I basically change it every time. If I forget, maybe I’ll use it twice. Luckily my insurance pays for them. It’s the strips that are the expensive part anyway, I guess.
Every time. I’m always worried that I might cross-contaminate my results or something. Plus I just don’t like the idea of re-using sharps. Use fresh needles every time too. Godbless the NHS!
Maybe 4-5 times a year. Maybe.
I’ve got like thousands of lancets from as far back as 1994. It’s shameful…I think I’m gonna go change it right now.
Change it ? You mean you are really suposta change it… Hummm how does this thing pop off… Hey I never knew it did that ! (Just Kidding !)
In real life I change it when ever I think of it or when I change vials of strips (whichever comes first) and I test about 4-5 times a day…
Insur. pays for lancets and strips and needles but…
Anyhow I have two full sharpes containers now and have to find a way to get rid of them…
Check with your county Department of Sanitation. They may be able to point you in the correct/safe method used in your municipality, or failing that, to a local hospital that is part of a needle exchange program.
Thanks ! Kaiser (local HMO) doesn’t take the full containers. My Local Sanitation company tells me I have to drop them off and they only take them once a month and the date is a floating one. Right now I have a friend over at local hospital that will take my full sharps and dispose of them without telling anyone. He is a nurse there.
I try to change my lancets once a day:)
I test about 8 - 12 times a day, and I change my lancet every morning. It’s just habit now and I do it automatically before I test for my fasting sugar.
I do the same thing. I’ll notice that it really starts hurting… then I think “oh, I should change that” … but then I don’t. I end up changing it once every couple of months. My boyfriend is trying to get me to change it once a week, but I think thats a waste.
I do the same thing! I change it when I check someone else’s blood sugar. I think that that’s only about every six months. If you want to be lazy about some aspect of diabetes care, I think that this is a good one to choose 
I brought mine to the hospital! My doctor took it!
But supposedly if you just mark and seal it, you can throw it in the regular trash (in my town at least). As far as I know, they throw it all in the same place anyway. It’s just important that it be in a safe container.
I change it every test. I’m a bit OCD, so it’s one of those things I obsess about. Oh well. I do hope that if you’re not changing the lancet, you’re at least cleaning it with an alcohol swab before jabbing the dirty, blood residue containing needle back into your skin… 
Wow! 8-12 times a day. Wish I was that aggressive. I’d probably be in much better control!
Well, I’m a new pumper (about a month). Before pumping I tested 5 - 8 times a day. Now I have a lot of “mandatory” testing as we try to get basals set up and such. But since the pump can control things to a much more precise level, I can see myself continuing to test 8 - 12 times in the future too.
What’s an alcohol swab?
I did it. I changed my lancet this morning. I must admit, it was really tough.
It’s always a hard time letting go. We had some good times, my late winter early/ spring lancet and I. I will never forget that time in Feb when we checked under the table at El Torito. Nobody even knew what we were doing down there…it was magical.
Goodbye little buddy, and stay sharp. It’s time for a sterile, more sanitary lancet to carry me through these hot summer months.
Alright…I’ll change it again tommorow.
Haha!
I’m still not convinced to change mine! But enjoy your new sterile lancet!!
I change mine almost everytime…I has very sensitive skin and get infections very easily, so I have to be very careful
Hi Kim I change my lancet every week I test 6-8 times a day!
I usually change it every 2-3 days, but I like to use an alcohol swap or at least wash my hands first. If I don’t use a swab (like if I’m at work and don’t have any), then I always change the lancet next time because I’m worried about dirt on my hands from the previous time being left on the lancet. But, in periods of laziness, I’ve definitely gone over a week. My endocrinologist told me I should change it every time I test, but sometimes I’m too lazy or in a rush!