There are lots of tips to try and produce blood, wash with warm water and massage the finger while drying, heat makes the blood flow more, after pricking point your hand towards the floor encouraging the blood to flow right to the tips of your fingers etc, if cost isn't a problem then you could always try a different finger pricker, one I would recommend is the Accu-Chek Fastclix xx

 

[grovesy]

Boots sometimes have the Accu-Chek Fastclix on offer.

 

[Northerner]

Fastclix or Softclix are definitely the best finger prickers 🙂 ((I'm still using a Multiclix that I got at diagnosis 12 years ago, but that got superceded by the others 🙂

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

+1 for any of the Roche/Accu-Chek finger stabbers.

I’ve been using them for over 25 years 🙂

 

[Lucylemonpip]

As above posts. Make sure the finger to be pricked is warm. I’ve tried with cold fingers and wondered whether I’ve got any blood at all, as none appears!

 

[rebrascora]

I initially got a Nexus BG meter and the finger pricker worked really well. Then the consultant wanted me to have a CareSens meter and the pricker which came with it would not penetrate my skin even on the highest setting.... the spring just wasn't strong enough for my rhino hide and bounced off. I now use another pricker that came with a Contour Next One as the Nexus one broke and that works fine too. I keep going back and trying the CareSens one but it is just useless, so if you are having problems and have followed the guide lines regarding warm hands etc, then it may well be that the unit you have is defective and a different one is needed..... not sure if you can take them apart and access the spring as it might be possible to stretch the spring a little to make it more effective.