What needle length...?

[Craig1978]

Another interesting thing that came out of my appointment today was the change from 8mm to 5mm needles for my Mixpens. I've gone from 12mm, to 8mm, now to 5mm. It seems the advice changes far too often!

I get the use of longer needles if you are, maybe, overweight, but I am not at all in my case. I've experienced issues in the past by pain/discomfort injecting straight into muscle, but try to minimise that by using 'fatty' sites.

Has anyone else had this recent advice of change in needle length?

 

[Deleted Account]

I changed to 4mm needles 5 years ago.
I think shorter needles are most common now.

 

[Craig1978]

I changed to 4mm needles 5 years ago.
I think shorter needles are most common now.

That seems to be the opinion that's coming through now, it's just it seems hard to keep up! One minute one size is right, then the next minute it's wrong!

 

[Blackers183]

The recommendation to go to 4mm has been around for about 3-4 years that I’m aware of. I’ve just gone to 4 from 8mm only because to had a large supply of 8mm that I wanted to use up.

 

[Tophat1900]

I use 4mm also, but was never given any advice.

 

[Jordi77]

I used 12mm when I was diagnosed in 1994 and now I am down to the 4mm and I done it all by myself as I wasn't told anything about it by my DSN or the GP or anyone else I just found out about it by looking on the internet and the information leaflet you sometimes get in the boxes and being type 2 and being on insulin for the rest of your life as the same as a type 1 you only need to ask and you get your answers quick on here but I find that the smaller needle you don't get much pain and you can inject into fat and muscle but that is up to you.

 

[Bluey1]

Same here I was initially using 8mm, now 4mm when I inject which is rare as I now use a pump.

 

[becca59]

4mm for me too!

 

[michita]

5mm for me and no problem!

 

[Daibell]

4mm is now the standard unless you have unusual weight

 

[darrenkerleyclark]

I started to get unusual swellings using 8mm needles and have been changed to 4mm. Swellings have disappeared but this may be linked to brand.

 

[evilclive]

With the change in needle length has come a change in how to use them - straight in, no pinching any more.

 

[LooperCat]

I used to use 4mm for my regular injections and saved my remaining 12mm for intramuscular shots when I wanted a fast correction.

 

[porl69]

I can remember when I started injecting (48 years ago) the needles were 1 1/2" long lol.....Before I went on the pump I was using 4mm needles. I would say the 4mm are the most common needles in use now