Finger prick advice

[lilcricket]

I've recently been diagnosed with type 2 and after recent concern from my GP that my ketone levels were too high I've been given a glucose and ketone monitor to keep an eye on them for the time being. However, I am really struggling with the finger pricking and actually managing to get enough blood for the tests (particularly the ketone ones as they need slightly more than the glucose strips). I've heard sides of the finger is less painful but I have had more success on the ones I do a bit more central. I watched some youtube videos and people just seem to use their lancet device and have a good sized drop of blood right away - what is this magic?! One person mentioned that occasionally they might have to push it out a little, but that's not been my experience at all so far. Every successful I have had to really massage it out and that's very often after many failed attempts. And I feel a bit silly saying this but it's really getting me down and making me a bit upset every morning when I have to do this. I've turned up the depth a bit on the needle, but that seems to make it more painful and it felt like more often I was getting the ones where I could feel a sharp sting but no blood at all was coming out. I've turned the depth down and tried to hold the device more firmly against my finger and have got a few successful ones doing that but again, I still need a good few attempts, and I often feel like I am running out of fingers trying to get one!

Before I do the finger prick I've been washing my hands in warm water, doing the tests while standing up, keeping my arms as straight as I can and below waist height, massaging the fingers and trying to push the blood towards the tip of my finger. If anyone has any advice or help at all I'd be really appreciative as I don't know what else to try and I feel like I must be missing something. I don't have particularly poor circulation or anything so I really don't know where I'm going wrong.

 

[Outlier]

You have tried massaging the finger, but I found an instruction that said we should do this for 20 seconds, and that usually works for me. Also keeping hands warm for a few minutes before the test seems to encourage a decent drop of blood.

 

[KennyA]

I've recently been diagnosed with type 2 and after recent concern from my GP that my ketone levels were too high I've been given a glucose and ketone monitor to keep an eye on them for the time being. However, I am really struggling with the finger pricking and actually managing to get enough blood for the tests (particularly the ketone ones as they need slightly more than the glucose strips). I've heard sides of the finger is less painful but I have had more success on the ones I do a bit more central. I watched some youtube videos and people just seem to use their lancet device and have a good sized drop of blood right away - what is this magic?! One person mentioned that occasionally they might have to push it out a little, but that's not been my experience at all so far. Every successful I have had to really massage it out and that's very often after many failed attempts. And I feel a bit silly saying this but it's really getting me down and making me a bit upset every morning when I have to do this. I've turned up the depth a bit on the needle, but that seems to make it more painful and it felt like more often I was getting the ones where I could feel a sharp sting but no blood at all was coming out. I've turned the depth down and tried to hold the device more firmly against my finger and have got a few successful ones doing that but again, I still need a good few attempts, and I often feel like I am running out of fingers trying to get one!

Before I do the finger prick I've been washing my hands in warm water, doing the tests while standing up, keeping my arms as straight as I can and below waist height, massaging the fingers and trying to push the blood towards the tip of my finger. If anyone has any advice or help at all I'd be really appreciative as I don't know what else to try and I feel like I must be missing something. I don't have particularly poor circulation or anything so I really don't know where I'm going wrong.

I had similar problems at the start. Making sure my hands were warm and held downwards helped. Could never get on with using the finger side and have been OK using the finger pad. I usually test sitting down, and I try to relax as much as possible - I found that tensing the upper arm seems to slow the flow.

 

[W&D's Nana]

I was diagnosed in October 2022 but didn't get a meter until late November. I had such a hard time get enough blood to test and wasted quite a few test strips as the meter would nag me saying not enough insert a new strip!
Looked for advice and tried a lot of things. I can still reliably only get enough blood by pricking on my pinkie fingers after washing with very warm water and massaging them, making sure I am well hydrated and sometimes holding onto a mug of tea before testing.

 

[JEJASI]

Try another lancet device. I had to switch to one that didn't come with the monitor. Make sure hands are warm, hold them below chest and massage finger for about 1/2 a minutes. The sides work best for me, and I switch my sticks to different fingers and hands every different day.
Also relax and be confident you can do this. Don't be nervous and you will succeed!

 

[Deleted member 527103]

This is a long shot but sometimes it is not clear how to use the test strips.
The strips need to be placed with the end just touching the blood and it "sucks" up the blood.
When I first started, I wanted to dab my blood onto the strip. Sometimes, it was sucked up but rarely enough and I got the "not enough blood" error whereas, in reality, I had enough blood but it was in the wrong place on the strip.

 

[W&D's Nana]

Yes, I just have the end touching the blood and it gets sucked up but sometimes there just isn't enough blood in the drop for a successful read.

 

[Finnlee]

This doesn't solve the blood problem, but have you considered urine ketone tests? They won't be as precise as blood tests, but they don't involve squeezing out blood if that's getting frustrating.

One trick I do for blood tests (blood sugar and ketone) is to push the pad of my finger toward where I'm going to prick. Pushing it and holding it there while pricking makes more likely I'll get a good bit of blood out. I also press the lancing device firm against my finger, but it sounds like you're already doing that.

 

[MrsA2]

I found some fingers more productive than others. My little and rings fingers are always good, my middle occasionally and my fore finger and thumb are not worth trying
Even restricting pricking to 2 outer fingers (4), times 2 hands(8), times 3 or 4 (24 -32)sites each side (x 2) gives 48 - 64 sites to rotate, more than enough

 

[Mrs HJG]

I do covid antibody testing, and need to fill a little test tube from a finger prick each month, and sometimes I can do that in 30 seconds as it is literally like turning on a tap, other times I have to puncture a couple of times and feel like I am milking an imaginary cow for 5 minutes! The guidance I had for that, (before I entered the wonderful world of diabetic testing), was to make sure to be well hydrated, warm hands and to rub/clap your hands for a bit before to get the blood moving. Also if you imagine drawing a smiley face on your finger tip, you want to spike where the eyes would be for the least pain, most blood location (morbid imagery, but works!). I only ever use my left ring finger for all testing as it seems the most reliable.

 

[lilcricket]

Hi all, thanks so much for all your advice! Having read through all the comments and doing a bit of extra googling, the last 5 tests I have done have all been successful first time (with the exception of one being second time), with very little pain and have not been leaving behind bruises. I've been able to do them in about 5 mins rather than the up to half and hour it was taking me before so this feels like a bit of a breakthrough for me. Genuinely can't thank you guys enough. I've even felt confident enough to do some extra 2 hour after meal tests, which I just couldn't face doing before, but I can see is going to be really useful in helping me figure out how I'm coping with certain foods.

You have tried massaging the finger, but I found an instruction that said we should do this for 20 seconds, and that usually works for me.

Thank you! I've been rubbing the area I'm going to prick and massaging the finger towards the tip and I think that's really making the difference.

This is a long shot but sometimes it is not clear how to use the test strips.
The strips need to be placed with the end just touching the blood and it "sucks" up the blood.

Really good point - I definitely wasted many a strip at the start due to this. It wasn't until I watched a video that I finally understood how they worked. Was surprised it wasn't really covered when I got given my monitor but oh well!

if you imagine drawing a smiley face on your finger tip, you want to spike where the eyes would be for the least pain, most blood location

Thank you! I've been trying this and it really seems to be helping - much less pain, and not much in the way of marks being left behind too.


And just in case there's someone else who finds this thread who is struggling with the same things as me, I also found a blog post really useful to read through. It's on a blog called loraldiabetes on blogspot and is titled painless pricks. I tried to link but I suspect my account isn't old/used enough to allow that.

It mentions trying to avoid accidentally flinching when you are doing the finger prick which I think was something I was doing without realising. So with a combination of that awareness, all the advice above, having my lancet turned to the second lowest setting and making sure I really am holding it firmly against the finger - that all seems to have made such a difference.

Again thanks everyone for the advice - hugely appreciated - I was so pleased to be able to start my day this morning and get a sample first time with no pain and not have to go through half an hour of painful attempts and me getting frustrated and upset, knowing I'd have to do it all again in a few hours!