Arm Pain from LANCETS?

MAMZELLE · 11-19-2004, 12:16 AM

I took my sugar at 9 pm and had to puncture 3 times because couldn't get enough blood [even with Freestyle Flash monitor that requires the least amount of blood of all] I can't bear doing fingers, and never do nor ever will, my forearm gives practically NO blood and not enough meat on it, and figured i'd give my thighs a rest, and since then I have such bad pain in my arm/elbow area near where I did it that I can't bend my arm nor raise it nor do much of anything but type, [barely] and even that only because my laptop is on my bed with my plug-in keyboard on my lap].

It is excrutiatingly painful and kept getting worse and still is at after 2 and now 3 AM.. I just took two aspirins [that I keep in the house although Excedrin is what works for me, but figured better take straight aspirin just in case, if you know what I mean, and waited so long because wanted to monitor the pain and it wasn't THIS bad before].

But It has to be from the lancets becaue it would be too much of a timing coincidence to be anything else, and it started gradually almost right after my blood test at 9pm. Why would that do THIS? Those needles are tiny and not deep. The pain is exhausting me, that's how bad it is for 6 HOURS so far.... all night. I tested on the top of the arm right above elbow area.... in the area of an inch and two above elbow 3 [or 4] times.

Oh..... one of them I really had to squeeze hard and pinch together to get the blood out after even raising the lancet injector, but not THAT hard but I did pinch the area quite a bit after getting fed up with the other attempts and didn't want to have to do it again.

There was a little red mark of probably blood under the skin right around the puncture but that went away and there's no bruise, nor mark, just the viisible pin size puncture mark like always, no different. Any CLUE?

It's REALLY bad..... and stemming from the elbow area, not from the puncture, but it's near that.... bout an inch up from the elbow. The pain is on the TOP of the elbow area, not the back of, nor behind it..... so are the punctures.

The pain is going both down my whole arm to, and including the hand and there's slight numbness in hand, and also UP my arm FROM the elbow.

After I squeezed it, enough blood did come out.... but when I looked back at it, after reading the meter, to put the alcohol swab back on, much more had come out, which is unusual but didn't phase me, until this PAIN soon after. Amount of blood that came out afterwards was size of about a tic tac, but round... maybe a LITTLE smaller. That never happened before either, [MORE blood afterwards.... so much that I remember saying to myself '"damn, shame I can't save the rest of this for the next test"].

Could I have hit a nerve? A vein? None are visible there. I have it on the deepest setting but never feel it.. nor did I feel this going in either. Just felt normal when doing it as all the others.... totally painless so couldn't be a nerve, right? Maybe a vein? But why so painful and the whole ARM, and slight numbness in hand?

inatic · 11-20-2004, 04:09 AM

If your pain continues, you KNOW your going to have to have it looked at

Hope it went away. It could really be anything.

I know your carefully keeping track of your bs now.. really the best most accurate place to check are the fingers(read that in one of the manuals i have for my flash unit. I am sure you have seen this before in Berstiein suggests in his books, on the sides of the fingers or just above the nail bed, supposedly less pain.. and is how/where i test when i chose to as well.

MAMZELLE · 11-20-2004, 10:01 AM

The fingers are not an option for me. NEVER. Had a hemogloben test when a kid and shot straight to the CEILING and though that was in the middle and fleshy part of the finger, it stayed with me for LIFE, and I can even feel it now as I write.

But it's not that it's more 'accurate' but only more 'immediate' in the fingers. It shows the reaction of food FASTER, [that's what they mean by 'accurate'] that's all, and that's why the number is lower in the fingers first, because it shows the sugar having gone DOWN already after processing the food, everyone at those companies have told me
this, and they all say the same thing at each one, and DIFFERENT PEOPLE at each one also, so I'm confident about it after talking to so many at the manufacture's 800#'s of EACH one of my meters. That's one thing there was NO controversies nor discrepancy about from one person the next, nor one meter company to the next.

I've spoken to too many of them to even count [and read the same thing everywhere too]... because it was processed faster in the fingers by the insulin in the body and that's why they say if needing to test in only ONE HOUR, the results will be in the fingers first, before the arm, and therefore more 'accurate' at THAT time, and in that respect, than anywhere else so only the fingers should be done in a one hour test after food, anywhere else it MUST be no less than 2 hrs. OR just if you want to know the blood sugar RIGHT NOW [is how they also worded it]..... those results would be more accurate in regard to TIME only in the 'fingers' more than the arm. If done in the arm in only an hour, THEN it's not accurate **YET**. The pot isn't boiled yet, so to speak, lol.... that's all.

Believe me, that part I investigated immediately, before I even had all these 'alternate site' meters here, then AGAIN after they were. It's a big issue for me so I had to be very sure, even in my own mind, about the accuracy of them. Even when I first started taking my sugar for that short time 2 years ago, I used the side of my big TOE lol after trying it once in the side of my finger...... NEVER the finger again. Just can't do it, and they even say how it is much more painful because of the nerve endings there..... I always did the sides of my mother's fingers for 3 years.... she's been doing that all her life herself, so nothing phases her. Now in the arm, or thigh, nothing phases ME.... I feel NOTHING and could keep sticking myself 100 times a minute if i wanted to, and don't feel a single thing! These lancets are fabulous, but accuracy was the MOST important thing to me above all else so I did make extensively sure.

Thanks so much for your response.... yes, the arm is better today, though yesterday there was still 'soreness' and problems bending and slight immobility, but today, though It's still there, it's nevertheless, even better. Guess it's going away gradually.

It's the strangest thing, it was so immediate, but I didn't call and ask anyone about it but if I talk to them again I will ask. I suspect it's the kind of thing most people wouldn't be able to answer anyway, though. The pain was excrutiating. Can't remember the last time I've ever had pain like that [and aside from NEEDLES ....I otherwise have a high threshold for pain, which is why I didn't take anything for it for HOURS] but this was indescribable, and even the aspirin didn't work. Literally paralizing but 90% better *sigh*. [needles are a different thing eltirely, that's a thing I have in my head about. Just can't stand needles and vein things. The lancet needle is so short and can't feel in arm or thigh, etc. so that's different. When drawing blood in an emergency room I also made them draw it from my ankle, instead of the soft skin INSIDE of the arm. Got a 'thing' about it lol].

Still would like to hear if anyone has a guess about what it might have been.... including the AN. Wonder if they've been around. Kind of worried if it could happen again from a lancet, so have been a little gunshy since.

But my sugar went down to 120 and 118 [on two different meters taken at the same time] for the FIRST time that low, so I'm ecstatic lol Even if the readings go up to 130's again..... at least i got it down that low FINALLY. Was never able to before, but I was nibbling during the 2 hour waiting periods between my meals and the tests, because I spread them out and never finish a meal all at once, which I thought I was allowed to do before the tests, which is a problem because I can't eat it all at once, and I can't reconstruct my eating habits suddenly! So I'll see from now on. I don't expect it to stay that low, and am preparing myself for that :-(

This morning it WAS 131 again.... stranges thing that it's been the same 131 for 3 mornings in a row [and also THAT particular number at times during the day as well] and still that again. [beginning to really believe Linda's research on Dawn Penomenon. Higher fasting readings than the rest of the day, even after meals! But the SAME number 3 days in a row, is really amazing and very odd. Maybe I should play the lottery, and work that number into it somehow. lol

MAMZELLE · 11-23-2004, 08:35 AM

Well, that happened on the 19th [Friday], and today is the 23rd, Tuesay, and it's the first day that the pain is GONE and the first day I can freely even MOVE my arm. This is something I will never forget. Wish I knew what that needle HIT, that practically incapacitqated my entire arm and hand..... not to mention the excrutiating pain. Shame the AN didn't pop by.

11-19-2004, 12:16 AM	#1
MAMZELLE MAJOR LCF POSTER! Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: MANHATTAN NYC - click on ''MAMZELLE" directly below for more photos. Posts: 1,021 Gallery: MAMZELLE Stats: LIFETIME MANTENANCE WOE: ATKINS "ORIGINAL" DIET - why tamper with success!! Start Date: as Patient when the Maestro's FIRST book came out	Arm Pain from LANCETS? I took my sugar at 9 pm and had to puncture 3 times because couldn't get enough blood [even with Freestyle Flash monitor that requires the least amount of blood of all] I can't bear doing fingers, and never do nor ever will, my forearm gives practically NO blood and not enough meat on it, and figured i'd give my thighs a rest, and since then I have such bad pain in my arm/elbow area near where I did it that I can't bend my arm nor raise it nor do much of anything but type, [barely] and even that only because my laptop is on my bed with my plug-in keyboard on my lap]. It is excrutiatingly painful and kept getting worse and still is at after 2 and now 3 AM.. I just took two aspirins [that I keep in the house although Excedrin is what works for me, but figured better take straight aspirin just in case, if you know what I mean, and waited so long because wanted to monitor the pain and it wasn't THIS bad before]. But It has to be from the lancets becaue it would be too much of a timing coincidence to be anything else, and it started gradually almost right after my blood test at 9pm. Why would that do THIS? Those needles are tiny and not deep. The pain is exhausting me, that's how bad it is for 6 HOURS so far.... all night. I tested on the top of the arm right above elbow area.... in the area of an inch and two above elbow 3 [or 4] times. Oh..... one of them I really had to squeeze hard and pinch together to get the blood out after even raising the lancet injector, but not THAT hard but I did pinch the area quite a bit after getting fed up with the other attempts and didn't want to have to do it again. There was a little red mark of probably blood under the skin right around the puncture but that went away and there's no bruise, nor mark, just the viisible pin size puncture mark like always, no different. Any CLUE? It's REALLY bad..... and stemming from the elbow area, not from the puncture, but it's near that.... bout an inch up from the elbow. The pain is on the TOP of the elbow area, not the back of, nor behind it..... so are the punctures. The pain is going both down my whole arm to, and including the hand and there's slight numbness in hand, and also UP my arm FROM the elbow. After I squeezed it, enough blood did come out.... but when I looked back at it, after reading the meter, to put the alcohol swab back on, much more had come out, which is unusual but didn't phase me, until this PAIN soon after. Amount of blood that came out afterwards was size of about a tic tac, but round... maybe a LITTLE smaller. That never happened before either, [MORE blood afterwards.... so much that I remember saying to myself '"damn, shame I can't save the rest of this for the next test"]. Could I have hit a nerve? A vein? None are visible there. I have it on the deepest setting but never feel it.. nor did I feel this going in either. Just felt normal when doing it as all the others.... totally painless so couldn't be a nerve, right? Maybe a vein? But why so painful and the whole ARM, and slight numbness in hand? Last edited by MAMZELLE : 11-19-2004 at 01:14 AM.

11-20-2004, 04:09 AM	#2
inatic Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Alpharetta,Ga. Posts: 12,582 Gallery: inatic Stats: 182/126.2 5'4 46!yo 16/4 5 kidlets later! WOE: Coach Supervised Start Date: LC since 2/02 B'building since 10/15/02	If your pain continues, you KNOW your going to have to have it looked at Hope it went away. It could really be anything. I know your carefully keeping track of your bs now.. really the best most accurate place to check are the fingers(read that in one of the manuals i have for my flash unit. I am sure you have seen this before in Berstiein suggests in his books, on the sides of the fingers or just above the nail bed, supposedly less pain.. and is how/where i test when i chose to as well. __________________ Ileen Ya Gotta wanna! Coached by: Erik Ledin, LeanBodies Consulting My picture journey http://community.webshots.com/user/inatic http://s317.photobucket.com/albums/mm366/inatic/

11-20-2004, 10:01 AM	#3
MAMZELLE MAJOR LCF POSTER! Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: MANHATTAN NYC - click on ''MAMZELLE" directly below for more photos. Posts: 1,021 Gallery: MAMZELLE Stats: LIFETIME MANTENANCE WOE: ATKINS "ORIGINAL" DIET - why tamper with success!! Start Date: as Patient when the Maestro's FIRST book came out	The fingers are not an option for me. NEVER. Had a hemogloben test when a kid and shot straight to the CEILING and though that was in the middle and fleshy part of the finger, it stayed with me for LIFE, and I can even feel it now as I write. But it's not that it's more 'accurate' but only more 'immediate' in the fingers. It shows the reaction of food FASTER, [that's what they mean by 'accurate'] that's all, and that's why the number is lower in the fingers first, because it shows the sugar having gone DOWN already after processing the food, everyone at those companies have told me this, and they all say the same thing at each one, and DIFFERENT PEOPLE at each one also, so I'm confident about it after talking to so many at the manufacture's 800#'s of EACH one of my meters. That's one thing there was NO controversies nor discrepancy about from one person the next, nor one meter company to the next. I've spoken to too many of them to even count [and read the same thing everywhere too]... because it was processed faster in the fingers by the insulin in the body and that's why they say if needing to test in only ONE HOUR, the results will be in the fingers first, before the arm, and therefore more 'accurate' at THAT time, and in that respect, than anywhere else so only the fingers should be done in a one hour test after food, anywhere else it MUST be no less than 2 hrs. OR just if you want to know the blood sugar RIGHT NOW [is how they also worded it]..... those results would be more accurate in regard to TIME only in the 'fingers' more than the arm. If done in the arm in only an hour, THEN it's not accurate YET. The pot isn't boiled yet, so to speak, lol.... that's all. Believe me, that part I investigated immediately, before I even had all these 'alternate site' meters here, then AGAIN after they were. It's a big issue for me so I had to be very sure, even in my own mind, about the accuracy of them. Even when I first started taking my sugar for that short time 2 years ago, I used the side of my big TOE lol after trying it once in the side of my finger...... NEVER the finger again. Just can't do it, and they even say how it is much more painful because of the nerve endings there..... I always did the sides of my mother's fingers for 3 years.... she's been doing that all her life herself, so nothing phases her. Now in the arm, or thigh, nothing phases ME.... I feel NOTHING and could keep sticking myself 100 times a minute if i wanted to, and don't feel a single thing! These lancets are fabulous, but accuracy was the MOST important thing to me above all else so I did make extensively sure. Thanks so much for your response.... yes, the arm is better today, though yesterday there was still 'soreness' and problems bending and slight immobility, but today, though It's still there, it's nevertheless, even better. Guess it's going away gradually. It's the strangest thing, it was so immediate, but I didn't call and ask anyone about it but if I talk to them again I will ask. I suspect it's the kind of thing most people wouldn't be able to answer anyway, though. The pain was excrutiating. Can't remember the last time I've ever had pain like that [and aside from NEEDLES ....I otherwise have a high threshold for pain, which is why I didn't take anything for it for HOURS] but this was indescribable, and even the aspirin didn't work. Literally paralizing but 90% better sigh. [needles are a different thing eltirely, that's a thing I have in my head about. Just can't stand needles and vein things. The lancet needle is so short and can't feel in arm or thigh, etc. so that's different. When drawing blood in an emergency room I also made them draw it from my ankle, instead of the soft skin INSIDE of the arm. Got a 'thing' about it lol]. Still would like to hear if anyone has a guess about what it might have been.... including the AN. Wonder if they've been around. Kind of worried if it could happen again from a lancet, so have been a little gunshy since. But my sugar went down to 120 and 118 [on two different meters taken at the same time] for the FIRST time that low, so I'm ecstatic lol Even if the readings go up to 130's again..... at least i got it down that low FINALLY. Was never able to before, but I was nibbling during the 2 hour waiting periods between my meals and the tests, because I spread them out and never finish a meal all at once, which I thought I was allowed to do before the tests, which is a problem because I can't eat it all at once, and I can't reconstruct my eating habits suddenly! So I'll see from now on. I don't expect it to stay that low, and am preparing myself for that :-( This morning it WAS 131 again.... stranges thing that it's been the same 131 for 3 mornings in a row [and also THAT particular number at times during the day as well] and still that again. [beginning to really believe Linda's research on Dawn Penomenon. Higher fasting readings than the rest of the day, even after meals! But the SAME number 3 days in a row, is really amazing and very odd. Maybe I should play the lottery, and work that number into it somehow. lol Last edited by MAMZELLE : 11-20-2004 at 10:20 AM.

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11-23-2004, 08:35 AM	#4
MAMZELLE MAJOR LCF POSTER! Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: MANHATTAN NYC - click on ''MAMZELLE" directly below for more photos. Posts: 1,021 Gallery: MAMZELLE Stats: LIFETIME MANTENANCE WOE: ATKINS "ORIGINAL" DIET - why tamper with success!! Start Date: as Patient when the Maestro's FIRST book came out	Well, that happened on the 19th [Friday], and today is the 23rd, Tuesay, and it's the first day that the pain is GONE and the first day I can freely even MOVE my arm. This is something I will never forget. Wish I knew what that needle HIT, that practically incapacitqated my entire arm and hand..... not to mention the excrutiating pain. Shame the AN didn't pop by.