Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by MyBustedPancreas on August 17, 2012 at 5:46am

Alternate site testing isn't always as good/accurate in my experience. Make sure your hands are warm. If they are too cold, it can be hard to get the blood out. Sometimes I run my hands under warm water or rub them together vigorously if I'm having trouble getting enough blood.

Also, you may need to change the depth setting on your lancing device. Put it at a higher number if you're having trouble drawing blood.

Also, are you using the delica lancing device (the newer ones that come with the One Touch meters now)? If so, those things never work for me (although I'm very calloused from years and years of testing).

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Permalink Reply by awg0681 on August 17, 2012 at 6:35am

I definitely agree that running my hands under warm water or doing something to warm them up before testing helps the blood flow so it's easier to get enough. I notice when my hands are not warm I'm squeezing and working harder to get enough blood out and sometimes end up having to prick again.

I've also found it seems to be easier to get blood out of my pinky fingers than the rest.

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Permalink Reply by Johanna Burton on August 17, 2012 at 8:31am

Some of your fingers may have thicker skin than others which will make it more difficult to get blood. I agree that the Delica lancer is not the best. I have never been able to get a good drop when using it. Warm hands help. Also rubbing the spot where you're going to test will help bring blood to the surface. Good for you for wanting to do better and good luck.

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Permalink Reply by Marsha Paulsen Peters on August 17, 2012 at 8:51am

Hello, Veggie Gal! Does your lancet-holder have an adjustable 'depth'? If so, increase the number by one. If you hold the lancet yourself, try to be a little more dramatic. Sometimes I just need press my lancet holder (accu-chek) a tad closer before pressing the Go button -- esp. if I'm trying to use a life-calloused area. Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by veggie_gal on August 17, 2012 at 9:48am

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Permalink Reply by veggie_gal on August 17, 2012 at 9:53am

Thank you to those who have responded. I don't think I've ever tried my little finger before...I'll do that. Also, my lancet is a Reli-on (maybe a Walmart brand?). It is adjustable and I'm now at one from the highest. I don't really understand how that works though, since the lancet itself doesn't get longer. Is it more force? I do push in a little now since I've been having trouble.

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Permalink Reply by Brian (bsc) on August 17, 2012 at 10:13am

I have consistently found that I get stuff on my hands which mess up my readings. So I wash my Finger Under Test (FUT). And then I lance the "sides" of my fingers. I do the top "two" joints, which with eight fingers, gives me 32 basic sites to work with. I find that you have to adjust the lance to the proper depth and hold it firmly down against your finger to get a good consistent lance. Different sites along the finger will require different depths. If you aren't getting enough blood, you either aren't holding it firmly down enough or you need more lance depth.

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Permalink Reply by veggie_gal on August 17, 2012 at 10:37am

Why don't you have 10 fingers?

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Permalink Reply by Red_T1 on August 17, 2012 at 11:23am

no testing on thumbs :)

If its winter and I'm having a hard time.. and nothing else that anyone has already mentioned will work... I swing my arms around in huge circles for like 20 seconds. Swing them around from the shoulder like you're swimming. This forces some blood into your hands... or at least it seems like it does! If you're in public, try keeping your hands down at your sides and shaking them vigorously for about 30 seconds.

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Permalink Reply by jims on August 17, 2012 at 11:32am

Stay with the fingers that work. I do not find that all my fingers work equally as well and worse yet some fingers seem to have consistently higher glucose numbers from glucose laying around and backed up in those fingers.

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Permalink Reply by veggie_gal on August 17, 2012 at 12:12pm

Maybe...I just tried two times on my little finger; there was plenty of blood but it seemed thinner than normal and 2 hrs after lunch both were only 95. Seems too low (at least for me). I'm new at this and trying to get a handle on what makes it go up, but not having much luck. Seems like it's all over the place.

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