My fingers really get sore and hurt from poking them with the lancets. Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas about this? And if we (as diabetics) have trouble healing, why are we poking our fingers anyway?
Hi Peter,
You can use an alternate test site on your arms, but just be aware that the reading is said to be about 15 minutes behind in lag time compared to finger sticks. With your lancing device, there’s another cap (usually clear) for using on arms.
I’ve not hard sore fingers since my skin has toughened up from doing this. Keep alternating fingers. People are told by doctors to use alcohol swabs first, but this is useless & just dries out your skin more.
Not much problem healing from a finger stick:)
I think the lancet device makes a big difference! I find the Softclix and the Multiclix to be the most gentle.
What lancet device are you using?
I just started using the multiclix and I REALLY like it.
I use a different lancer–the one I have foudn the most comforatable–it auto-advancesand has 20 pokes toa cartridge–the below link has their site and a # to call for a free sample
I have used every lancet device on the market and my favorite is the Accucheck mulitlclix followed by the renew lancing device that Denise gave you a link to. Definitely take advantage of that free offer, it is worth it to try it out. The biggest difference for me was how much control I have over the depth of the poke and the size of the needle. I find I have more dial in ability with the multiclix than the renew but both of them hurt less. The less deep you set the poker, the quicker the healing and less pain from the poke so play around with this and find what works for you. I test 12+ times a day and I have had no problem healing.
Also make sure you are testing on the sides of the finger and not the tips or the pad of the finger. There are more nerves there and it hurts more. Definitely skip the alcohol, this will make your skin super dry.
Don’t poke the finger tips poke a bit away.
i use this little guy:
The best one that I like is the accu-chek Multiclix. I use to check my sugars on my arm because It hurt but now I use the multiclix on my fingers.It makes all the difference.
how does the multiclix work? i’m a very visual person and i can’t find any close-up pictures of how it works. do you load all 6 lancets yourself…?
Faye, the multiclix lancets are preloaded. You just pull the top off of the multiclix, pull the used drum out and put the new one in.
7549-MulticlixDrums.jpg (119 KB)
7550-MulticlixBoxA200w.jpg (18.4 KB)
try taking up playing the guitar. if you can toughen up your fingers any you may find it easier. also think about the uses of the finger. you feel mostly witht the tip and the center of the pad. don’t poke there thats where all the nerves are, and not so many blood vessles. they are all closer to the edges, but the nail bed will really hurt so don’t go that far
sweet! thanks yvonne and marie! definitely gonna give this a try.
Thanks for posting these Yvonne and Marie! Can you re-use the drum or do you need to change it after 6 pokes?
I found that the OneTouch ones hurt a lot! You have a tough little one! 
if you don’t twist the “cocking” part of the device, it does not advance to the next of the 6 sharps. so if you just ■■■■ it, it will use the same sharp. (Once you advance to the next sharp, you can’t go back.) So, if you’re like most people and reuse lancets, one drum could last you a while.
Great! Thanks Marie!
The lancet device you use definitely makes a big difference. I have a very simple one that came with my first meter, and I was perfectly satisfied with it – until I got my Accu-chek Multiclix. It’s WORLDS better in the comfort level. One tip: you can buy the Multiclix separately, and it’s about $30 – but an Aviva meter is only about $20 most places (or you can get one free from Accu-chek) AND it comes with a Multiclix and two 6-lancet drums. I understand that there are some even-more-painless lancing devices out there, but this one is a good compromise between cost and ouchiness, being pretty cheap and pretty painless.
Where and how you poke your finger makes a big difference also. I use sites on the sides of my fingers, NOT on the pads where there are far more nerves (there’s a good picture of the correct site on the “painless testing” page on Blood Sugar 101), and I only use my ring and pinky fingers which don’t get as much contact with other surfaces so I’m not adding extra irritation to the sites. I test anywhere from 1-4 times daily most days (sometimes I only check fasting and don’t test post-meal if I’m eating only meals of known effect on me; I test even more if I’m pushing a limit with what I’m eating, or if I’m having alcohol which can send me low), and this is plenty of room for me to test without using the other fingers. You can re-use the lancets for more than one test; I generally switch to the next click if it stings, or seems to strike off center, or if I notice that I’ve got a little dark spot where I tested even if it doesn’t hurt, all of which are signs that the lancet needle is dull or bent. Pretty much every lancing device lets you adjust the depth of the strike; use the very shallowest setting that will let you reliably get an adequate sample.
just bought the multiclix (like, 10 minutes ago) and am absolutely LOVING it! i was VERY surprised at how painless it was vs. how much blood i actually got, even on the first setting…i think my finger is still bleeding a little, so i’m trying not to type too fast/hard. =P
i paid $19.99 for the kit that includes 2 drums and $17.99 for a box of drums (102 total lancets). well worth the investment, imo! can the drums be prescribed?