Coaguchek Softclix lancets

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yotphix

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 14, 2009
Messages
409
Location
Canada
Hi all,
I don't know if they all do but my Coaguchek xs came with a lancet holder and 50 or so little yellow lancets. My pharmacist suggested that if I am the only one using it I could use each one several times but I haven't bothered. Now I am down to the last 12 or so and can't find any replacements online or in pharmacies. There are Accuchek Softclix lancets everywhere, but none of the type we have. Any suggestions? I would prefer to stick with what I know and what fits in the case nicely, and to avoid haveing to spend 15 dollars on a new holder for a different lancet type.

Paul

another thought: Perhaps someone knows whether the Accuchek lancets fit and are the same gauge? That would solve the problem permanently since they are so easy to find.
 
Hello Paul, there is no need to re-use a lancet. They are not expensive. I buy 2 years worth for about $10.
You can call Roche directly in Montreal and they will make sure u get some.
 
Thanks Bina, I'll give that a try. I figured they must be pretty cheap, which is why I've been changing them each test.
Appreciate the quick response.

p
 
I've tried a few different lancets -- and the replacement lancets are quite inexpensive. I'm with Bina -- they're very inexpensive and there is NO REASON to reuse them. (In fact, the package that the lancets come in usually say not to because they're not as sharp, and it might hurt to reuse them. This doesn't even consider the fact that, once used, they are no longer sterile. (I've bought lancets at Ralphs/Kroger for as little as $1 for a box of 100).

The lacing devices are, I thought, fairly universal (they should take pretty much anyone's lancets). I've used the bulk lancets (and I've got enough for many years of weekly or bi-weekly testing), and the ones I've used all seemed to be equally (relatively) painless. For my CoaguChek S, I've used 21 gauge - but 25 or 26 should work, too. You may only need a smaller gauge with a CoaguChek XS.

What I use most of the time for my CoaguChek S meter are some 'bullseye', single use lancets that I got on eBay for about 20 cents each -- expensive, I know, when compared to the ones I got for 1-6 cents each, but they work well and $13 for a year or so isn't that bad.

(One tip, too, is that if you need a different lancet holder - you probably don't - it may almost be cheaper to buy one of the blood glucose monitors for $10 or less if you can find one on sale - they almost always come with a lancing device and 10 or more lancets. Also -- I asked Bayer a question online about a broken lancing device and they sent me a new one, with lancets, at no charge.)
 
All good advice. I've sent an email to Roche. Failing that, I will take protime's suggestion and buy a box of some other lancets. If they don't fit then the tool for them can be had for very little, as mentioned, with the glucose monitor. Done.
 
Where ever you got your monitor should be able to order the yellow lancets - that's what my pharmacist does for me.

You'll fine that with other lancets, the 'needle' is not the same.....they are more fine/thinner and you won't get enough of a sample for XS monitor.
 
Last edited:
Freddie said:
Where ever you got your monitor should be able to order the yellow lancets - that's what my pharmacist does for me.

You'll fine that with other lancets, the 'needle' is not the same.....they are more fine/thinner and you won't get enough of a sample for XS monitor.
Click to expand...

Freddie:

When I got the CoaguChek S, I found that only certain lancets would make an incision that yielded enough blood for the test. I believe the the XS takes less blood than the CoaguChek S. I did some experimenting, and found that there are three factors at play:

The depth setting on the lancing device (I had to set mine to maximum)
The amount of pressure that you use to hold the lancing device against the fingertip (firm pressure yields a larger, deeper incision and a bigger drop - but it's still pretty painless)
The size of the lancet. (If you can get 21 gauge, these are the largest, although 25 and 26 gauge also work. The 'softclix' lancets - 30 or 33 gauge, don't make a large enough incision for a good, healthy drop of blood that the strip requires.)

If you work with all three factors, you should be able to get a good drop.

As I noted before, although I was able to get a good drop with a 21 gauge lancet set to maximum depth, I bought a set of one-use lancing devices (about $13, delivered, for 50), and they work fine for me.

The lancets included with the XS - and available from Roche are somewhat more expensive, but certainly not backbreaking. It's a matter of personal choice -- the Roche devices work if you apply enough pressure to your finger, and the other methods also work.
 
Paul,
The Accuchek products for diabetic testing are not meant for Coaguchek monitors for a good reason.
Accuchek requires a tiny smear of blood for glucose results and
Coaguchek XS requires a single large drop of blood for coag results.
Stick with what is recommended for your machine---- 21 guage yellow lancets.
I'm sure that Roche will get them to you, they have actually mailed some to my house in the past.
 
Bina said:
Paul,
The Accuchek products for diabetic testing are not meant for Coaguchek monitors for a good reason.
Accuchek requires a tiny smear of blood for glucose results and
Coaguchek XS requires a single large drop of blood for coag results.
Stick with what is recommended for your machine---- 21 guage yellow lancets.
I'm sure that Roche will get them to you, they have actually mailed some to my house in the past.
Click to expand...

Thank-you Bina for setting the record straight! Stick with the recommendation for your machine. Don't mess around with other lancets.
 
Bina said:
Paul,
The Accuchek products for diabetic testing are not meant for Coaguchek monitors for a good reason.
Accuchek requires a tiny smear of blood for glucose results and
Coaguchek XS requires a single large drop of blood for coag results.
Stick with what is recommended for your machine---- 21 guage yellow lancets.
I'm sure that Roche will get them to you, they have actually mailed some to my house in the past.
Click to expand...
Being diabetic I undrstand what you are saying about the blood sample required ......does the site where you draw the sample matter or differ as I have seen ads where the blood sample for diabetics is on the forearm ....I have always drawn from fingers ....I think it is a Bayer ad that does the forearm and I have accuchek the point is DOES IT MATTER for INR testing ?
 
Ok Bina, fair enough. Gauge matters. I presume though that I could get other 21 gauge lancets? That is, Protime's assertion that most lancets fit most machines is true. I do intend to chase after the folks at Roche but so far they haven't responded to my email and I would rather wait 'til I'm in Canada next to call them.
On the topic of where to poke, the people up at the ACT Clinic I used to go to (Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto) liked to poke me in the middle of the finger pad. I've always poked the side at home since it has less callous and is less likely to get rubbed in some of the nasty things I work with. I can't imagine how you would poke your arm and then guide the blood onto that little landing pad sticking out of the machine. Hard enough to get the finger in the right spot.
 
I wouldn't even try to use my forearm or the palm of my hand, or the heel of the foot, or other areas that may be useful for getting a small drop for blood glucose testing. The diabetic tests usually use a really small lancet, and don't get the quantity of blood needed for testing with a CoaguChek or other INR meter. However, most of the lancing devices WILL work with the 21 gauge lancets.

If the yellow ones from Roche are 21 gauge, I'd be inclined to go with those.

I found that going too close to the side of the finger was painful and didn't yield a lot of blood. I go in about halfway between the side of the finger and the fleshy part that seems to have the most blood.

As I mentioned, the generic 21 gauge lancets work pretty well to get a good sized drop. Also, I didn't mention that if you're shopping for lancets, the box will usually list the lancing devices that they work with. In my experience MOST of these devices can handle the lancets. Some may be a bit fancier - some even eject the used lancet after it's been used.

And, as I said before, you can probably find the least expensive blood glucose monitor (I've seen them for as little as $4), and the lancing device included should work fine (but if they come with lancets, the lancets are probably too fine to get an adequate drop of blood). If you're new to taking your own blood (and, perhaps, not so new at it), remember to get blood into the fingertip (by warming your hand up, or 'milking' blood up your finger, or ???) before lancing it, and don't be afraid to press the lancing device into the fingertip - that way the lancet should penetrate enough to make an adequate incision. You don't have to press very hard - just make firm contact with the fingertip.

I use a ProTime meter, which requires the most blood of all of the devices (usually 2 or 3 or more drops - and the first drop is wiped away). I assume the Tenderlette that comes with the ProTime cuvettes is also 21 gauge. The area on the fingertip that I described is the one that works best for me.

As a matter of pure convenience, I use some prepackaged one use lancing devices (BullsEye) that I bought on eBay for testing with my CoaguChek S. They're easy to use, should cost about 20 cents each, and can only be used once -- no chance of reusing the same lancet, and they're probably safe to dispose of without causing any contamination.

Again, as noted above, the 21 gauge should be fine; you can probably use a generic lancing device with generic (or name brand) lancets; and if you prefer the ones from Roche or another company, go for it....
 
An update and two thoughts. First, I have still not had any luck convincing Roche in Canada or the US to sell me yellow lancets, or even to direct me to where I can buy them. I did get a quick response from Roche USA (I got no answer at all from Montreal). A very helpful woman there offered to send me some blue lancets, which she insists are the correct lancets for the Coaguchek, despite no knowing the gauge. It's a start but far from a solution to what seems a very simple problem - where can I buy the yellow lancets?- note I said 'seems'!
First thought is that many have expressed something just a bit short of horror at the idea of using a lancet more than once, and that seems a bit silly to me. I haven't generally done that but the only 'contamination' they are exposed to is the blood of my freshly sanitized finger. Not only that but they don't penetrate deeply, and the path they take is immediately washed with the escaping blood. As I said I don't, but I really don't think it's a big deal, or that my pharmacist was wrong to suggest it when training me in the use of the meter. (I did several finger sticks there with him that day and used the same lancet for them all.)
Second thought is that this difficulty I am having must indicate the relative rarity of these machines. I know that every pharmacy I enter is full of blank stares when I ask about our specific lancets. The people behind the counters have never even heard of the machines. The total I have checked in now must be 15 or more. Anyone have stats on how widely distributed these things are, especially among the general populace? (I assume that clinics buy direct from the source.)
Hmmm...I think I'll keep looking for the 21g generics mentioned by ProtimeNow. I don't want the single use devices because they seem wasteful to me. I'd rather throw away the little bit than the whole kit each time.
 
A few things: yes, single use devices might be a bit wasteful -- 20 cents or more per test, as opposed to pennies using the generic lancets. You know, if they're sealed when you open them, that they're sterile, and you also know that if someone goes through your trash, they won't get poked by them.

Your comment about reusing a lancet is interesting. I don't think that reusing a lancet within minutes of your last finger poke would be much of a problem - which is probably why a pharmacist would allow you to do this. The real concern is reusing the lancets after they've been exposed to air, have remnants of your blood on them, and are allowed to sit. This is a perfect environment for pathogens to collect and multiply. It's just too risky to reuse a lancet that's been sitting for a while - even if you try to sterilize it before reusing it.

I think I may have seen the Roche lancets for sale on eBay - maybe not.

However, if you go to your local drug store - or even, perhaps, a WalMart, Target, or grocery store with a pharmacy, they may have lancets that say, on the box, which lancing devices they work with. You'll probably want the 21 gauge if you can get them - but for an XS you may possibly be able to get away with a 25 gauge (although, because I don't have an XS, I can't confirm this).

As far as paying $15 for a more generic lancing device, you can get some on eBay for just a few dollars, and at the drug stores I mentioned above, they often sell a meter, with lancing device and lancets, for less than $10 -- although the lancets are too fine for you to use to get blood for an INR test (probably), all you'll have to do after getting the kit is throw the meter away (or give it to a friend, or something), get the lancets, and Test Away.

(I shouldn't mention this, but I asked Bayer a question about their Accuclix device - just a general question - and they sent me one at no charge. I even told them that I wasn't diabetic, but they STILL sent me the lancing device. I didn't do this to fool or cheat them or trick them into sending a device, but they were nice enough to send one anyway.)

(Your pharmacy should be able to order you some 21 gauge generic lancets if you can't find them at a pharmacy or online. Because there's not a lot of demand for this size, I think I paid about a penny apiece, plus minimal shipping charges for some of mine, and I found some at Ralphs Market for a buck a box).

It may also be helpful to take your lancing device with you when you shop for lancets - you may be able to match them in the store, if you're allowed to open the box.
 
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