Bullet Proof Finger Tips

steve_hill said:

Been testing bloods for a while now, seem to be getting resistance to the lance now its on highest setting 5,
but does not all ways produce blood. Is the blood hiding in there or calluses under skin?
Is there any where else I can try to find the red stuff on my body?
Testing 6-7 times a day.

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Are you using the sides of your fingers, or the pads? Try the sides. I've actually found the opposite - lance setting has gone down as I've got better at testing.

steve_hill said:

Is there any where else I can try to find the red stuff on my body?

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You can also use the lancet without putting it in the lancet-device. Basically just give yourself a stab with it the old-fashioned way

steve_hill said:

Is there any where else I can try to find the red stuff on my body?
Testing 6-7 times a day.

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I think I have read somewhere that "alternative sites" means any fleshy area that is clean and not covered in hair. I think this was in the SD Codefree meter instructions

I seem to remember reading that alternative sites can produce a different kind of result but I don't remember what the difference is. What I do remember is that you had to speak to someone in your diabetes team, if you intended using another site.

Alternate site refers to testing blood glucose on parts of the body other than the fingertip: most commonly the forearm, palm or thigh.

Testing somewhere other than the finger may bring a sigh of relief to many people with diabetes.

However, alternate test sites are not all the same.

With all meters, routine testing on an unrubbed forearm, upper arm, thigh or calf gives a test result that is 20 to 30 minutes old.

We will call these sites 'lagging' alternative test sites.


The fingertips and the palm hold the most recent 'memories' of your blood glucose. Fingertip and palm testing tell you what your blood glucose level is right now.

On the other hand, lagging test sites such as the forearm or thigh tell you what your blood glucose was around 20 to 35 minutes ago - not what it is right now. That difference can be crucial if your blood glucose is dropping fast --- a forearm test might tell you that the level is fine, because the forearm is a lagging test site, while a fingertip test correctly alerts you to a low number. Because of this, lagging test sites cannot replace the fingertip or palm completely for any person.
www.bd.com/us/diabetes/blood-glucose-monitoring/how-to-test/alternate-site/

You are not alone in being bloodless. I have been testing for 3 years and always struggle to get blood, no matter which bit of my fingers I use. I find my thumb is better than the others, but sometimes have to stab myself several times to get just the tiniest amount.

I find my pinky gives me a good sample but I'm new to this all

I've only been testing for 14 months, and mostly just once a day. I usually do the stabbing at the top of my finger or thumb near the top edge of the fingernail. No problems so far.
Edit: I do have to squeeze my fingertip sometimes to get enough blood.

Just been testing a week - sometimes the lancet seems to 'stab' well behind where the central hole is and near my nail even when aiming for the side of my finger - then when I move it more towards the pad of my finger to avoid the nail edge it stabs centrally instead.

Suspect more practice is needed.

Ultramum said:

Just been testing a week - sometimes the lancet seems to 'stab' well behind where the central hole is and near my nail even when aiming for the side of my finger - then when I move it more towards the pad of my finger to avoid the nail edge it stabs centrally instead.

Suspect more practice is needed.

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Is that the Fastclix? I've had that problem with the Fastclix since I got it, 3 years ago. I've never been able to control exactly where the lancet will prick.

Bluetit1802 said:

Is that the Fastclix? I've had that problem with the Fastclix since I got it, 3 years ago. I've never been able to control exactly where the lancet will prick.

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It's the one that came with the CODEFREE meter

Ultramum said:

It's the one that came with the CODEFREE meter

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No. It is an Accu Chek Fastclix pen that can be used with any meter.

For the past 12 months, I have used the front of my fingertips between the nail bed and first digit. This works very well and only a tiny prick is needed to get the blood to flow. I've used loads of different prickers over the years but they're all much of a muchness but some have better lancets than others. The Delica finger pricker is tiny and a bit flimsy looking, but has lancets that are like a thin needle and doesnt tend to hurt or mark as much as others.
Even though I use cgm, I still bg fingerprick about 5 times per day whereas beforehand I was doing about 7 to 10 tests.