Glucose monitors are worse than razor blades!

[first14808]

[rant] So yesterday, I was told I'd be prescribed strips and stabbies (ok, lancets) for my new TRUEyou meter.

So today, I bimbled into town to collect prescription, ready for a fun weekend of stabbing! (you know what I mean)

No prescription. No problem, quickly saw doc you gave me a prescription for 50 strips, and 204 lancets (go figure)

So I wandered along to Boots, asked if the stabbies were the single-use ones I'd practiced with (oh, stamped metal lancets.. wherefore art thou?)

20mins later, one bag of toys to play with! Yey! So I jumped on the bus and headed home. And opened the bag to have a look.. Accu-check brand. 6 Lancets in a drum! Virtually pain free! (and anyone who's bought razors & blades knows where this is heading..)

They're for the Accu-Chek Multi-clix handle. Which I don't have. So rather than heading back into town and shopping hell, my local pharmacy. They didn't have handles, but did have have the Accu-Chek Performa Nano for £24.95. So I bought it. (and didn't mutter darkly about nano normally refering to things <17nm.. where madness lies)

So home. And noticed the new (spare/soon to be returned) meter has a FastClix stabbie cartridge. Still 6 lancets in a drum, but incompatible..[/rant]

Here endeth the rant. And yes, I used to do the same thing with handles & blades before I gave in and grew a beard..

 

[dipsydo]

This is very curious - so looked at the Roche site to see that Multiclix lancets are being discontinued from December 2017 and so not sure you could get a Multiclix finger pricker even if you wanted one ( Roche is doing free upgrade to the fast clix finger pricker )which is what I think you will have in your Nano pack .. I self fund and have both an Aviva and a Nano and my finger prickers are both fast clix .

As regards the actual finger pricker - I do not not know about True You finger pricker but it ( from my quick view on line ) do not look as easy to use as my personal preference the Accu chek fastclix which I find so easy to use and really quite painless and has the advantage of the lancets being in drum so no sharps which could damage others when discarded after use.

Looks like you need to explain to Boots that Multiclix lancets is not much use without a a multiclix finger pricker and as these are being withdrawn by Roche this month the lancets they provided are as much use as a chocolate teapot.

 

[ickihun]

So no multi-clix anymore but fast clix still being produced?

 

[Deleted member 308541]

I can still get Multiclix lancets from my pharmacy, I got a new box last week.

 

[dipsydo]

Per Roche Multiclix are being withdrawn by end of December 2017 on prescription ( as the poster of the thread is getting a prescription would appear relevant ) and not clear also applies to self funders but strap line looks like it likely see https://www.accu-chek.co.uk

site states the following
Accu-Chek Multiclix lancets are being discontinued in December 2017.
Accu-Chek Multiclix lancets will shortly no longer be available on prescription, and we would like to offer you a free* upgrade to the Accu-Chek FastClix finger pricker. *T&Cs apply.

Hope this clarifies

 

[EllieM]

So am I the only one who just takes an old-fashioned lancet (don't care which brand, just a piece of plastic with a sharp needle at the end) and stabs?

Hugs to the OP, sounds like you can't stab with those multiclix even if you want to....

 

[archersuz]

Hi @EllieM
I use the old fashioned lancets - £4.99 for 100.

 

[Bluetit1802]

I use my Accu Chek Fastclix lancet pen and drums for all my meters. You can use any lancet device on any meter. All they do is stab your finger. Whatever meter you use is irrelevant.

 

[first14808]

So a brief update. Went back to Boots with the Multiclix box and asked if I could swap them for Fastclix. Oh no, they can only issue exactly what's prescribed. So I'd need to get a new prescription. Which takes 2 days. Oh well, at least I get some exercise. And bonus to the Fastclix is they allow (but obviously don't recommend) re-use. Even has a handy guide for clicking to the next needle, ie if finger has neat lil bruise, the old one's probably blunt. Which again, is not recommended.

So hopefully I'll be getting the right ones soon. And it's possibly where the prescription system's maybe too prescriptive. I had no brand loyalty, just wanted lancets.. Although having said that, the Fastclix does seem rather neat, well designed, and comfortable to use.

 

[SueJB]

So a brief update. Went back to Boots with the Multiclix box and asked if I could swap them for Fastclix. Oh no, they can only issue exactly what's prescribed. So I'd need to get a new prescription. Which takes 2 days. Oh well, at least I get some exercise. And bonus to the Fastclix is they allow (but obviously don't recommend) re-use. Even has a handy guide for clicking to the next needle, ie if finger has neat lil bruise, the old one's probably blunt. Which again, is not recommended.

So hopefully I'll be getting the right ones soon. And it's possibly where the prescription system's maybe too prescriptive. I had no brand loyalty, just wanted lancets.. Although having said that, the Fastclix does seem rather neat, well designed, and comfortable to use.

Followed your thread and laughed, I knew your frustration and pain. I love your term "stabbies" and will use it myself from now on. I didn't know anything else existed apart from old-fashioned stabbies. Stiil, that's not surprising as I'm 4months new

 

[first14808]

It's technology gorn mad! Although there are benefits I guess, like being easier to hold/use* than the old bare-metal spikes, and safer to dispose of. And my woes were also down to timing it seems, ie Roche discontinuing the Multiclix version. But I now have the Fastclix ones. Interestingly, the packaging's different as well, so rather than being in the foil-sealed tubs, they're loose in a cardboard box. Still nuked for freshness though.

*if you hit bone, you've stabbed too hard. I think there's also some psychology involved, ie brain naturally resists the idea of stabbing sharp metal into it's flesh, but is less bothered by the idea of simply clicking a button.

 

[Gabrielle_Tai]

I still poke my finger 8 to 12 times a day on those old lancet needle type (one touch ultrasoft lancet). It still feel the ultrasoft part of the names is too fake since i cry every time i need to poke my finger to get some blood.

 

[miahara]

When I first embarked on stabbing I found I got a lot of 'misfires' - a bit of pain, but not enough of the red stuff. I soon discovered that immersing my hand in hot water for a minute helped blood flow and I now seldom have blank shots. I also eventually found that pricking the sides of my fingers doesn't usually hurt, in fact if I push the lancing device hardish against the skin before pressing the trigger I seldom feel any pricking sensation at all.

 

[Jeremy_Wood]

@first14808 have you tried a sharp kitchen knife? (Joke!)

 

[first14808]

Hmm.. Think a kitchen knife would result in >3-4 on the stab-o-meter scale. But it has prompted me to find an.. avatar showing lancets from back in the good'ol days. My Fastclix is much better

 

[Gabrielle_Tai]

@first14808 have you tried a sharp kitchen knife? (Joke!)

Cannot be worst that my 4 mm insulin pen needle right? Right.

 

[Alexandra100]

I still poke my finger 8 to 12 times a day on those old lancet needle type (one touch ultrasoft lancet). It still feel the ultrasoft part of the names is too fake since i cry every time i need to poke my finger to get some blood.

Maybe get a different lancet gun. They are not all the same. I had one that was too feeble, and another that was so violent I found it unbearable (I threw it away). It's interesting that the ultrasoft isn't! That's useful information.

 

[Julia McCoulough]

I can still get Multiclix lancets from my pharmacy, I got a new box last week.

I haven't heard of these