hi all,
i am approaching my one year pump anniversary (hurray!), and am wondering if i should start changing up my infusion sites a bit. i have exclusively used my stomach until now, but have heard good things about using thighs as a site as well. i am unsure of how to go about inserting the infusion site on my thighs… do i use just the front? or can i use the outer part, inner part? how high up should i insert? does the thigh have slower insulin absorption than the stomach? any other tricks of the trade i should be aware of?
i appreciate any advice! thanks!
laura
I didnt have the greatest luck with my thigh but if you check out six until me, Kerri uses her thigh exclusively. I think she even has a picture posted of it. I just started using the back of my upper arms and i love it. No problems with absorption and I love having all the tubing above my waist for a change.
i find hips work good - below belt line - in low rise jeans the top of the back pocket(or slightly lower) is about where it resides -
I use the stomach and the top of my buttocks mostly. I have used the inner thigh before and have gotten good results, however I have an aversion to my thighs and have to psych myself up to inject there.
I use my outer thigh almost exclusively for my infusion sets. I don’t notice much difference in absorption, but I do notice a difference in “sting factor.” To me, the thigh doesn’t burn nearly as much as the abdomen does sometimes. I’m a wuss. 
I put my sets on the outer part of my thigh, about 6 inches down from my hipbone. The one thing to be careful of is ripping that set out when you take off your pants. It’s a tricky manuever, but once you’re used to it, it’s old hat. (Weird turn of phrase, “old hat.”)
Laura, I almost always use my thighs since after about a year of using my stomach one side (my right) just stoped assorbing the insulin at all and they work fine for me. I also use my hip if my daughter is around to insurt them and will be honest with you both (for me) are great. Like Kerri above me as for which side of the thigh I use and so on. She is telling you almost everything it took me awhile to figure out.
I use my thighs and ‘hips’ as often as my stomach. Specifically here: resting hands on thighs area - the plumpest parts - not so much a fav for me, but I’m trained to rotate. Haven’t had the gumption to try inner or outer thighs. Hip - anywhere along the belt line and again, for me, the natural place I’d rest my hands when I set my hands on that area. Absorption - for me, it increases if that area is exceedingly more active. For instance, skiing uses lots of thigh energy/increases blood flow etc. Check for yourself. It’s often about clothing - bikini season? only the hip (so the site is covered with the suit) Yes, watch the snag for hips and thighs and pants. Your stomach will thank you for the rest, I reckon.
i just tried the hip. oops. forgot about it and pulled that baby right out. while it didn’t hurt, there was a gusher! i’m going to stick with my abdomen for a bit until i get more comfortable wearing the set.
After 14 years on pumps, I have used any and all locations that I can reach. I certainly choose the “plumper” spots and rotate the sites. Now I do not suggest you follow my lead on what I am about to add…I wear my sets for 5 to 7 days at a time. I know all the reasons not to and I can tell when the absorbtion rate is declining becuase my BGs will rise accordingly. I do it for one reason and that is the less I need to insert a site the longer I can keep using infusion sets…I suspect that one day I will run out of spots to put the sucker or need some other form of delivery…
Happy 4th, Joe
I used to exclusively use my stomach (my favorite spot) but I was not diligent about changing my site every 3 days…I would stretch it out. My absorption is horrible in my stomach now so I use my hips and upper buttocks. If you were to put your hands on your hips, with your thumbs facing your rear…right about where your thumbs land is a good place to start. My endo said if I give my stomach enough of a break I can go back there. To me, the thighs are the scariest! I have never put a site there in 5 years! I hated injecting there so I can’t muster up the courage to stick a long ol silhouette in…I’m a wimp.
I don’t have anything to offer, since I have been pumping for um…gets out calendar…two months so far, but thanks for starting this thread. I have been sticking to my stomach so far, but I don’t want to get to a point where I get too much scar tissue building up so I want to try some other spots. I did do one on the love handles, but I think I hit the muscle and it didn’t feel too nice. Maybe I will try zee hips next.
I just tried my first thigh site yesterday, on my outer thigh just below the butt.
I noticed more of a sting with insertion and boluses, and absorption seemed to be a little slower than in my abdomen. That is, until I got on my bike to ride home from work.
I had one of the most stubborn lows I’ve ever had, I started around 245 having had my last bolus (1 unit) an hour before I left, and ended up at 64 within 20 minutes or so. I ate at least 150 grams of carbohydrate over the course of the next hour and never bolused for it, after what seemed like hours I finally got up to around 120 and stayed there for the rest of the evening and all day today. A little scary, but I definitely think it’s worth it to do some fine-tuning because I think I can make my insulin a lot more effective this way (since I’m on the bike all the time anyway).
I kept using my rigt side of my stomach and now the doc wants me to stay away from there for a few months. Ive been using the left side of my stomach, both hips, and rarely, the back of my arms. About the thighs, my doc told me not to go there EVER. I am assuming because a) I cycle, walk, run, swim everyday so the absorption might be too fast, or b)my legs barely have fat on them (wish it was like that for the rest of me!)
I have never changed the area of my injections or sites often. I injected for 36 years and always had a rough time with injecting so used my thigh almost the whole time, until finally moved to my tummy and realized how easy it was. Pumping for 4 years and only use my abdomen and if I stray to far from center I tend to have poor absorption. I did my lower back once.
I am too chicken to try other areas, but I know I should.