Does anyone else have Lipodystrophy (insulin eating away the fat at insertion/injection sites)??
I noticed small dents on my arms where I’ve been wearing the pod, and a dent on my stomach where I used to give injections. I do a pretty good job of rotating sites by absorbtion standards, but apparently I’m hypersensitive to a point that hasn’t really been seen much since human insulin replaced animal insulin…
SO, what this means is that I've got to be extra-diligent about cycling around my Pod spots, and can't really use my arms anymore, and was never able to comfortably wear the pod on my stomach...
What alternative sites have worked for you?
Thanks!!
My skin seems to be extra sensitive, and I can see a slight bruise wherever I wear a pod. I’ve been having to rotate really well too, in order to give my skin a chance to heal. The spot I love the most is the side of my thigh. It doesn’t get in the way of sleep, is comfortable in general, and has lots of spots to choose from. I also like wearing it on my lower back. I was hesitant to try that, since I am very slender and don’t have any fat there, but it has worked nicely and hasn’t gotten in the way. For some reason, it really itches when it is on my stomach, so I tend to avoid that.
I’ve been testing out the small of my back, and man do it love it! I wear the pod just below my rib cage and it’s a pretty perfect spot for summertime! I’ll have to try the thigh! How high on your leg do you wear it, and how far out on the side?
Thanks for the advice!
Usually directly in between the knee and hip, sliding up and down to vary the spots. And usually directly in the middle, right in between the front and back. I was reluctant to try it, but it is my favorite now!
just tried it, it’s been about 2 hours and thus far my BG’s are good, insertion was painless. I put it a little farther towards the front of my leg, and it looks like I’ve got a cellphone in my pocket, rather than an alien tracking device attatched to my (now misshapen) arm! Thanks for the tip!!!
This is one of the great mysteries of insulin infusion therapy. Some people have it, others don’t, and no one really knows why or what causes it.
I also have it, and no one has has ever been able to suggest a treatment other than more frequent rotation of infusion sites. I was even a patient at grand rounds at Johns Hopkins several years ago so doctors could shoot the breeze about potential ideas. Cases of lipoatrophy / lipodystrophy are greatly underreported in diabetics, and this is a problem that also plagues folks with other diseases, including HIV / AIDS.
I recently read a few papers that suggest insulin mediated lipodystrophy could be caused by localized inflammation at the infusion site and the resulting generation of tumor necrosis factor. I’m going to try much more frequent rotation of sites (I’m going to use all four limbs, two sites per limb), and probably start taking daily aspirin and decent quality fish oil to reduce overall systemic inflammation. Both approaches (better site rotation, reduction of systemic inflammation) are probably good ideas, anyway.
Who knows? But I’m not giving up the insulin pump or my OmniPod.
Me either!
Does your lipodystrophy bubble out, or indent in? Mine goes in…makes me look like I’ve been pelted with golf balls as the driving range!
I’ve had a heck of a time trying to find any way to keep it from happening in the future.
