Hi everyone! Can you please share your experience and/or any tips and tricks on injecting insulin? My abdomen is covered with bruises and I am noticing small unsightly lumps near my navel.. do these go away? Anyone else experience bruising? I'm already using a Nano needle (I believe the smallest), and sometimes I notice a lot of pain when I inject, other times I don't feel it at all. Sometimes the insulin burns like hell then other times it doesn't. Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance!
Call me crazy, but I actually like the longer needles better than the real short ones.
I got the same bruising you're talking about, so recently I tried injecting outside of my regular spots. Has worked for me so far and the bruising in my go-to locations are gone.
Also noticed less pain.
Sometimes it'll hurt like crazy, no matter what I do. At least I haven't figured out a reason yet...
Where else are you injecting?
I actually found that because I have kinda thick skin that I got better results with an 8mm needle. I pinch up to gather a skinfold and then inject right into the fold. I also use the technique taught by Dr. Bernstein for painless injections, primarily using speed. This hurts a lot less and results in fewer bruises. Most advice suggests to avoid injecting near your navel.
And sometimes it does hurt, it just hits something. If you use Lantus, it can also sting a bit since it is quite acidic.
Just on my abdomen, but while I was always injecting in the same spot, like 1 inch diameter, I tried to increase the area and do like 1.5 or 2 inches.
Not sure if that makes sense...
I think it is very important to rotate injection sites. Injecting over and over again in the same spot can lead to problems. First, you can get a condition called lipohypertrophy where fat builds up in a single spot. I woud show you a picture, but trust me you don't want it. And actually, that is not the real problem, the real problem is that injecting over and over again in the same spot leads to scarring. You need to give your injection site a number of days to heal before using it again or you will build up scar tissue. So please rotate religiously.
Here is a list of injection site locations . I also like a slightly longer needle as I thought the insulin sometimes pooled up under the skin leading to slower and/or different absorption. Make sure you rotate your sites. Not rotating can lead to scar tissue below the skin (dramatically changes absorption) or scar tissue on the skin.
Another thought is make sure your insulin is room temperature and inject slowly. I always thought that pain and brusing just sometimes happen depending on what you hit or don't hit. I have noted that larger injections or lantus tend have a better chance of stinging. New needles also greatly reduce stinging, pain and bruising. I was guilty of reusing syringes way too many times.
Can you resend that link? It does not work.
Thank you for sharing your experience and advice.
I really appreciate it!
http://www.bd.com/us/diabetes/page.aspx?cat=7001&id=7261
I really liked arm injections. You have to practice pinching your skin and holding your syringe. If you use a pen it may be too large. I also liked using my legs for basals.
It does, but do you stick your sides too? Arms? Legs?
I just do abdomen.
Easiest to get to, so I don't have to strip down at work, or where ever.
I have trouble being able to pinch enough on my arms and thighs so I do as mpfuchs and use my abdomen. Dr. Bernstein has a good video on how to give a painless injection. He has a technique where he uses a vertical edge (like a doorframe or shelf) to help create a pinch on his arm. I have never been able to do that, I don't think I have enough bodyfat there.
Oh, and I also inject right through my clothes (don't tell anyone).
bill, the happy diabetic also does a video on injecting in your arm against a door frame. i still have not got the guts to do it. i dont know, it seems too close to my face...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFSaRF8KUmw
when i was on lantus it burned and was sore for like 30 minutes after injecting. such a pain i the arse that i got my basal changed to levemir. no burn now.
sometimes an injection will hurt but i always find theyre bleeders, those ones that hurt. touching a blood vessel? so gross, this whole business...
i dont get bruising all the time, here and there. after getting a really big one after trying to do my lantus shot still laying down in bed i learned my lesson...
ah, and i use the tiniest nano bds and the cde told me i wouldnt have to pinch anything with them, if youre gonna go for the arm. good luck!ç
Hope my thoughts fit in as I noticed Capin101 's link ?? I am an insulin pumper , moving the infusion sites has always been top priority for me , same when I used syringes . I also have been unhappy lately how the insulin is being absorbed and decided to be my own research lab , using my body :) For the past 4 days I have used part of my body , which has never been used for insulin delivery : below my left breast , the meaty part , away from the rib cage above the waist line . Will move below the right breast ! No discomfort, no bruising . My next project : possibly change the basal rates and or the carb ratio's etc. How long this will last , who knows ...but I seem to be a much happier camper .The part of the body I inserted is not shown in the link .
I used to bruise when my insulin was refrigerated, I started keeping the bottles I was using at room temperature and it worked better. I also used a spring activated device, I think it was called Autojector, and I could give myself a shot without putting any pressure on my skin.
Cheers
-Chris
I prefer the longer needles. I swab with alcohol, a lot of it, and then inject. Also, the nurse at my clinic told me to constantly rotate to different areas of my abdomen. So I pretty much never use the same area twice in a row.
I want to use my arms and thighs but I am lean (145 pounds)so it is hard to grab fat anywhere except my abdomen.
My injections, for the most part, are pretty painless...unless I am in a rush (which is bad I know) and just jam the needle in.
With the Nano pen tips you are not supposed to pinch the skin. If you pinch the skin the insulin will not go to the correct depth. My ex-CDE said you can even stretch the skin slightly. She claimed that the Nano gives better absorption. I have seen product literature than supports this. Very awkward to pinch the arms for an injection unless you use a door frame or something.
I use Nanos and have no problems. I use a standard 12.7 mm syringe for B12 injections and even at a slight angle, the penetration really hurts. For insulin I use the stomach and arms. My legs are too painful even with the nano. You should avoid the navel area.