# Problems with accu chek finger pricker?



## Lynna (May 8, 2013)

Hi

Does anyone use the accu chek fastclix finger pricker and if so have you had any problems? My daughter can go through a barrel of lancets or more and still fail to get enough blood to test. She now refuses to use it and we use one which you need to load every time. We have tried 2 fast clix and she claims they both are rubbish! I have tried them and sometimes it works and sometimes doesn't.


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## Tina63 (May 8, 2013)

My son has the fastclix finger pricker, and had the multiclix before that, and never had any problems.  I presume she has tried varying the depth of it?  Seems a bit odd.


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## Northerner (May 8, 2013)

Hi Lynna, I use an accuchek multiclix which is a very similar device and have never had any problems with it - been using it for the past 5 years. Many of the members here recommend it as one of the best finger prickers around, so it is surprising to hear of someone having problems - not that I'm doubting you of course!

Is the depth setting set appropriately? I find if I have it set too low then it doesn't really work very well for me - I have mine set to 2. Also, and this may sound daft, I find that the lancets work better after I have used them a few times so they are a bit blunter. I change them once in a blue moon partly because of this. 

It seems unlikely that you have two faulty devices - does the single use lancet you are having to use always work or is that problematic as well?


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## everydayupsanddowns (May 8, 2013)

I use the multi clix, but wouldn't dream of only using lancets a single time! I reuse them until they start to make their presence felt, then switch to the next one in the cartridge. But then again I never changed lancets every time with the other fingerprickers either. 

If I don't get a drop first time, I just keep going


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## Lauras87 (May 8, 2013)

I have a multi clix & a fast clix, if I'm honest the multi clix is far better than the fast one.

In my person experience the fast clix sometimes doesn't hit the spot so can see where your daughter is coming from.


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## Lynna (May 8, 2013)

Hi
Thanks for the replies. 
It does seem strange, but I have watched her doing it and right enough it does fail frequently. She has it set to 5! But she does recoil from it quickly, so I wondered if she was pulling away faster than the thing was firing, which would be a feat! The single use one seems to work fine, but it is a pfaff especially in the middle of the night in the dark! 
However, I mistakenly reordered the fastclix lancets on the last prescription, so she has a load of them to use so I will be an encouraging her to go back to that one!


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## Lauras87 (May 8, 2013)

Is it worth ringing Accu Chek to see if they could send you a multi clix pen?

I tried to look online but it won't load on my phone.

Your poor daughter's fingers - I find 3 painful so I dread to imagine 5


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## Northerner (May 8, 2013)

Lynna said:


> Hi
> Thanks for the replies.
> It does seem strange, but I have watched her doing it and right enough it does fail frequently. She has it set to 5! But she does recoil from it quickly, so I wondered if she was pulling away faster than the thing was firing, which would be a feat! The single use one seems to work fine, but it is a pfaff especially in the middle of the night in the dark!
> However, I mistakenly reordered the fastclix lancets on the last prescription, so she has a load of them to use so I will be an outraging her to go back to that one!



She might want to try it at a gentler setting, then it shouldn't hurt and she might feel she can trust it a bit more. OK, it might still hurt a bit, I can't lie!


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## Lynna (May 8, 2013)

I have just had a go at setting 3 which didn't do much and 4 which didn't seem to do much then after a wee while and some encouragement it gave enough for a test. 
And yes, her fingers must be sore - they are only small, but she says they are ok.
She also insists she likes the Optimus single one because it doesn't hurt so much. 
Have to go with what she wants. She has a lot to deal with in her little life (as many of you will identify with) so if she's happy with the one she uses then so be it. 
Just thought I would ask the question


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## Adrienne (May 8, 2013)

I hated the fastclix, my daughter uses the multiclix, brilliant thing.  

Is she doing it ok?  ie prick her finger, don't squeeze immediately and then squeeze.  If you prick and squeeze immediately you will be hard pushed to get blood out.  

We prick the finger, let go of the finger, then maybe count to 2 or 3 then squeeze.   Obviously if you are doing it like that then totally ignore me 

She is doing the sides and not the pads or the tips I take it.

Also she needs to not do the same fingers.  You can actually use them all including thumbs and first fingers.   We had to rest Jessica's middle fingers for years.  The little ones are my favourites but we are resting them now on one side so I still have the other side.   

xx


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## Lynna (May 8, 2013)

Adrienne said:


> I hated the fastclix, my daughter uses the multiclix, brilliant thing.
> 
> Is she doing it ok?  ie prick her finger, don't squeeze immediately and then squeeze.  If you prick and squeeze immediately you will be hard pushed to get blood out.
> 
> ...



Thanks Adrienne, didn't know about that technique of not squeezing immediately. I will tell her to give it a go. It certainly worked better for me when I did my finger just now. She does change fingers but she does get the pad quite a lot, although she does aim for the side. haven't had to rest any yet, as far as we know.


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## redrevis (May 8, 2013)

Like others have said, I doubt it's two broken finger prickers. My guess is like you said, she's pulling away before it reaches properly. My advice would be to reduce the setting to the lowest and when she pricks, she needs to press down slightly against the skin. If that doesn't draw blood, move the depth setting up 1 notch and press against the skin the same amount, and so on. I bet she'll find she doesn't need it set as deep and that it works much better.
I use the fastclix and have also used the multiclix. I did find the multiclix a bit better, but obviously it not being attached to the meter isn't as good so I stuck with the fastclix.


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## everydayupsanddowns (May 9, 2013)

It's all so individual and personal isn't it?! I tend to find more of a 'mid' setting but with the pricker held quite firmly against the finger is the least painful for me. Something to do with the pressure against the finger being a distraction maybe?


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## Lynna (May 9, 2013)

thanks all, for your comments.
It is great to get some different views and ideas as you can feel very isolated sometimes. it is always a struggle, but some days more so than others, especially as my daughter can have challenging behaviour at times. 
I have put all your ideas to her and it is up to her now what she does with them!


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