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Avoiding a vein

Zinadane

Zinadane

Well-Known Member
Messages
330
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
High and low sugar levels!
A couple of times now my morning basal must've hit a vein.
Gives a bit of a nightmare day.
Top tips please for avoidance?
PS. I'm always into my abdomen (with some lipohypertrophy)
 
Zinadane said:
Tresiba
Click to expand...

I didn't know that was a tresiba feature.

I have had occasional lantus lows and do the following
1) I split the dose so that if it hits a vein there is less of it.
2) Use 4mm needles
3) Check bg 15 minutes after the dose to make sure I'm not having a sudden plunge (easy given I have a cgm).

Though I normally do my stomach (with some liperhytrophy) I've started to do some in my thighs again to give my stomach a rest.
 
@Zinadane What's your injection technique ? Do you have much fat around your abdomen ?

Also how do you know when you've hit a vein ? Sorry if that sounds a silly question, are you going low soon after and it's difficult getting levels up etc
 
Juicyj said:
@Zinadane What's your injection technique ? Do you have much fat around your abdomen ?

Also how do you know when you've hit a vein ? Sorry if that sounds a silly question, are you going low soon after and it's difficult getting levels up etc
Click to expand...

4mm bd microfine (best needles I know)
Find a decent looking patch, go in firm at approx 45-60 degrees, press, wait withdraw.

Mad rush of low for 2-3 hours, with no backroung left for remaining day, having to constant top-up with fiasp, with rapid up-down swings.
 
Zinadane said:
Mad rush of low for 2-3 hours, with no backroung left for remaining day, having to constant top-up with fiasp, with rapid up-down swings.
Click to expand...

Have you considered changing basal? eg levemir??? ( I know it's an issue for lantus).
 
EllieM said:
Have you considered changing basal? eg levemir??? ( I know it's an issue for lantus).
Click to expand...
Well for me Tresiba is the flattest most easygoing basal around.
If your into a vein, then does it matter what you are using?
 
I don't think it matters what basal and tresiba is fine as long as it works well in general.

Have you tried pinching the flesh before injecting - my rule has always been pinch an inch and inject, but you're drawing the fattest part of the flesh out to inject in, if you can't pinch an inch then find another area you can do this, so butt, thigh, etc, the principle is that the insulin is being delivered to the subcutaneous area and is pulling the fatty tissue away from muscle and you're less likely to hit a vein so much safer doing it this way.
 
Juicyj said:
I don't think it matters what basal and tresiba is fine as long as it works well in general.

Have you tried pinching the flesh before injecting - my rule has always been pinch an inch and inject, but you're drawing the fattest part of the flesh out to inject in, if you can't pinch an inch then find another area you can do this, so butt, thigh, etc, the principle is that the insulin is being delivered to the subcutaneous area and is pulling the fatty tissue away from muscle and you're less likely to hit a vein so much safer doing it this way.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I’m pretty skinny and catching a vein was extremely rare for me as long as I pinched the site.
 
Zinadane said:
4mm bd microfine (best needles I know)
Find a decent looking patch, go in firm at approx 45-60 degrees, press, wait withdraw.

Mad rush of low for 2-3 hours, with no backroung left for remaining day, having to constant top-up with fiasp, with rapid up-down swings.
Click to expand...
When I was diagnosed in the 70s, we were told to inject at an angle of 45 degrees. In the 80s we were shown a video showing us how to inject properly at 90 degrees. Have they changed it back or do you do 45 - 60 degrees because you are very slim?
 
Well, I think it comes down to depth under skin.
For me it's just easy angle of attack
 
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