• Guest, the forum is undergoing some upgrades and so the usual themes will be unavailable for a few days. In the meantime, you can use the forum like normal. We'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Can I re-use Lancets?

T

tangram

Active Member
Finally bought my Aviva Accucheck monitor but want to know if I can use a lancet more than once or do I have to keep changing it after every test?

First ever test 20.30pm after a meal of tinned curry ( low carbs) and oven chips, got a feeling the oven chips won't do very well !! :cry:
 
Opinions vary a lot on this. Many people change lancets every time..... and many don't. I fall into the second category. There will probably be a lot of replies to your post so you can then make up your own mind.
 
Have to say i dont change it every time. I change it when it hurts more or when i remember :lol: I dont think i was ever told when to do it either :roll:
 
I've just remembered that, when I was first given my testing kit, I was told that I wouldn't ever need to change my lancet :crazy: Needless to say, I ignored that advice :D
 
Thanks for the advice, I will probably re-use as-well , Im the only one in the family who will use it anyway so their isn't a safety issue !! Thanks :D
 
I hardly ever change mine, maybe once every 3 months or so.

Bernstein says he's never come across anyone who caught any sort of infection through reusing lancets (although obviously you shouldn't share them with anyone else).
 
Change my lancets after about 10 tests, they usually start getting blunt and hurt a little bit after that, its entirely up to you when you change.
 
Hiya!

Change mine every time - except when I don't have a spare with me because i'm disorganised :roll: I really believe it's more hygeinic to use them only once - there are some things in life you don't want to re-use even if you can - I won't name them, but for me, lancets are one :lol:

smidge
 
I am going to cause controversy and say I haven't changed mine in years.. and I test 10 - 12 times a day.. my pen is broken and the top falls off (same pen for 13 years!)... but at the current settings it works just lovely and doesn't hurt.. I am yet (touch wood) to have any problems..
 
Oh, I'm in the minority here then. I change mine every time because I do worry about germs getting on them and infecting myself, but get loads in a box anyway, so they last a long time.

Helena
 
I use the Accu-Chek Aviva which has the lancets in a rotating barrel (a sort of Gatling Gun for lancets). You select a new lancet by rotating it on the pen, but even then I very rarely change it. I have a box of 200 barrels from the pharmacy and it's still full.
 
I get through about 3 or 4 lancets a month and I test at least 5 times a day. I just don't see the point in changing them every time. I've been doing this for years and never had a problem.

This is the sort of subject that people can get very excited about, so do whatever you feel is right for you, just don't share them with your friends or the dog :D
 
I can Identify with Pneu - I have had a One Touch Ultra lancet a similar amount of time and have never changed the needle which works perfectly and does not hurt either. I do not allow others to use my equipment so cross contamination is not possible and, of course, my bag and equipment are
scrupulously clean.
 
Pneu, I am impressed! I seem to break my pens about once every 2 years, so I am very impressed with the longevity of your pen!

I don't change mine that often either. there was a thread recently discussing...and it really is do what you feel comfortable doing. I have heard it said that you can cross contaminate the sample..but personally think that this is rubbish...even if you did contaminate one test with another test, it would make no difference to the result.

Hygiene, to me is the reason to change, and, as my pen lives inside my meter wallet, and doesn't contact anything other than me, I don't feel the need to change, as I am healthy etc. I would change it a lot more often if I had an immune problem though! I would rather the NHS spent its money on test strips rather than giving me 8 lancets a day. If you are not comfortable about reusing them though..don't!
Edit to say I am talking about cross contamination between samples, not people.
 
Thanks for all your input, I have now used mine 10 times and still it works fine so will keep going for a bit longer methinks :shifty:
 
tangram said:
Finally bought my Aviva Accucheck monitor but want to know if I can use a lancet more than once or do I have to keep changing it after every test?

First ever test 20.30pm after a meal of tinned curry ( low carbs) and oven chips, got a feeling the oven chips won't do very well !! :cry:
Click to expand...

I use each of mine for 1 week and then change.
NB - oven chips are a very high carb thing!
 
As a nurse I would advise against reusing lancets as any dirty needle could cause sepsis. However, if you do choose to reuse, you should at the very least regularly sterilise. This can be done in several ways... Boiling water, flames, or soak in something like TCP or Milton just for your own safety. You could be the unlucky one who does develop sepsis, which could kill if not detected early.
 
I change lancets rarely. Usually after I've had to change to let someone else find their BG. the I put a new one in for myself.
Hana
 
I change mine once a day.... If I remember. That's about 6-10 tests depending on exercise.

I notice a pain difference if I forget to change
 
Back
Top