Injection Sites

David Wass

Well-Known Member
Messages
63
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I saw my diabetic nurse a few weeks back and yesterday. She advised me to inject in the thight and abdomen(makes me cringe). I am too skinny no bum no fat not a mm of fat on me as a result my insulin is not being absorbed properly especially my background insulin.

Every morning my sugars are running from 18 up to 25 and keep rising. I inject extra novorapid to counter act the high but due to having no fat its not absorbing properly.

What can i do to get a bit of fat to inject in to or where is best?

How many times can i inject in the abdomen and will this give me lumps and bumps on my stomach if too many times?

I can not believe that 4 injections a day is safe for me in only 2 places.

I believe from my BS results its my background insulin that is not working properly.

Please help
 

catapillar

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,390
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Here is a good guide to possible injection sites - https://sites.google.com/site/diabetesmapp/injection-sites-index

There are a lot to choose from, even if you are focusing on thighs and abdomen, you would have to try not to inject into the exact same place every time, each time you inject, try to make sure it's at least an inch away from the last time - that's what site rotation means.

Have you considered basal testing to see whether your background insulin is doing its job?
 

David Wass

Well-Known Member
Messages
63
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Here is a good guide to possible injection sites - https://sites.google.com/site/diabetesmapp/injection-sites-index

There are a lot to choose from, even if you are focusing on thighs and abdomen, you would have to try not to inject into the exact same place every time, each time you inject, try to make sure it's at least an inch away from the last time - that's what site rotation means.

Have you considered basal testing to see whether your background insulin is doing its job?
Thanks for your help.

I tested at 2.14am last night and my BS was 17.1 i tested again 5.56am and it was 20.2

30/07 before breakfast 18.9 2 hours after 9.9

29/07 before lun h 6.1. 2 hours after lunch it was 4.9. 3 hours later shot up to 15.9. I had no extra carbs or any food. Before bed 12.9

28/07 5.18 am 2.8. 4.45am 4.4 Before breakfast. 2 hours after breakfast 8.07am 10.6. Before lunch 3.4. Before bed 5.8.

27/07 3.36 am 14.8. woke up 15.9 2 hours after breakfast 11.8 Before lunch 7.4. Before dinner 6.3 2 hours after dinner 9.5.

Some of the better reading are due to extra novorapid to bring it down.

To me it looks as if my background insulin is not working.
 

catapillar

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,390
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
So the job of your basal insulin is to to keep you flat (ish) without the need for carbs to bring you up, or fast acting insulin to bring you down, so you test it by seeing if you stay vaguely in the same place without carbs or active fast acting insulin.

Here's some information on basal rate testing - https://mysugr.com/basal-rate-testing/

It's quite difficult (for me anyway) to interpret whether the information you posted above tells you anything much about your basal rate, because you are taking in carbs and novorapid so it's hard to tell what's doing what - it's good to split it out and focus on one thing at a time.

So overnight, when presumably you had no carbs or fast acting on board, you went up be 3mmol/L. That's actually pretty much within range for a basal rate. Really you want to vary by not too much more than 2mmol/l (with no carbs or fast acting for about 6 hours).

The other thing to consider with basal, as well as the dose itself, is when to take it and whether that covers the whole day - levemir lasts approx 12 hours, so most people take some at night and some in the morning. Lantus lasts approx 18 hours, so might run out in the afternoon if you take one shot at night.

I would suggest doing a basal test as a starting point.
 

David Wass

Well-Known Member
Messages
63
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I've been doing background insulin testing mainly during the night. I am finding my sugars are running from 12-16 mmol. Lsdt night i had half a dark choclate digestive biscuit and found upon waking up my sugars were 7.2 mmol. I'll do it again tonight as I'm thinking i am taking too much lantus and having hypos during the night?? Anyone else had a similar experience. I understand that having sugar before is wrong though everyone is different.
 

catapillar

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,390
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
If your basal test is showing you hypo on one of the two hourly checks through the night, you should stop the test and treat the hypo. Don't let yourself stay hypo for the sake of a basal test. It's frustrating, but you can repeat the basal test, if the testing has shown you going hypo overnight you would consider a reduction in basal before testing again to see how that works. Bear in mind that changes to lantu take a few days to kick in, so let it settle before repeating the test. Getting up every two hours to check is a pain in the ...neck but it might be worth it to sort out your basal rates.
 
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PatsyB

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,956
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Diabetes
I did ask to go onto basal insulin they said i was fien on the fast acting humilog.... maybe they change later i dunno?
 

Tony337

Well-Known Member
Messages
727
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Not being on holiday....
Hi
What size needles do you use?
I have the nanopass 4mm ones and would recommend them to anyone.
I still marvel at them as i'm an old hack and remember the needle sizes from 40 years ago.

Good luck

Tony
 

mazza31

Member
Messages
6
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Also struggling with injection sites, nurses have said all areas are pretty much exhausted and getting v high readings most of the day have consultant to talk about pump but I’m scared any advice please anyone? Thanks in advance
 

Antje77

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
19,284
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Also struggling with injection sites, nurses have said all areas are pretty much exhausted and getting v high readings most of the day have consultant to talk about pump but I’m scared any advice please anyone? Thanks in advance
Hi @mazza31 , you have posted your question on a very old thread. Nothing wrong with that, but you'll likely get more responses if you start a thread of your own.
Good luck!
 

PaulAshby

Well-Known Member
Messages
139
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Also struggling with injection sites, nurses have said all areas are pretty much exhausted and getting v high readings most of the day have consultant to talk about pump but I’m scared any advice please anyone? Thanks in advance

I'm always injection into my abdomen, it's just too convenient but it's very lumpy so am thinking of going for a pump to hopefully get rid rid of the lumpy tissue, I know there's a name for it but can't remember it.