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Finger pricking!

hale710

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,903
Location
Scotland
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I don't think I test particularly often, usually 5 or 6 times a day. Occasionally more depending in exercise/alcohol/feeling "funny". But my fingers are in shreds! I do it on the side like I was advised, and I have the device on the lowest setting because that's all it takes on me. Getting my finger to STOP bleeding is more of an issue. I'm now finding it hurts more and more as my fingers don't have a chance to recover! I try to change the lancet every time, but realistically it's more like every 2nd or 3rd time.

Does any one have advice on how to make it more bearable? I'm worried that in a years time ill be becoming more and more reluctant to test
 
Hi

What finger pricker do you use? I use Accu Chek multiclix and I find it the gentlest one to use. I've tried a couple of others which were much cheaper but were barbaric in comparison and actually bruised my fingers. It put me off testing so I went back to the Accu check as it is the only one I can stand. I hope I never have to go into a nursing home in the future as my daughter who is a nurse tells me they use the barbaric kind at her nursing home. I wouldn't let them near me with those things!

Cinders
 
I use the Bayer finger prick machine, and I also use the ATS adapter (alternative test site) which allows me to test on the fleshy spongy bit at the very base of my thumb, or even on my thigh or upper arm,

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Don't want to give you the fear, but you may have co-agulancy issues like me. Have you ever had your blood INR checked? If not I would recommend as your blood may be too thin and adding additional vitamin K to supplement your diet would correct this. Book yourself in at your local INR Clinic, it takes less than a minute.
 
I have a freestyle Optium so just have the pricker that comes with it! I might have to look around to maybe change it and then persuade the doctor to change my lancet prescription!
 

Might be worth a check I suppose. I don't really have any issues with bleeding anywhere else though, it's just my fingers that gush like nobody's business!
 
If my blood is too thin (I get weekly checks) things like nose bleeds and stuff last forever. I normally don't overbleed when finger-pricking but sometimes it never stops. I had thin blood due to warfarin levels last week and had to have 3 thumb-pricks and 2 blood tests (syringe in inside of elbow) on top of my regular finger tests and insulin injections. It wasn't a nice day!

It was only a suggestion btw and the first think that came to mind.

Good luck, whatever is the cause.

Mart.
 
See I'm prone to nosebleeds but they never last long...... Well some do but it's rarer than the quick 15 minute ones! It was a good suggestion and ill maybe keep an eye on things. Thanks!
 
I had a freestyle, the lancet device is a bit on the harsh side. I reckon this may be the culprit! I now use accu-chek and test 6-10 times a day using the lowest setting on the lancet device. fingers are fine!

You could call Roche (suppliers of accu-chek stuff) and sweet talk them, they may send you a free meter! But at the very least they may send you a lancet device? Worth a try. Then you've only got to change your script for lancets?

Good luck, your poor fingers!


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
I've had a look online and you can buy accu-check devices on eBay so that may be worth a try.

Glad I'm not the only one who finds the freestyle ones a bit sore! Thought I was a wimp! I do like the meter though as it tests for ketones also so it's just the finger pricker I want to change
 
The bayer usb is a great machine, you can enter carbs, insulin doses and then just plug into computer and upload all records to computer, then convert details to pdf then email results to your DSN

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
What you could try is a different lancet as I found a big difference between the brands. I have used the BD micro fine lancets @ 0.2 mm dia for a long time. I recently asked the question if there was a kinder lancet and generally it was the best, but worth trying a different lancing device.
 
Over the years that Ive been diabetic, Ive tried all sorts of different finger prickers and all of them are 'much of a muchness' really. My fingertips now are full of tiny black prick marks and this is with using both the Accu chek Multiclix and softclix lancets. I do test about 8 to 12 times a day though as I feel that is the only way to make sure that the pump is working ok. When I havent bothered to test, I usually regret it. I hate the Aviva strips as they demand too much blood which also means a deeper fingerprick. The Freestyle strips work on a very small droplet so less of a prick is needed.

Im now using the side and base of my fingernails and can use a prick setting of 2 and that appears to be ok with less in the way of hole marks. On my fingertips I was needing to use a setting of 4 and 5 to get a decent droplet.

Roll on cgm for everyone.................
 
Great advice guys thanks!

ihs - I agree. CGM would be ideal wouldn't it! One day maybe.....
 
Another vote for the multiclix. I test 10 or more times a day as diabetes is quite brittle and it's the best one I've tried to date.
 
My fingers are a state too Hale! I recently read on here that someone doesn't use the 'stabby machine' (my technical term ) to prick their finger, they just gently do it themselves with a lancet... You just reminded me to try it and wasn't nearly as bad (I expected it would be worse cos thought it being more slowly pushed in would be more painful!)... As I've only done it once I don't yet know if it will keep my fingers in a slightly better state, but will try it a bit more and see...
 
I use the front of my fingers (usually just under the bottom of the fingernail, or slightly to either side of that) as advised in Dr Bernstein's book. I find it hurts less than the pads or sides, and means you can use all ten fingers (10 fingers, left, middle and right makes 30 sites so lots of chance for rotating).

Need to have lancet on lowest setting though - skin is much thinner there.
 

I just tried that - GENIUS! I always use the lowest setting, but due to the curve of my finger I couldn't get as close so it didnt hurt and it's bled a lot less!
 
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