Injection sites

[jeb]

My Mum used my bum when I was 3+ but since the age of 10 I have been using my thighs. I use a very short needle and never have a reaction. In the past some types of insulin have given me sore red patches but now there is nothing.

 

[emmay]

@JacquiMorrison I actually find that the bolus works a lot more quickly in my arms than my legs - I only recently started using my arms, but it has worked wonders for getting a reasonably decent response after a meal, rather than continuing to climb for two or three hours first.

I also find @GrantGam s method to be very good - wrapping your arm across the torso seems to create a bit too much tension and makes it painful. If you are nervous, try sitting down at a table or a desk, holding your arm out in front of you and gently relaxing it so the elbow comes to rest on the table, creating a kind of 'v' shape with your arm, and then go from there.

@EllsKBells that sounds very interesting about using your arms for an injection site and your rapid insulin works faster I will definitely have to start trying this as my sugars do go high for about 2/3 hours after eating and would love to be able to reduce faster. At the moment I inject 30mjnutes before I eat do you think I would need to reduce that time?

 

[EllsKBells]

Hi @emmay really not an expert, so can't advise, but I would say all you can do is start by doing it 5 minutes before a meal, and keep moving it 5 minutes earlier until you get to the point which is 'too early' - where you get a hypo then a spike - and find your 'sweet spot'. Hope that helps

 

[Jordi77]

I use my stomach for my novorapid and my thighs for my levemir and every now and then I go above the belly button to place both insulins into me as it has been a long time since I last used my bum for insulin and I don't use my arms as I have not been able to access that part yet to administer insulin into me and I don't have the weight or fat around me to do that as when I put the insulin in my thighs I get a small lump where I placed the insulin and in a few minutes it is gone

 

[Llinz04]

I've been living with type 1 diabetes for 5 years now and i've always injected the apidra solostar (daytime) around my belly button, and the nightime insulin (lantus solostar) in my inner thigh.

I don't think i'd inject anywhere else appart from these areas for the reason that insulin attracts fat and don't want any fatty areas anywhere else on my body, but that's me

 

[maria030660]

what a thing to say stick it in your bump...this is what I meant it is not their body and so not realize you have to do this multiple time a day!

 

[gavin86]

I have been on insulin for 2 weeks now and am struggling to find spots on my abdomen..
I was once rather fat and am now very skinny, so am worried I don't have enough fat on most of my body - then on the other hand, half of my abdomen is scarred from stretch marks.
How much fat does one need? I use 4mm needles but to give you an idea, my bum is so boney that it hurts to sit on wooden seats!

 

[emmay]

Hi @emmay really not an expert, so can't advise, but I would say all you can do is start by doing it 5 minutes before a meal, and keep moving it 5 minutes earlier until you get to the point which is 'too early' - where you get a hypo then a spike - and find your 'sweet spot'. Hope that helps

Thanks @EllsKBells I will start testing and keep u posted

 

[daffadam]

I use my thighs for lantus and novarapid on my stomach. Haven't said that I'm starting to see some red spots on my stomach and I'm quite skinny so don't have much flab. May need to start looking at other parts of my body.