Insulin injection site lumps

Type 1 and LADA
1

Update to Endo appointment, went good, major improvement since last visit. (I’ve been working hard) Think it will be even better next visit.

I had a question that I didn’t get till last night when I decided to change my pod (pump) cause is was bothering me, and I use to tolerate it and have no problems, and I have had some bleeding little stuff, with no problems at all as a result, but a few weeks ago it looked like I was in a war zone with the amount of blood coming from such a little hole in my arm, I don’t wait for a good time to change it, the second it hurts, I investigate the site an determine the outcome. I just worry if that happens at work or somewhere other then home the mess an panic others might have, lucky I was home for that and had help to wrap my arm an all, though I could have managed, just might have a trail behind me, lol.

Lately I have been changing it because it hurts, and at the injection site usually there is a lump and has been bleeding more often now that I think of it, (usually bleeds once I pull the pod off). And yes, I rotate…more then ever now since I am changing it so often. But I am limited to where I can place it (for it to last the days and work), on top of scaring tissue now.

But it dawned on me that in the past (same pump) I never really had this problem, like ever, the only thing I can think of that has changed is the insulin, a good while back though, (why I question is it really the insulin), and it only changed because the insurance company said it had to.

Thoughts or helpful advice would be great, I am in the works with my mother about the situation, just don’t know what we are going to do at the moment as I just brought it up this morning.

Like I said I would think it’s the insulin plus scaring tissue, as well as limited placement. But who really knows, just is very frustrating.

~Sarah

2

It could be the unsulin - each of the rapid acting insulins has different additives in the mix, and you could be having a reaction to something. My insurance wanted me to change to Humalog (I was using Novolog at the time). My skin reacted badly to Humalog. In my case, I had a lot of soreness, rendering a large area usless for injections for a couple weeks. I tried Humalog again when I started with the Asante Snap pump, but couldn’t avoid getting those types of problems. With Novolog or Apidra, I do not get that kind of problem – though occasionally, a sore lump does occur, if I leave a site slightly too long.

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That’s the same as me, I use to use Novolog and they switch it to Humalog, and I do agree in the past I did get occasional problems, but nothing like I do now. I guess it took a while for me to either see the effect it is having on me or it just took a while for them to surface.

4

Sounds like a reaction of some sort to me, too. I’m allergic to infusion sets (the plastic cannula and the metal needles) and my reactions consist of itching, soreness, redness, welts/hives, and bleeding, sometimes after only hours or a day, sometimes not for two days, and the odd time no reaction at all.

Unfortunately, one of the major drawbacks of the OmniPod is that you can’t try a different infusion set. I’d do as @Thas suggests and try a different type of insulin. (I may do the same, just to make sure my issue isn’t insulin, though changing from Humalog to Apidra made no difference for me.) You could also try spraying a steroid (from a prescription asthma inhaler) on the site before insertion to see if that helps. It makes a major difference for me (no reaction at all), but I have concerns of doing it long-term, so tend to only do it when my body is being particularly reactive.

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Oh I never thought of the plastic, I don’t have any metal in my skin over the days it only puts the tube in.

But also, there are times that yes, I have no issues (just issues from old ones), just find the issues are occurring more and more.

I use to be on Novolog like I said but insurance made me switch, I don’t know if going back on Novolog would be better or not, it seems to me I was better then I am now, but who’s to say I won’t over time react to that as well, or all of them out there? (That would be terrifying)

But even with that, it goes back to the comment of if it is “this”, and why did it take so long for a reaction and what not.