Insulin smell strong or not ?

anna29

Well-Known Member
Retired Moderator
Messages
4,789
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Cruelty to Animals/Children
Liars/Manipulators/Bullying
Hi All .

How do you find the smell of your insulin ?

Levemir insulin was much stronger a smell to me .
Made me feel 'queasy' actually .
Used to hold my breath when doing my injections .

Animal porcine insulin isnt as strong a smell yet I expected to be the other way round .
As in animal pig smell 'more' I would have thought :think:

Anna .
 

hale710

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,903
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I'm very sensitive to smells so both my Novorapid and levimer smell string to me!
 

hale710

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,903
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I don't go out of my way to smell it, but if I accidentally spray a bit on my clothes when testing the needle I can smell it for ages afterwards!
 

qbix

Well-Known Member
Messages
79
Very much so. I usually spray my 2 units of novo rapid used for priming the pen into a wee box before lunch. One time I forgot to out the lid on and my colleague across from me. He thought it was petrol :eek:. To me it smells really medicinal, a bit like jays fluid.

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 

noblehead

Guru
Retired Moderator
Messages
23,618
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Dislikes
Disrespectful people
Insulin has a distinctive smell about it although I don't find it particularly unpleasant.

I can't comment if the newer analogue insulin's smell stronger than pork/beef insulin's as the smell (animal insulin) was masked by the strong smell of...... was it surgical spirit that glass syringes were kept in?.....just forget what the solution was but it was very strong, what made it worse was the advice then was to clean the injection site with said solution :(
 

Keith300-01

Well-Known Member
Messages
61
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Strong wind
I remember having to clean before injecting yes it did smell , man at my work recognised the insulin smell right away when I was priming my pen as he has a diabetic dad , wife says it smells like a hospital ;)


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people

Thundercat

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,406
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I'm on Lantus and Novorapid. They have a smell but I don't find it particularly strong and don't mind it. Maybe I've just grown accustomed to it

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 

stjohn

Member
Messages
13
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I find that novorapid has a strong smell similar to surgical spirit. I guess that i'm so used to it now that it doesn't really bother me.
 

picklebean

Well-Known Member
Messages
312
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
yeah, mine smell not too great, but they're by far not the worst things I've smelt! haha! :lol:
 
H

Hooked

Guest
Fetchmeacoffee said:
Novorapid always reminds me of hositals lol

Me too!
Cal me weird, but I love the smell of my insulin; and the smell of hospitals. I can only put it down to having too much fun messing about in the children's wards when I was younger. :wink:
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people

askme4pars

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
All of the human based insulin I have ever taken has a very distinct smell. One I have never come across anywhere. It is like a face to me, there is no other exactly like it. Extremely unique.
 

Ellajane

Newbie
Messages
2
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Humulim m3 is hardly febreeze! When I do my "two to test" my friends run a mile :')
 
Messages
18,448
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Bullies, Liars, Trolls and dishonest cruel people
Hi All .

How do you find the smell of your insulin ?

Levemir insulin was much stronger a smell to me .
Made me feel 'queasy' actually .
Used to hold my breath when doing my injections

Animal porcine insulin isnt as strong a smell yet I expected to be the other way round .
As in animal pig smell 'more' I would have thought :think:

Anna .

Hi, I find both of my Insulins very strong smelling and very clinical too ( NovoRapid and Levemir), it's not nice at all. Someone once said it reminded an aquaintance of their's of Whisky ?

RRB :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people