Injecting through shirt, needle length

[Antje77]

First, I know it's not recommended to inject through clothes and I'm definitely not advising people to do so.

That said, I know many of us do. I usually have the 5 mm pen needles but I have a sample box of 4 mm needles as well, to see what I like best. No problems injecting through my shirt with 5 mm, but wondering if anyone does so with the shorter needles and if they notice a difference.

 

[Jaylee]

Hi @Antje77 ,

I use the 5mm & have also used the 4s. I have to admit I have never jabed through clothing.

If the 5mm works for you, why are you considering a change?

You could always experiment with the 4mms by dressing an orange...

 

[Antje77]

If the 5mm works for you, why are you considering a change?

Was reading a facebook post about different brands and length of needles and what different people like best, just when I was about to order my three monthly stash of diabetes stuff. So I figured I'd ask for a couple of boxes of other brands and lengths as well
I like the 5mm more than the 6 and occasional borrowed 8, but not sure about the 4. They just seem so, erm, short

 

[Jaylee]

Yep, i get what yer saying.

The 4s don't do it for me either..

If you have no trouble with the 5mm regarding your injection practice.Then stay with the right tool for the job.

 

[kitedoc]

The thought of a pump cannula through clothing, boggles the mind!
It sounds like one of thise do not try this at home situations.
Woukd cleanly laundered and ironed clothing be sterile?
The layers of clothing might mean not hitting muscle, depending on numbers of layers, but a challenge to wash clothing,
Although with some form of chemical indicator in the clothing any insulin leaking from the cannula might be detected
sooner.
Well all good thought experiments.

 

[hh1]

Hi @Antje77, I use 4mm needles, they work fine for me. I rarely inject through clothing these days (used to more so when longer needles were the norm) and I wouldn't go through more than one layer of realtively fine fabric with a 4 - max weight of fabric would be a t-shirt so for me a cotton shirt would be ok.

 

[Antje77]

The thought of a pump cannula through clothing, boggles the mind!
It sounds like one of thise do not try this at home situations.
Woukd cleanly laundered and ironed clothing be sterile?
The layers of clothing might mean not hitting muscle, depending on numbers of layers, but a challenge to wash clothing,
Although with some form of chemical indicator in the clothing any insulin leaking from the cannula might be detected
sooner.
Well all good thought experiments.

Well, that's a whole new level of diabetic stubbornness!

 

[Antje77]

Hi @Antje77, I use 4mm needles, they work fine for me. I rarely inject through clothing these days (used to more so when longer needles were the norm) and I wouldn't go through more than one layer of realtively fine fabric with a 4 - max weight of fabric would be a t-shirt so for me a cotton shirt would be ok.

Never tried to inject through anything thicker than a t-shirt, an not planning to, really. But I think I'll stick to the 5 mm and use up the 4mm's when it gets hot and my shirt isn't in my pants (The main reason to inject through shirt is that I'm too lazy to wrestle my shirt back in my pants )

 

[kitedoc]

Well, that's a whole new level of diabetic stubbornness!

Stubborness or survival!¡

 

[logindetails]

I use 4mm needles and regularly inject through a single layer of clothing (jeans, t-shirts etc not thick wool jumpers) - never had an injection fail because it wasn't deep enough.
@kitedoc - you don't want to be injecting into muscle tissue, that's why needles are short.