Need to know

…if there is anyone in this community that changes their lancet everytime they test their bloodsugar.

I change my lancet every time I test my bloodsugar. However, if my test fails, and I have to use another test strip, I will re-use my lancet.

not me.

I don’t change them until they start to hurt–maybe every month?

I do, I have very sensitive skin and no spleen, as well as kidney issue (prior to the D)…so the less risk the better–besides it doesn’t hurt as much with a new one–least for me

Heck no. I use one a day roughly. Using the Autoclix with the ‘drum’ of seven lancets, that’s a week in each drum.

No, I don’t change until they really start to hurt. I’m using the multiclix lancing device with the drum of 6(?) lancets. Since June I have only used 2 and all I have to do is turn the dial for a new one… I’m either very lazy or extremely cheap! My husband would say I’m cheap LOL because I also reuse my pen needles.

I did until I got on here and realized I didn’t need to! It was such a pain in the butt too. I usually change it once every 2 weeks to a month because that’s usually the length of time between other people asking me to test them and I always change before and after that. Or I’ll use them until they’re too dull to break the skin.

I only change mine if it’s really starting to hurt. I could use the same one for over a month which is probably a really bad thing to do, but even when I try to change it once a week I usually end up forgetting!

Let’s see…I test 10 times a day and I just calculated that I was diagnosed 6,653 days ago (18 years & change). So the number of lancets I’ve used…calculates quickly in her head…maybe 12? j/k But seriously, even assuming I used only 1 lancet per day, I refuse to fill a landfill with 6,000 lancets for no compelling reason.

I’ve become self-righteous enough as a veteran diabetic that I am among those who openly scoff at the clinical suggestions of alcohol prepping an injection site, alcohol prepping tops of vials, changing my lancet, or using a cotton ball for the end of my finger instead of the typical lick-after-prick. I followed the playbook for maybe the first 8 years. I finally decided for myself that to struggle in vain for a perfectly sterile environment when more of my energy could go toward other diabetes control elements was not worth my effort.

I do, however, wash my hands pre-test if I think I have food residue on them. I do use IV preps on pump sites to aid in adhesion. I do still own a sharps can for the rare times I throw away a needle. I don’t care about throwing away used infusion sets. My insulin juices aren’t going to hurt anyone.

Same here with the multiclix. I have a whole box of new drums, but I’ve yet to rotate off my first lancet in nearly a year! Now I’m wondering where I’ll be in my life when I reach the end of the current drum!

I am the same way. Used to use a new one virtually every time I tested. Now, I change about once a week or so.

Not a chance. I only change them when I try to test multiple times and I can’t get enough blood. This is probably really bad but it is usually months before I change mine.

Haha, no way! It’s one of the corners I’ve chosen to cut. I figure as long as I’m checking my BG, what does it really matter? I’ve been doing it this way probably since I got my first lancing device. There was a time when I just manually stuck my finger when I was a kid, and I always used a fresh one then, but no more. When it starts to hurt every single time I stick my finger, then I change it. That ends up being maybe a couple of times a year. Also, I make less trash.

Of course if I check someone else, I always change before and after testing.

I am bad and i only change it out when it starts to hurt.

Okay, so I am new to this (going on nine months now). And I guess I am a little concerned about bacteria and what not. Is it not possible to skew the bg reading by using an old lancet?

I only use alcohol wipes to clean the top of my forearm because I don’t like running to the bathroom to use soap and water to clean it each time I test.

I had not considered the landfill aspect of lancet use, and now that has me thinking of all those times I used to donate blood and platelets; not to mention the needles that all the hospitals and urgent care facilities around the country dispose of.

Anyway, back to my concern about bacteria, and this may seem like it is coming out from left field so bear with me. I brew beer as a hobby. If the beer brewing instruments, utensils, brew pots, fermentors etc are not cleaned and sterilized, the resulting brew will develop off flavors due to the contaminating bacteria’s effect on the yeast cultures.

With that in mind, I cannot help but wonder of possible skewed results or possible infection. It is apparent that everyone who has responded so far only change it when it begins to hurt or some other necessitating event. Has there been anyone who has experienced any ill affect of not changing it?

I probably change the lancet about twice a year. I think it has been 8 years since I bought any lancets, and I still have tons of them, everywhere. Before I went on the pump, I reused syringes for weeks. I don’t use alcohol swabs much (though I do use them for CGM insertions and IV Preps for infusion sites). I sometimes even reuse the pump tubing (why throw out all the insulin in the tube?). Having said all that, I use Purell constantly, wash my hands a ridiculous number of times a day, and like to keep my stuff neat a clean. This disease costs enough as it is. The equipment can easily and safely be reused many times.

??? You can change them???

I used to reuse syringes too when I used those. I stopped using alcohol in the early or mid 80’s. Like you, I now use them for CGM insertion sites, and I use IV Prep swabs for pump infusion sites. I do that since they’re things that stay under my skin, and that can be very susceptible to infection. I’ve never reused any of my pump supplies though.

Craig, I’ve never had any problems with reusing lancets or syringes other than maybe a little more discomfort if I’ve reused something to death.