Finger pricking - long term issues?

[joelcam]

Hi all,

I have been finger pricking 7 times a day since prognosis of T1 in Aug this year and am wondering what the long term side effects will be?

Ar present I can see lots of little red marks around the areas where I prick but don't have any issues or pain.

I know I am a newby so can any longer term affected people share any advice on things that may happen over time and also ways of preventing if possible?

Also, can I still get tattoo's done?

Thanks guys

JC

 

[Dobbs]

hi joelcam
a very good question, which I've been wondering about myself. I've only been pricking since May so am hardly well placed to reply, but after about four-hundred-and-something pricks I have no issues or problems at all. But I'm a total amateur compared to many people here!

 

[hanadr]

Alternative site testing?????
hana

 

[cugila]

HANA ......

AST should be discussed with your HCP's before using. :wink:

 

[jopar]

I've been stabing my fingers now for just over 21 years and don't have any problems...

The modern lancets are sooooo much better than the first ones, that where a flat piece of stainless still oblong at one end it slopped to a point, at first there was no gadgets you just stabbed your finger, which would take me ages and several missed attempts to get the courage to do it with my finger held agains the edge of a table... When they introduce a gadget this wasn't much better either, it was violent indeed, and believe me for 9 months while I was pegnant I had to do this 5 times a day... By the end I could have cried my poor little fingers were so sore..

Just keep rotating your sites and you shouldn't have a problem, I have a bad habit of using my little fingers a bit two much they aren't sore at all, but have little marks where I've over used..

You can use alternate site, but you need to be very careful though, as using forearm etc can give a much different reading to the fingers... Your fingers will give a more actuate reading of your blood glucose where as on the forearm etc, there is a time lag to the reading you obtain so you could either be a lot lower or higher than what your meter is telling you...

As Ken says using a alternative test site you MUST speak to your diabetic team before you venture along this line of testing

 

[kegstore]

Never had any problems and I've been doing this for 25 years or so. I only use the outer three fingers on each hand yet still only need the shallowest setting on the lancing device, and always get more blood than I need for the test strip. This is with testing 6-7 times a day on average.

When I first started blood testing around 1985, the only lancing device available was an instrument of torture called an Autolet, more at home with the Spanish Inquisition - absolute agony. No meters then either, you had to apply the blood, wait 2 minutes, wipe the blood off, wait another minute then compare the strip colour against a chart on the side of the container. Thank goodness for progress!

 

[joelcam]

Thanks for all of the great replys...feel a lot better about that aspect now!

Cannot believe the way things used to be, thank heavens for the progress!! How would you be able to do that sort of stuff at work otherwise?? Madness!

 

[ham79]

Hi I've had about 12 tattoos since diagnosis with no problems just keep a can of coke handy because some people can go hypo getting them done. :mrgreen:

 

[Debloubed]

Hi, I've had x3 tattoos and a piercing with no probs, usual handy sugar rules apply incase of an adrenaline surge! the tattoist will advise you about healing etc which can take longr but if you have good BG control you shold be fine - I do have marks on my fingers however, not painful and the skin is tough, I test 5 or 6 times a day and when I have more time (ie: am at home in the evening rather than rushing at work in the day!) I try and use my other (right) hand and rest the meter on a table so I don't have to hold it, if that makes sense?! :?

 

[Celtic.Piskie]

I make sure I roate the sites, and no i don't have any problems.

Tattoo's aren't as issue in particular, you just might take longer to heal. Keep applying creams for 2 weeks longer than they say, keep an eye on it and you should be fine.

 

[glitterzoe]

OMG the autolet yes I remember it well and the soreness it left behind, 30 years and you will find that you will start to do your bloods less (2-3 times a day) and as for the tats like every one has said no reall effects but everyone is different so be aware and only have a small one to start