My endocrinologist inspected my infusion sites this morning and told me I’m essentially out of usable sites after injecting insulin for 29 years. She suggested hips and thighs as an alternative, which unfortunately don’t work for me. Have any of you been told this before? I rotate my sites regularly on my abdomen and sides (my arms are reserved for Dexcom) but I have inflammatory reactions to most things and my sites get pretty irritated and scarred up. Anything you’ve tried to help alleviate the inflammation and scar tissue? I’m only 29 and don’t like hearing that all my sites are used up for good.
Bummer @hollymateluber! I can’t tell though if you use a pump or inject?
My belly became problematic and I had to change pump locations to help with absorption and when I changed locations I also started to inject all boluses and just used the pump for basal. I also got an RX for 12.7mm needles. I think the deep needle helped.
This is where I inject now, my thighs or hips and my arms at times too. I’ve tried my calves, but that was too unpleasant.
If you wear your Dex on your arm, can you just flip where you inject insulin? Right arm Dex, left arm insulin? I have always had my Dexcom on my belly, off to the side.
I used Scar Redew Oil by Larenim to get rid of a thick scar I had underneath my skin from major shoulder surgery years ago. It worked amazingly well for that. I used it on my stomach when I first started using Omnipods to prevent scaring but got lazy and haven’t kept it up.
Oh my goodness, you began on insulin as an infant, I take it? I’m so sorry diabetes came on so early in your life! I have no suggestions for the lack of sites except what about buttocks?
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So, my husband and I are suffering from what the doctors are calling “sick house syndrome”. Basically, we’re allergic to something in our home (slowly trying to purge any possible causes), and one of the lovely symptoms is ridiculous inflammation. What most people don’t know is that inflammation causes scar tissue. It’s not exactly the same issue, but I do think it’s common ground…
During my research, I stumbled on two enzymes that can actually target and digest scar tissue, nattokinase and serrapeptase. I figured it was worth a try and went looking for sources and found the Doctor’s Best brand Natto-Serra on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Doctors-Best-Natto-Serra-Non-GMO-Gluten/dp/B00DBEVTDE
I think it’s amazing! I live and die by this stuff, and consider it every bit as vital as my insulin. It’s the difference between not being able to move my fingers/shoulders and full body pain… to restored full range of motion. I take two in the morning and one in the evening, on an empty stomach, and woefully regret any missed doses. Of all the supplements I’ve tried over the years, it’s the one and only I’ve stuck with because I can feel a world of difference.
The page says nothing about scar tissue, though it does mention breaking down non-living tissues in blood vessels. In fact, I think the listing makes it sound like woo-woo Chinese medicine. Like I said, I found research on the enzymes before I went looking for sources.
I never gave much thought to other scar tissue, but I do notice that I have zero issue with site scaring. Within a day of moving sites, you can’t tell where the previous one was. Maybe it has something to do with the Natto-Serra? I will say that I think it’s done a lot to protect my kidneys from diabetes complications. My reasoning for this would fall into the TMI category and has zero research to back me up, but there are drastic differences in my urine proteins since taking it.
I think for $14 (less if you do “subscribe and save” like we do), it’s worth trying to see if it helps heal your site issues.
FYI, I get nothing out of being a walking advertisement, I just REALLY love this stuff! 
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digest scar tissue? seriously? Anyone remember the claims for DMSO, an industrial solvent?
@Dave44 LOL…There are people that absolutely love DMSO, we had tons of customers that loved it. Even my dentist back in California when he saw a skin rash I had recommended it to me . It works amazingly well for some people.
My mom actually had DMSO injected into her bladder every 6 months by a urologist for interstitial cystitis.
There is some research on Natto for it’s benefits. Although I hadn’t heard about it for scar tissue, just helping with veins and arteries, blood pressure.
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I have a background in molecular and cellular biology and used to research professionally. My brand of “research” means medical journals, not Google and Dr. Axe. It would take me some time to find the data again, but could if anyone thought it was necessary. Though honestly, being involved in research myself, I don’t give a lot of salt to medical research because it’s too easy to skew results. I’m more partial to unbiased anecdotal evidence.
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I use a door mirror to inject tresiba once a day on my hips or butt area, the mirror helps a lot, also the thighs and arm, although you have to be a little ambidextrous If you plan to rotate your arms… the Owen Mumford auto pen helps, or humapen savvio using your index finger to plunge…I bought a bunch of savvios when they came out in 2013, one of the best decisions ever…had to buy from Canada though
@Robyn_H I don’t think people really truly understand how easily data can be manipulated for the result you want. Don’t even get me started on that!!!
Trust me, I know. There’s no such thing as unbiased research anymore. It’s all funded by someone, wanting specific results. And nobody knows how many studies went unpublished before they got the results they wanted, how they methodically chose subjects, or not to mentionb just flat out fabricated data. I take much issue with the AMA and it’s pharmaceutical dependencies because of this, too.
Not to say it’s all untrue, of course… I just take everything with a grain of salt, until it proves itself in practice.
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I have never heard of this. It seems weird to me because that would mean that your doctor thoroughly examined every inch of your abdomen. I don’t know if they could even tell that by looking, particularly if it has been a while since a spot has come up in the “rotation”.
Maybe seeing a dermatologist could help?
Or Rheumatology? Do they know why you have an inflammatory reaction? Maybe if you could prevent that it would improve things? Could you possibly have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome? If you did, it is possible that treatment of that could help your inflammatory response? Even if you didn’t, I wonder if the treatment for that would work for your hyperactive inflammatory response?
Tell me about it. My wife worked for an allergist who fudged data on a clinical trial. That pretty well disgusted the both of us. I had been a patient of his prior to her working for him for a short time. Never trust studies. Money talks louder than truth.
I’m not crazy about anecdotal info. I try to read things at the most trusted levels I can find, take it with a grain of salt, and mix in some opinions from people who have no vested interest and add more salt. then I try to make a judgment call, based on my instincts and knowledge, along with factoring in how many people or institutions tend to say the same basic things.
I’ve learned there is no absolute truth. There is the truth as you see it, there is truth as you want it to be, and there is truth as you hope it will be.
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We used to hand out samples of products for customers to try, response on new products helped us decide if it was any good. What customers liked and repeat buying helped us also decide on what to recommend to everyone. Not the first purchase, but repeat purchases.
Samples only worked for certain categories, but samples were the best for the customers to try and for us to get feedback.
In grad school I was given the rare “privilege” of being a named author on a published paper. The underlings that do all the legwork never actually get credit. Unfortunately, while the data was factual, the compensation for the test subjects was such that only very specific people would be drawn to participate. I knew the whole thing was b.s., but wasn’t in a position to do anything about it. The biggest shame is that in an industry of “publish or perish”, that paper helped make my career. I’ve never really trusted a study ever since.
I fully agree that the “truth” is partial to the observer… But I also believe they’re is something to be said of a collective truth, assimilated from a population. Hence, my preference for anecdotal evidence,.
By the way, we owe you @hollymateluber an apology for hijacking your thread!
During my last visit, I was told not to use one site on my stomach which worried me and has me particularly interested in this thread. I’ve been doing injections 4 or 5 times a day for 30 years, but would like my body to last for another 30-40 more. I just started wearing a CGM, but have never worn a pump. How does that compare with injections in terms of wear and tear on sites?
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CGM’s don’t cause tissue damage like insulin-injecting sites.
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I’ve always wondered what we do when this happens.
Its called, “Lipohypertrophy.” You need strategies for combating and minimizing future scar tissue. Do pumps make this better or worse?
They might be able to transplant tissue. This seems pretty serious.
" A 2013 study in Diabetes & Metabolism compared patients with and without the condition, with jaw-dropping results. Those with lipohypertrophy experienced unexplained hypoglycemia 6 times more often than those without; they also used 37% more insulin."
I’m sure that you are not the first. I’d like a second opinion.
You need solutions for this. I’d like you to see someone important, like at Joslin.
If you don’t mind me asking, what is your a1c? I’m just curious what the impact of this might be - if it might be causing you to run higher (poor absorption) or lower (erratic absorption).
Some resources for you and your Doc:
https://asweetlife.org/lipohypertrophy-a-hidden-diabetes-complication/
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I also, in my 49 years have never been told this. The reality is, I have to take insulin forever, so it needs to be injected some way.
I don’t have any absorption issues but that I think was how much it was drilled into me to rotate, rotate, rotate! Only problems I’ve had was allergy to beef insulin.
That being said, (sorry so easy to get side tracked!), I use most any spot.
I do use my thighs both inside and outside. I do use my arms, outside and underside. I do use the backside as far as I can reach. Upper and lower hip areas. I only have some issues when sleeping. Some spots can hurt when you lay one them (I use metal infusion sets) but my body just seems to register the pain and I rollover.
I would show you the thighs but not so sure about posting those but maybe one day I can break through that thought about sharing way too much.
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