Re-using lancets

I don't change lancets often, sometimes weekly! I must admit that it's generally when it begins to hurt to test that I remember, lol.

Yeah, ditto. I don't think that it's ever been proven that not changing lancets can affect your BM. I often leave mine in for weeks. Curiously though, what meter do you use?

I change mine every time I test and dispose of the used ones in a container so that I will not reuse them again.

I change my lancets when I think of it and test on the inside of my forearm. Since blood is washing out, I don't think I'm in danger of infection. I set my stabber on 2, because my Freestle mini needs a blood drop the size of a pinhead( steel pin. NOT pearl topped one)

When it hurts, when I remember and of course when I read a thread mentioning changing lancets that prompt the ah I haven't changed mine....

I haven't yet heard of a case where not changing your lancet has effected the BG reading, but there again has anybody thought of studing this?

But I can see the theory behind what you're saying, if a contaimate laying on the skin is enough to produce a false reading, the same could be said about a contaimate on the lancet itself...

If this was happening, then previous reading would also be a high reading! As the blood that's contaminating the lancet would also have to be high around the same mark!

There is two theorie here that might give a glue...

One being that your quick acting insulin is lasting longer in your system than you thing, it's highest peak is around the 2 hour mark, then reduces and then in theory it tails off and out of the sytem by 4 hours, but for some the tail off is a lot longer and they can have quick acting insulin still working after 6 hours...

Or

That you have your long acting insulin wrongly adjusted so that by the time you had dinner, the long acting insulin had dealt with the liver with enough left over to help deal with the carbs from the pie and previous meal ect...

Mind you I know they say change lancet with every test, but with saying all that I haven't actually heard of anyone getting a infection from reusing a lancet! I've been testing my bloods now for 20 years and so has my husband and as yet neither of us has every had a infection due to testing!!!!

Kids are told it is crucial to change lancet at each test
1.reduce the risk of contamination.
2. lancets get blunt after continuous use. Therefore deeper penitration may be required, which causes nerve damage to the finger.
We rarely follow the advise given on lancets, haven't we enough to deal with! But we do always use new needles with each injection. Suppose its just getting into the habit of doing both at once.
Suzi x

Sorry i am another one that just changes the lancets when i remember, prob on average once a week.

I tend to change my about 3 times a week, sometimes daily if I can remember!!

But for some reason I wouldn't dream of resusing my needles!

I use multiclix and there are 6 "needles" in the little drum thing that I put into the tester pen. I use a new needle every day so change the actual drum every 6 days. I use the needle approximately 5-6 times a day.

Jackie

I don't use a tester pen so I automatically discard the used lance once I've used it.

I suspect the frequency we change our lancets has something to do with whether we're type 1 or type 2. I'm type 2 and test my blood 2-3 times a week. So I change the lancet every week or so - if I remember
I expect that if you are type 1, and presumably testing more frequently ever day, you'd probably change the lancet more frequently.
It'd be interesting to know how many uses we get out of a lancet before we change it.
Mine is 2-3 stabbings :lol:

SilverAndEbony said:

It'd be interesting to know how many uses we get out of a lancet before we change it.
Mine is 2-3 stabbings :lol:

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70 :twisted:

Er Chez, what states your fingers in mate :roll:
Suzi x

I would say I use mine about 30-40 times before changing to a new one. Very economical lol

suzi said:

Er Chez, what states your fingers in mate :roll:
Suzi x

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What fingers ? :lol:

you guys always put a on my face thanx
suzi x

what if you just poor hot water over it each time? I haven't been reusing but i am tempted....

Quin-serison said:

what if you just poor hot water over it each time? I haven't been reusing but i am tempted....

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If you are referring to contamination... Hot water is not sufficient to sterilize anything

I use mine about 20 times....or till it hurts!! :wink: