Insulin smell

[Jaylee]

So far I think @Jaylee 's description of "faint Dettol' is the closest. It took me straight back to the smell, especially as a result of dislodging an air bubble in a glass syringe. and yes, it reminded me of hospitals.

Oooh, from memory with glass (& even plastic.) syringes. When drawing up from a vial I had to replace what was taken out with air?
Or the vacuum sucked the rubber membrane back into the the vial..,
A fiddle, but I used to knock as many bubbles out the syringe as as could. Sort of do an air shot in the vial but pull out a couple of extra units & trim off the dose in the air prior to injection..?

lol, as a kid I was paranoid about injecting air.. probably some “urban legend.”

 

[Introverted_And_Proud]

In fact, he said that a person who smelled of insulin walked past him on the subway and he turned around, thinking it was me I've never asked other people what I smell like, and they've never talked about it (because they're tactful?). I also use novorapid and tresiba.

Ah, I see. That makes sense. In the excerpt I linked in my previous post, the author mentions about the smell coming from insulin pumps and that it can crop up during times where there are leakages. I have to wonder if maybe the likelihood of diabetics smelling of insulin is more common with patients who have insulin pumps rather than those who inject with pens or syringes.

The excerpt does mention that phenol, the ingredient causing the 'insulin smell', is used in other products, though the article doesn't specify what those products are. So, it's possible that the person your boyfriend passed might have had something on their person that contained phenol and caused the familiar aroma.

 

[Antje77]

For cleaning the area where a sensor or cannula is going. I don't use it prior to injections.

Of course!
I use alcohol as well before putting on a sensor, but I use a bottle. I doubt if it still has any potency, I've been using the same plastic bottle for years and it lives in my window sill (for unknown reasons) where the sun shines.

 

[Zhnyaka]

Of course!
I use alcohol as well before putting on a sensor, but I use a bottle. I doubt if it still has any potency, I've been using the same plastic bottle for years and it lives in my window sill (for unknown reasons) where the sun shines.

Try to use vodka. It dries out the skin less and definitely won't go unused for several years.

 

[Grant_Vicat]

Oooh, from memory with glass (& even plastic.) syringes. When drawing up from a vial I had to replace what was taken out with air?
Or the vacuum sucked the rubber membrane back into the the vial..,
A fiddle, but I used to knock as many bubbles out the syringe as as could. Sort of do an air shot in the vial but pull out a couple of extra units & trim off the dose in the air prior to injection..?

lol, as a kid I was paranoid about injecting air.. probably some “urban legend.”

Blimey that brings back memories @Jaylee !

 

[Grant_Vicat]

Of course!
I use alcohol as well before putting on a sensor, but I use a bottle. I doubt if it still has any potency, I've been using the same plastic bottle for years and it lives in my window sill (for unknown reasons) where the sun shines.

I used to get alcohol on prescription - no I wasn't That desperate! It was industrial meths and smelt like a chemistry lab. Surgical spirit, which had a nasty bitter taste, was prescribed before that.

 

[saucequery]

I hate the smell of insulin.

Maybe a bit cruel but when I do an airshot sometimes I point it in the direction of my cats they scarper like mad , it makes me laugh .

Poor kittys

 

[Idle Sean]

I've been on insulin since 1983 and have never smelt, or thought to smell it. I'm now on a pump and SM feeds say I should look out for it? Does it smell like rain water... fresh morning dew ... last night's BO ... The last fight you had with your previous wife? WHAT DOES IT SMELL LIKE?

 

[Grant_Vicat]

I've been on insulin since 1983 and have never smelt, or thought to smell it. I'm now on a pump and SM feeds say I should look out for it? Does it smell like rain water... fresh morning dew ... last night's BO ... The last fight you had with your previous wife? WHAT DOES IT SMELL LIKE?

I think @Jaylee is close with "faint Dettol". It's a distinct smell like nothing else, and certainly not like any of the above!