• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

Trouble bleeding!

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

GI Jan

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi,

Does anyone else have trouble getting blood? I've had real trouble today and now have fingers like pin cushions! I had to abandon the post lunch test as I couldn't bleed!

I set my lancet to a deeper prick (terminology?!), but that didn't help and I'd had plenty of fluids.

J
 
If I struggle I first wash in warm water & after pricking do the milking a cow motion to get blood out (apparently its funny to watch)

Hope that helps

Btw what depth is your lancet pen set to?
 
Warm hands will certainly help. Also, I find it a good idea to prick the finger then wait a couple of seconds before giving it a gentle squeeze. This is because the shock of being pricked causes a reaction which tries to close the hole, but after a couple of seconds it relaxes. Also, try hanging your arm down just before pricking. The meters only need a small amount of blood, but try to make sure you have a drop that 'stands up' and is not smeared on your finger, as this will be more difficult for the strip to suck up.

You'll get the hang of it! 🙂
 
Northerner said:
Warm hands will certainly help. Also, I find it a good idea to prick the finger then wait a couple of seconds before giving it a gentle squeeze. This is because the shock of being pricked causes a reaction which tries to close the hole, but after a couple of seconds it relaxes. Also, try hanging your arm down just before pricking.
Click to expand...


We learned that on the X-Pert course 🙂


Good luck GI Jan!
 
the warmer my hands and the more relaxed I feel the easier it is to get blood out of my fingers.
 
Thanks all!

Will try the warm hands thing. I do tend to have cold feet and hands.

Laura - the lancet is currently set at 4 (prick depth).

J
 
If hanging arms down by sides isn't enough, then swinging arms round can help get more blood to extremities - just watch out for nearby humans, animals, shelves etc 🙂
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top