When I was first diagnosed at 6 years old my parents managed my type 1, and changed my lancet before each test. After I started to manage it on my own I wouldn’t change it for months, maybe even a year. After my doctor explained why I need to be changing it more I started to change it every morning. Before every morning test I put a new lancet in. I also heard that every 6 finger pokes a new lancet should be put into the poker.
No I don’t either, but I know i should.
I do the same. I do change them if someone else wants to test, for some reason (I’m diabetic and I have one diabetic child, so I’m always on the lookout for high BGs in other kids).
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copy that, otw it would be gross. I forgot that i’ve tested a good amount of family members and friends and that’s another time when I swap out the poker. if it’s a contest,and your feeling hypo, just make it “highest buys”.
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I’m a bit more cautious, but if someone other than me is using my meter, I hand that person a lancet and keep my lancing device for my personal use.
Remember the total solar eclipse from 2 years ago that could be viewed in certain areas of the US? That’s when I last changed my lancet! 
But seriously, I probably change about once a season.
Maybe I “should” change my lancet every time like I’m supposed to, but seriously, I’ve got enough diabetes crap to carry around and keep up with day after day without having to worry about changing a freaking lancet 7 times a day. Man, I got stuff to do! Ain’t nobody got time for that!
Thanks everybody for your honesty!! I’m guilty of not changing my lancet for months until I got the Fast clic and they come in barrels!! Just a quick click and it’s changed!! My goal is to change it every morning but it probably works out to once a week. Why am I so lazy??!! Lol!!
Now that I have my G6, I can’t tell you when I last changed my lancet. Probably when I got my G6 last October!! Oops!!
I used to reuse my lancets for weeks until one day I saw what my finger tips looked like under a magnifying glass while removing a splinter. They were extremely scarred and cut up not to mention tender and sore. Plus how accurate are the blood sugar readings when you’re getting blood out of scar tissue .The lancet tip bends after use And a dull blunt tip damages the finger tip tissue . Do yourself a favor and change them at least daily. A fresh lancet Is less painful too!
I know I’m really late to join this thread, but…
I discard after every use. Always have, always will. I only had to be shown a single photo of a used needle to learn that lesson. If I don’t draw blood on the first try I might try the lancet a second time, but if there’s blood or if I have to try a third time the lancet gets changed.
@Dennis, I remember those pointed sheet metal lancets! That’s what the nurses at my pediatrician’s office used on me the day I was diagnosed (in '93). I used to have nightmares about those lancets!
I use the Fastclix lancet device - the one where the Lamberts come in a drum. I advance the drum 1 click on Sundays, so I change once a week. I used to use regular lancet devices and just changed when the thing got so dull it was painful. It could have been weeks…
I think I have gone at the most about six months without changing one. Now that I have a Dexcom CGM, I rarely test.
When I was diagnosed, I was told to switch it before every test, but I stopped doing that pretty quickly. Now that I only test a couple times a month because of my dexcom g6, I change it once every month or two. When I was still primarily using my meter, I switched it once every couple of days.
My strips come in a vial of 50. When I change vials, I change lancets. The insulin pen needles are one per pen (generally around 10 days of injections, 3-4 per day). No alcohol, no problems.