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Tips for getting blood

M

MikeZ

Well-Known Member
Messages
132
Location
Southern Oregon USA
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Greetings all,

I am having trouble getting enough blood for the test. I often have to poke myself 3 or 4 times. Is this normal? I am using a One Touch Ultra 2 on the highest setting. So far I have only tried getting blood from the sides of my fingertips.

Thanks for any and all replies.
 
Try swinging your arm around ie like a windmill and see if that helps. Alternatively wash your hands in very warm water and then test. Hope this helps.
 
I was always taught to "milk" my finger like you would a cow's udder to get the blood out.... One to try?
 
Thanks for all the tips. I've been sort of massaging my finger, (like a tube a toothpaste), to get the blood but even that doesn't work all the time. I will try the windmill approach next time. Are there any other places I might get blood easier? Does drinking more water during the day help?
 
Hi MikeZ
I had the same problem one night and my Dad told me to try rubbing the tips if my fingers up and down my thighs and it worked! Seems the friction of the rubbing on my trousers helped
 
I have only been testing for a week and struggled to get enough blood too MikeZ. Warming my hands up has helped as has squeezing the site of the puncture. It may be that I am just getting used to it as it does seem to be getting easier.
 
Wrap your hand in a warm towel before testing.
Hang your arm in a dependent position (below your heart) before testing. Example: Lie on your bed and hang your arm off the edge.
 
After stabbing myself repeatedly for one morning with little effect (Imight have done better to bludgeon by fingers with the wrong end of the lance to get a flow of blood) these tips (tried hot water, windmill and thigh rubbing in no particular order) caused an impressive and instantaneous finger blood spout and first attempt reading. Just watch that red line rush up the test strip quicker than A P McCoy on a very fast horse,

The slight little downer as I became incredibly excited as the count down on my minty fresh brand new Nexus slowly got to launch was that it said 12.7.

Freakin' recount!

Stuffed down a bagel to consider the significance of this news.

Bother.
 
Pasha said:
Try swinging your arm around ie like a windmill and see if that helps. Alternatively wash your hands in very warm water and then test. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure why but the idea of 'windmilling' sent me into fits of laughter :D

I've always found as long as my hands are warm that does the trick
 
Warm hands helps a lot, so does using a new lancet for every test and altering the depth to about 4 or 5 for the accu chek finger pricker. I now just use front of my fingers just below the nailbed and only need to finger prick on a level of 1 or 2 and that is usually sufficient to draw enough blood foran Aviva teststrip. Ive given my fingertips a rest for a while
 
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