Watery looking blood?

I am just wondering if anyone out there has had this happen.

Today while I was testing myself I sometimes have a hard time getting enough blood to come out of my finger to put on the test strip

Or it will come out very watery looking ( very thin) and runs down my finger

Most of the time the blood bubbles up and stays where I poked myself.

I had to poke myself 6 times this afternoon to get enough blood to test. ( I had to try several fingers)

Sometimes its okay and sometimes I have problems! I never know!

I am just wondering if anyone else has had either of these problems?

Thanks,
Chris

I have had this happen too. Presumably because of less than optimal lancet sharpness or depth. I think it’s interstitial fluid that is being squeezed out.

If you poke the side of your finger, it will usually deliver a much better, larger bead of blood. You may also want to use a meter with strips that require very little blood such as the contour one next. This is also the most accurate meter on the market.

Are your hands still damp?

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No I dry them off with a paper towel as soon as I am done washing my hands.

And I try to dry them until I don’t feel any moisture.

Then Tim’s idea of interstitial fluid is probably right. It’s watery as it comes out. I would talk this over with your doctor. things you could consider is washing/soaking hand and forearm in hot water, to try and increase circulation before testing.

When you just milk your finger now, without testing. Does the pad go red, or does it stay the same colour? Is it lack of circulation.
Given it is sometimes good, your lancing depth may be OK. You could try the next setting, to see if it makes a difference when you have trouble.

“When you just milk your finger now, without testing. Does the pad go red, or does it stay the same colour? Is it lack of circulation.
Given it is sometimes good, your lancing depth may be OK. You could try the next setting, to see if it makes a difference when you have trouble.”

I just squeezed my finger and it turned red. I hope I don’t have circulation problems at 37.

I don’t have a lancing pen. I just take the lancet out of the box and twist the top off and stab my finger and move it around a couple times then pull it out and squeeze my finger.

if your finger tip turned red, I’d say the circulation is fine.

I think you have identified the issue. Get yourself a lancing pen.
Here the manufactures sends out meters and pens for free, they want you to use their strips and lancets.

move the pad over, like clicking your fingers and lance the bulge/swelling on the side.

I’m learning that I’m an oddball out when it comes to menu things diabetic (like I’m the only “hot cheeks” who’s face flushes when my insulin peaks), but I have definitely experienced this as well. And get again in surprised they more people don’t notice this. It’s always just been this way for me, though I notice it less now that I’m on CGM and rarely test. In my case, though, it always seems to relate to my BG level. My blood is much thinner when I’m 80 mg/dl than when I’m 250 mg/dl.

I don’t think the sugar is actually thickening my blood, though. (Or does it???). I just figure it’s coincidental or loosely correlated. Like, obviously I was being neglectful if I got that high, was I also neglectful about drinking my water? Highs are definitely dehydrating, so that might have something to do with it. It might also be something weird like a medication I take with breakfast affecting viscosity, and the BG numbers are just coincidental because of when I did the test in relationship to breakfast.

I could always tell if my BG was going to be in range from the color of my blood as a kid before I could “feel” my highs. If my blood sample was dark red I was high like over 300. If my blood sample was bright red my BG was in range :woman_shrugging:.

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That’s likely because when you are dehydrated you blood appears darker. If your sugars are high you likely will also be dehydrated.