I recently started injections, tonight was my third one, what is the least painful part of the body to inject and is there any special techniques? The first 2 days I injected myself didnt feel it at all. had some discomfort afterwards but it didnt last any more than a few minutes. tonights injection was on the left upper side of my stomach and it actually hurt. I didnt pinch up the skin a bit like i did my first 2 times injecting myself. would that be part of the reason I felt it? I'm literally terrified of needles, I always use to say if i ever had to take injections I would rather die due to my needle fear
I use a lantus pen with the smallest needles you can get, so I think maybe just a lack of experience stabbing myself but i was hoping there was some suggestions out there that may help me get through my injections without so much anxiety and fear of pain.
I usually inject in my stomach or my thigh. It doesn't really matter where you inject because sooner or later your going to hit a nerve and it'll sting quite a bit. Practice does make things easier and soon you will get over your anxiety and fear. Poking one's self with a needle is not a natural act but will feel normal to you after a while. Pinching up the skin will help with the pain.
I have to tell you, over time I've come to feel that lancing for blood sugar testing hurts far more than injecting insulin. And I would encourage you to believe that with repeated injection you will feel less and less fear. In fact, exposure therapy is used to treat various anxiety disorders. And repeatedly injecting is essentially exposing yourself to the same situation that gives you fear and anxiety. You just have to have some faith that it all will get better and it will.
In addition to the good advice you have gotten, let me give you two key suggestions. First, use an ice cube at your injection site, this will numb the site and you will feel the injection much less. Second, I have found that a swift and fast injection helps to make a painless injection. Inserting the needle slowly hurts a lot more. This technique for a painless injection is described by Dr. Bernstein over at DiabetesInControl.
I must agree, I was terrified of the pain of CGM insertion and caused myself a lot of discomfort with the method of insertion, now that I know what to expect the pain/discomfort no longer worries or bothers me.
hi there,
I use my stomach, thighs,arms. Just make sure you rotate or your skin will get tough and hard to puncture. I walk my needle across my skin. If I start to push and feel nerve pain I move the needle again until I find a less sensitive area. And I do pinch the skin up with Lantus and Humalog. Hope this helps!
The finger pokes with lancets hurt more than any needle. I was injecting for 38 years, first with syringes, then pen needles, until finally starting on an insulin pump in July.
Lantus stings because it's acidic. Levemir doesn't sting or burn, if you can change that would take care of the pain issue. Being afraid of needles sure doesn't help--sorry. I don't use my arms because I've hit muscle there. Hurt!
Doing it quickly is the best way. I use syringes because pens caused bruising for me. Though I rarely even feel it, I've found my butt to be the least sensitive area.
I find the quicker the better. So sorry that you are afraid of needles, that is just an awful burden. Your fear will go though. I usually inject in my stomach. I always found the pens a bit heavy, I prefer syringes cause they are lighter.
I've just read that Gorgeous Gerri uses syringes too.
When I was doing injections I also found pins to be stiff, clumsy, and more painful. I use BD U-100 Insulin Syringes 31g 8mm 3/10cc 1/2 unit markings for corrections.They are small, very smooth operating , and easy to handle.
Part No. : 328440 UPC : 382908440011...Walgreen brand is #653532 about 2/3 the price of the BD brand.
Most of the time a injection is not going to hurt but on occasion you will find a nerve it just part of the game. You will adapt, survive, overcome, it's in our nature...;-)
I remember being sent home with a Lantus pen last March and wondering how I was going to summon the courage to give myself shots every day! For a while, I wasn’t very good at it and it often hurt. What works for me is to do it swiftly and with a little more force than I was initially comfortable with. Going slow makes it hurt more. I alternate my injection sites among my stomach, upper thighs, and upper arms. At this point, they’re usually painless, but as someone mentioned, now and then you hit a nerve or a muscle and it hurts for a few seconds. As JohnG and others mentioned, the pens can feel a bit awkward depending on where you are injecting, but I like that the needles are shorter than those on syringes.
Straight and fast does it for me. When I was diagnosed 39 years ago I remember the nurse saying our nerves on the skin are 1/3 of an inch apart, so sometime you hit one, other times you don't.
