• 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 »

Honestly now , how often do you change your lancet

I’m a newbie, testing about 7 times a day, and been changing the lancet every time (mostly because that’s what the diabetic specialist nurse told me to do) wondering if I really need to reading this :)
 
Technically you are doing the right thing. When you use a lancet, it punctures the skin, and the tip comes into direct contact with your blood vessels, so the advice will be similar to that given to drug addicts re syringe use. Do not share your device with anybody else, even accidentally. Keep it away from children or vulnerable people. Re-use will increase the risk of contamination, so change lancets regularly.

Apart from that, it is still a matter of choice what you do. There is anecdotal evidence as your comment confirms, and many of us choose to re-use either for financial or comfort / ease of use / laziness and I have not seen anyone register any adverse outcome in this forum.

I regard it as helping to reduce single use plastic waste, and I do not need my sharps bin being collected (yet). Go with what you feel is acceptable for you,
 
Oldvatr said:
I regard it as helping to reduce single use plastic waste, and I do not need my sharps bin being collected (yet). Go with what you feel is acceptable for you,
Click to expand...

I must say one of my biggest “concerns” is the sheer amount of plastic waste I create now purely through diabetes treatment

Lancets
Needles
Novorapid and Abasaglar pens
Test strips
Sharps bins

So so much plastic
 
Love the honesty from everyone ha ha. I can't actually remember the last time I changed mine. I've been on a cgm for 18 months so only use it for midnight hypos really but still I reckon it's gotta be nearly a year
 
Chriztopher said:
I must say one of my biggest “concerns” is the sheer amount of plastic waste I create now purely through diabetes treatment

Lancets
Needles
Novorapid and Abasaglar pens
Test strips
Sharps bins

So so much plastic
Click to expand...
Both Novorapid and abasaglar come in refillable pens, you might want to ask for those. Saves a lot of space in the butter compartiment too :)

images
 
Antje77 said:
Both Novorapid and abasaglar come in refillable pens, you might want to ask for those. Saves a lot of space in the butter compartiment too :)

images
Click to expand...

Ohhh fab thanks I didn’t know that! I shall enquire when I speak to the prescribing pharmacist at my GP tomorrow!
 
Back
Top