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Help! Injecting is getting too painful!

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yellowmonkey

Member
Messages
5
Hi all,

Injecting insulin is slowly becoming more and more painful to the point I'm considering not eating and running on a treadmill 24/7 so as to avoid doing it.

Unfortunately I've fallen into the bad practise of injecting into the same thigh/buttock - which I've now been doing for the past three years, since T1 diagnosis. The area has gradually become lumpy and bruised. Every time I inject insulin, as soon as I remove the needle, the insulin squirts out of the tip - clearly indicating its not going in. Eventually I manage to get some in, but its so painful and always leaves a huge white lump which I have to massage to ensure some insulin gets into my system!

The obvious suggestion is to change sites but I can't. There isn't enough fat on my stomach and attempting my other thigh/buttock just isn't possible. For some reason I can't angle myself and it hurts even trying to jab it in.

I use the smallest needles possible, but now am at my wits end! My leg needs a break for a few weeks! Any advice? Anyone ever had the same problems?
 
Use your arms, legs, stomach and buttocks - why can't you just use the other leg? If you physically are unable to then you may well need someone to do this for you. Just rotate through the other sites and give your damaged sites a few months off then slowly incorporate them again.

If you constantly use the same site you will get scar tissue and fat deposits that can badly affect how the insulin you inject is absorbed and it will damage your control and health.

Are you saying that you have absolutely no fat on your stomach? If so, well, congratulations, but that sounds quite odd...

I'm assuming you are joking about the treadmill; you can't not inject insulin as a Type 1.
 
The treadmill idea has crossed my mind....and no, I have no fat on my stomach. Plenty on thighs though.

I don't understand how anybody can use their arms as an injection site. When I use my thigh I have to grab a bit of flab with one hand and inject with the other. I haven't enough hands to hold flab on my arm and inject. Surely people don't just jab it in with one hand?!

I can only do it on this one side! I don't know why. I suppose its what I've become used to over the years. Probably the equivalent of tyring to write in the opposite hand to which you are used to.

Oh well....
 
Yellow Monkey

Are you using premixed insulin twice per day or bolus/basal?

If you are using bolus/basal then you can inject small amounts of bolus insulin in the very top part of your arm (no need to pinch skin) using a 5mm needle on end of pen and on top of that, you can also inject straight through a t-shirt or thin jumper with no problems at all :wink: Contrary to medical opinion, bolus insulin can work fairly well without being injected more deeply. Also by going through clothing you will not bruise.

To get rid of the lumpy tissue building up on your leg try rubbing in some Bio Oil every day and giving your leg a good massage.
 
Hello,

I think you are making your own problems here; of course you can inject into your arms - in fact it's much easier than the legs as your upper arms tend to be firmer. It also sounds like there is no reason at all why you can't inject into both legs, both buttocks and your stomach (albeit the stomach is my least favourite injection site, but it's there so you better get used to using it).

I really would suggest that you deal with this and speak to a nurse or doctor who can properly advise you on injections and injections sites. Why not make an appointment with your GP to discuss this and they should sort this out?

Dillinger
 
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