8mm needles

[Sarah69]

Hi, does anyone on here use 8mm needles? I’m just curious as a around a month and a half ago my mum had a phone call from the diabetic nurse at the gp practice (she goes to the hospital for this) who was talking to her like she was 5 years old and kept saying she was concerned for her safety using this length of needle. She’s been using this length for about 30 years. Has anyone had this issue and does anyone find that these people talk to you like your a child?

 

[JoKalsbeek]

From what I remember, that's the same needle we used for our diabetic cat (never used insulin myself), which seems to be pretty much the standard when not on a pump? Could be entirely wrong though, this not being my forte.

What I can answer: Usually when people talk to me like I'm a child or an idiot, -and yes, that does happen often when dealing with medical personnel of any kind, it's not age-related- I throw a few medical terms around and then they often change tack, which makes conversations a lot more useful and informative.

If this has been working fine for her for 30 years, and there's been no issues.... Don't see why it should suddenly change, unless of course they want to fit her for a pump or something?

 

[In Response]

When I started injecting about 20 years ago, I think 6 and 8mm were the normal length of needle.
As I am slim, this regularly caused bruising but for most people it was normal.
I was glad to change to 4mm needles after, I think, 15 years.

So, 8mm are longer than is used by most people nowadays., Unless your mother is especially skinny, it is not terrible,
However, she may find the shorter 4mm better.

 

[PumpenBiene]

I use 8 mm catheter needles with 5mm I often have worse results. However, I also use 5 mm in places with very little fat.

 

[ATB123]

Hi, does anyone on here use 8mm needles? I’m just curious as a around a month and a half ago my mum had a phone call from the diabetic nurse at the gp practice (she goes to the hospital for this) who was talking to her like she was 5 years old and kept saying she was concerned for her safety using this length of needle. She’s been using this length for about 30 years. Has anyone had this issue and does anyone find that these people talk to you like your a child?

4mm is recommended and safe for everyone. I think there's a risk of hitting a muscle with the longer needles so that's probably why they changed her. The smaller needles are much more comfortable to use.

 

[Tony337]

Goodness me....
I was aged just 6 when diagnozed 50 years ago and to a small boy the needles then were like harpoons.
Jog on to when 4mm ones were available and i jumped at the chance and inject in my arms legs stomach bottom and don't feel a thing...they are truly fab u lous.

I don't understand why anyone would use a longer one but but but i don't want this to sound rude or ill mannered.

I wish you well

Tony

 

[Ushthetaff]

I know when I was first diagnosed needles were literally like darts and we re used them til blunt ( on medical advice btw) now I use 4mm again on medical advice

 

[Antje77]

The most common needles used nowadays are 4 mm.
I prefer 5 or 6.
I've never had 8 mm prescribed but I've used them for a week when I had borrowed from another diabetic after I'd forgotten my own.

They all work fine for me.

 

[Jordi77]

I've never used a 8mm needle for years as I've used 6mm and 5mm and now I'm on the 4mm needles but it's been a long time since I used them as it must have been when I was diagnosed in the 90s when I used them as I thought they had stopped producing them and due to them not being proscribed by a GP and the NHS not doing them anymore and I know a few weeks ago when I was in hospital and the hospital give me a syringe with blood thinners in it the needle was hard to put in as it must have been blunt because I had to use some force to get it in under the skin and I had to give it to the nurse to put it in because it wouldn't go in by me