I am using the Pen and also syringes but cant figure out how to prevent the burn. I thought a longer needle would make the difference so I got syringes this month. Sometimes it feels like acid being injected and I end up with lumps in my stomach that last about 3 days??? Tonight with the same size needle/syringe, I injected in my stomach and felt nothing which was great? Any ideas anyone?
Only Lantus burned when I used it. And it was when I took one large dose (before splitting) Levemir dosent burn when I inject or Humalog. I have read other people's replies in another post that the larger the dose of Lantus more of a burn.
My daughter’s endo recommended we let the lantus reach room temp before we give her shot. Maybe that might work for you too.
Does Levemir burn, too? I just switched from Lantus to Levemir and I don't get that bee-sting effect from Levemir that I got about 50% of the time from Lantus -- I'm not getting the bad bruising now, either.
I have noticed that there are some spots that are more "nervy" than others and I avoid these areas when giving any of my shots (e.g. I have a patch just north-east of my belly button that is a no-go zone, and another patch on my left thigh that is also too sensitive.)
I always inject my long-acting insulins (Levemir, now) into my thighs and my short-acting (Novolog) into my abdomen because I read (on BloodSugar 101, I believe) that the thighs absorb a bit slower than the tummy so they're a better place for the long-acting (less likely to plummet you low by too-quick absorption.)
Maybe keep a little list of the most uncomfortable spots and try to avoid them?
Yeah, I was injecting 55 IU and it was awful. Then I broke it into two and that was better. Eventually I broke it into two again, four shots total in a day, two in the a.m. and two in the p.m. That was better, but it still burned pretty badly sometimes.
I tried the 4, 5, 6 mm needles without success. I thought that the short needles would make an injection easier. But I was wrong. I was not consistently able to get through my skin layers down to the fat layers and I would often end up with a little bubble of insulin and it would absorb poorly. I eventually ended up with an 8mm pen needle and finding that careful pinching resolved my issues.
I use levemir, I keep it out of the fridge as the instructions advise. I insert the needle quickly and smoothly, which I think helps. I'll sometimes get sting when the needle goes in, probably nicking a vessel or nerve. I'll pull it out and try another spot. I rarely get bruises anymore.
Lantus has a acidic Ph and any product that does not match your body Ph is going to burn. The reason it does not burn sometimes is because, just plain luck, fatty tissue with few or no nerves, and here are a couple of more problems.
Lipoatrophy: can cause burning which is another immune disorder, this condition results in a loss of fat tissue under the skin due to injecting multiple times in the same area..rejection was more common before we started using human insulin.
Lipohypertrophy:This condition results in additional fat deposits forming under the skin from too many insulin injections in the same location. Bulges under the skin can occur which can be somewhat painful (although not always). Insulin absorption can also be affected if you continue to inject into these same spots...this is a common problem when injecting nsulin sub-Q.
I have taken up to 50 units in my stomach and as low as 10 units in my arm and have felt the burn regardless. I looks as though it is what it is?
I have to tell you, I don't see any way I could inject basal into my arm. Basal should be injected into the bodyfat (subcutaneous) later. Actually Lantus "must" be injected into body fat. I've never figured out how to pinch enough to properly inject basal on anything except my abdomen. Lantus, with a pH of 4 will give you a wicked burn if you inject it into muscle. It may also act like rapid insulin with sudden onset and trigger hypos.
I have found using the old veterinarian trick of a light pat or two with your fingertips on the injection site really helps with reducing the initial sting and burn (I find this particularly helpful with the 32 units of Lantus I take before bed). Also try to use as much as your waistline as possible to minmize when you are injecting in the same site again. You will build up scar tissue over time, especially when injecting 4-5x/ day