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Full insulin dose not being delivered? Faulty device? Type 1 diabetes and insulin

C

cbooth5

Active Member
Messages
31
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi guys,

I'm in my honeymoon period and recently got my hands on an ECHO pen which has been great to give half unit doses where it is appropriate.

The only issue is with giving bigger doses, I try to use a chart with holes in from DSN. When I inject I try to be straight into the skin and hold it in for at least 10 seconds, if not 12, 13 seconds if I can. But when I take out the pen, not always but sometimes insulin will come out the site even if I put the needle all the way in? Asking if this is normal and if I could have any more advice on if I am doing everything technique right.

Thanks in advance
 
Hi,

Are you banging in the insulin perpendicular to the skin?
Do you “pinch up?”
To be fair. Sometimes there can be a little spit back…
 
Hey, thanks for the message. I usually try to go perpendicular to the skin so I'll make sure I am doing that. I think its with using the chart, I'm holding it with one hand, so I only have the other hand to administer. So maybe I am not 'pinching up' correctly

Maybe in future, I'll try mark or remember where and pinch with the other hand some free skin and pull it up before injecting into the fatty tissue above the muscle/abdomen area if that's what you mean?

Its like tonight, my insulin requirements have just increased and almost doubled out of nowhere... glucose 15.0 peak despite 2.5 units for a ~60 g carb meal, which would have overdosed me a few weeks back (used to do 1 or 1.5 units novorapid which would keep it in range), so now I'm wondering if its all being delivered into the circulation
 
cbooth5 said:
Hey, thanks for the message. I usually try to go perpendicular to the skin so I'll make sure I am doing that. I think its with using the chart, I'm holding it with one hand, so I only have the other hand to administer. So maybe I am not 'pinching up' correctly

Maybe in future, I'll try mark or remember where and pinch with the other hand some free skin and pull it up before injecting into the fatty tissue above the muscle/abdomen area if that's what you mean?

Its like tonight, my insulin requirements have just increased and almost doubled out of nowhere... glucose 15.0 peak despite 2.5 units for a ~60 g carb meal, which would have overdosed me a few weeks back (used to do 1 or 1.5 units novorapid which would keep it in range), so now I'm wondering if its all being delivered into the circulation
Click to expand...
How long have you been diagnosed? Your honeymoon period over….???
 
I've been diagnosed roughly since end of June I think it was when I started on insulin therapy. It has only been this and last week where my requirements have really shot up, gone from using:

Tresiba 1 unit morning, Novorapid (2 units) for ~40g carb meal, 1 unit lunch (40g carbs) and 1-2 units evening (30-60g evening meal)

TO Tresiba 2 units morning, Novorapid 2.5-3 units morning, 1.5-2 units lunch and 2-2.5 units evening
 
cbooth5 said:
I've been diagnosed roughly since end of June I think it was when I started on insulin therapy. It has only been this and last week where my requirements have really shot up, gone from using:

Tresiba 1 unit morning, Novorapid (2 units) for ~40g carb meal, 1 unit lunch (40g carbs) and 1-2 units evening (30-60g evening meal)

TO Tresiba 2 units morning, Novorapid 2.5-3 units morning, 1.5-2 units lunch and 2-2.5 units evening
Click to expand...
Talk to your diabetic team regarding the increase in requirements..

I couldn’t possibly tell you what to dose…

Your requirement on dosage may have changed due to the pancreas not “helping” anymore..?? (The beta cells at some point just slow down & stop, on production.)
 
It is not uncommon for a small amount of insulin to come out when you withdraw the pen.
If your blood sugars are ok, this amount is not enough to be concerned about.
@Jaylee has a picture showing how you can test the insulin pen dose using a needle cap.
 
@Jaylee, if you have the picture that would be great. I will phone my diabetic team, they are really not great at getting back to me which is really frustrating though hence why I post frequently on here!

I did withdraw tonight, some insulin came back out and my sugars have touched 16.6 today... had a big meal so maybe that contributed too. Gave an extra unit of novorapid to help bring down... ketones nil
 
Last edited:
cbooth5 said:
@Jaylee, if you have the picture that would be great. I will phone my diabetic team, they are really not great at getting back to me which is really frustrating though hence why I post frequently on here!

I did withdraw tonight, some insulin came back out and my sugars have touched 16.6 today... had a big meal so maybe that contributed too. Gave an extra unit of novorapid to help bring down... ketones nil
Click to expand...
This is an old trick told me by my GP. (Probably 25 years ago?)
Now retired. He was more knowledgable than any endo I knew.
He was also surounded by some pretty decent DSNs too, back in the day..

20 units of insulin. (Yeah I know, it’s a waste.) should fill the red line to here.. in the picture below.

IMG_0280.jpeg
 
Update: did the 20 units trick and it is spot on correct! Think it must either be rapidly changing requirements or technique.
Waiting for the DSN to phone me tomorrow so will try to update for other peoples benefit of forums etc.
 
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