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Infusion Sites For Lean Adults

Colin of Kent

Colin of Kent

Well-Known Member
Messages
370
Location
Somerset, UK
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
After 11 years of infusing into my buttocks, I'm finding absorption is becoming unpredictable, especially on insertion day. I've got some angled cannulas and have been using them on my abdomen, but as I'm very lean, I often find I need to try two or three times to find a spot that doesn't hit muscle or blood vessel, or is otherwise painful.

Does anyone have any tips on finding good spots for lean people, or is it just a case of trial and error?
 
My suggestion would be to try someone different to your buttocks.
I use angled cannulas in my abdomen which is pretty lean.
I have a little (but not much) more fat around my "spare tyre" but avoid this as I catch it with my wasitband.
But you may have more luck ... or different height troos.
 
These are the suggested injection sites.
Personally, I find I have more to inject into below my navel but they may be a woman-thing.
Talking of which, I think the pony-tail is optional and does not affect the cannula insertion success.
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Thanks, guys. Not sure where I could wear the pump with an infusion set in my arm. I might try a thigh next time, though. Abdominal insertion is going to continue to be a hit-and-miss affair, I fear!
 
Hi @Colin of Kent, I gave up on the 45 degree angle needle inserts into my abdomen early on. I am lean and rotating sites on my abdomen has been my preferred body site for 7 years +. using an Animas pump.
When I removed the 45ers as a called them, the last 1/5 or less of the plastic cannula was bent. I figured this was from hitting the underlying muscle sheath or other connective, non-fat tissue.
I graduated to 90 degree needle insets of 6 mm length because I could not obtain a short-enough 45er needle insert (Animas).
The firing mechanism of these 90 degree needle inserts makes for occasional bends occurring in the plastic cannula ( that is my excuse for it )!!! so technique is more important than with the 45ers to get the base plate of the mechanism 90 degree to the shin surface. But these are bends at least 50% or higher up the 6 mm cannula length which to me rules out the needle hitting muscle or fibrous tissue but rather the needle going in at a slant and then being bent as the sticky material grabs and the tubing is connected. The point is that sometimes these bends will be enough to cause reduced insulin delivery without setting off the obstruction alarm.
I have not ever used the Omnipod, but I gather it fires in a needle at 45 degrees to a depth of 0.65 mm.
 
I am on Animas and use angled cannula. They are 30deg. I find ifmi e is slightly linked it still works perfectly.
What seems to cause the link with me is..not holding the inserter at the correct angle when firing. There is a tendency to hold it slightly too upright. If its laid down more is better. When sticky is stuck probably kinks
 
Colin of Kent said:
Thanks, guys. Not sure where I could wear the pump with an infusion set in my arm. I might try a thigh next time, though. Abdominal insertion is going to continue to be a hit-and-miss affair, I fear!
Click to expand...

Hi Colin, I’m fairly lean and rotate my Insight flex cannula’s between abdominal area and back of arms.
Four weeks in each area.
I place cannula at the top back of my arm, just above my tricep. I use a 70mm tube and either place Pump in an elastic belt or clip it into pocket.
Hope this helps.
 
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