Hi, I am new to all this but I need some help and wonder if anyone else has experienced what I am. I was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 11 and I'm 19 now but since I got diagnosed I had one of the most horrible experiences, I took an allergic reaction for the very first time, when I had injected my insulin then took it out I felt not right lets just say, I had terrible pains in my stomach and couldn't stand up right, then this heartburn feeling came from nowhere and I started to swell, my face, arms, everywhere basically. I had a rash all over my body an then I started to turn blue and my lips were purple and it felt like I was put in a bubble where I couldn't hear anyone talk if that makes sense, my throat felt like it was closing up and I couldn't breathe to which my mam had phoned an ambulance but then after that I blacked out and couldn't remember anything else apart from waking up in a hospital bed. That was my first ever reaction I had but since then I keep having them, the hospital haven't diagnosed anything because they don't know what it is, I'm on cetirizine tablets to help me when I'm having a reaction. It doesn't happen all the time I take my insulin but sometimes, I also get a red rash around where I take my insulin sometimes and also lump quite alot. It's hard for me as I need someone to be around me at all times when I need to take my insulin. My blood sugar levels aren't very good but I'm getting there, my hc levels were 13 but have came down quite a lot over the past years to 8.1. Please can someone help, it feels like I'm the only person that is having this problem. Also I take novo mix 30 insulin morning and night. Hope to hear from somebody.
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Having allergic reactions, is it to do with my insulin?
- Thread starter Tammy19
- Start Date
It is, I'm constantly worried everytime I inject just in case it happens, well my first ever episode I was on mixture 20 but then changed to novo mix 30 about 5 years ago. They haven't said anything about changing my insulin as they said that I can't be allergic to insulin which I think different, but at the minute they have have me 8mm needles to see if it makes a difference but its still happening, I used to be on 6mm needles but happened also on those. It's so frustrating and just want to get to the bottom of it. I thought if I could speak to other people they might be having the same problem. Thanks for replying to. Very grateful.
CarbsRok
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Tammy19 said:
Hi Tammy,
it sounds to me as if you need a referal to another hospital/ diabetes centre where someone will listen to you.
Yes it's very possible to be allergic to the synthetic insulin's many are the same as many are not.
There are pork and beef insulin's available to use so might be worth trying either of those and see what happens.
It's very extreme but so are your symptoms, ask to be admitted to hospital when trying a new insulin so you are under constant care.
hanadr
Expert
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Tammy
It's obviously possible to be allergic to insulin, since it's a protein, but more likely that you are allergic to one or more of the other substances in the solution. Check the leaflet which comes with your medicine.
Do you always get the same brand? Sometimes there's a difference there.
It's worth disussing the problem with your pharmacist. They usually know a lot about the stuff they dispense and perhaps with your care team, who might be able to solve the problem.
It sounds like an odd one, because allergies are usually predictable, however I do have one that isn't. If it's a true allergy, geting rid of the trigger will get rid of it. In the meantime make sure you have an antihistamine handy.
Hana
It's obviously possible to be allergic to insulin, since it's a protein, but more likely that you are allergic to one or more of the other substances in the solution. Check the leaflet which comes with your medicine.
Do you always get the same brand? Sometimes there's a difference there.
It's worth disussing the problem with your pharmacist. They usually know a lot about the stuff they dispense and perhaps with your care team, who might be able to solve the problem.
It sounds like an odd one, because allergies are usually predictable, however I do have one that isn't. If it's a true allergy, geting rid of the trigger will get rid of it. In the meantime make sure you have an antihistamine handy.
Hana
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Tammy19 said:
Not true, as CarbsRok says some people are allergic to the modern synthetic insulin's and have made the switch to beef/pork without any incidence, I would push them on this and ask if it is possible to at least try it.
Sandringham
Newbie
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Yes you can be allergic to insulin (or some substance within it), so don't let anyone tell you different.
My sister is Type 1 and has been for 35 years. 2 years or so ago ago Welcome stopped making Pork insulin so they changed her over to a different make and she had a hell of a time. Rashes all over her body which were so bad bad she looked like she had been in a fire. It took a visit to a skin specialist (privately) because the GP just keeped giving her skin creams! to sort it out. She changed over to human insulin and within a week the problem had gone.
Don't let people fob you off. You know your own body. Demand to see someone who knows what they are doing.
Good luck.
S
My sister is Type 1 and has been for 35 years. 2 years or so ago ago Welcome stopped making Pork insulin so they changed her over to a different make and she had a hell of a time. Rashes all over her body which were so bad bad she looked like she had been in a fire. It took a visit to a skin specialist (privately) because the GP just keeped giving her skin creams! to sort it out. She changed over to human insulin and within a week the problem had gone.
Don't let people fob you off. You know your own body. Demand to see someone who knows what they are doing.
Good luck.
S
