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Injecting into back of arm?

W

wildtoast

Well-Known Member
Messages
60
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
This is probably a really stupid question but how do people inject into the back of their arms? I'm new to this (diagnosed T1 just shy of 2 weeks ago) and was told to pinch the skin before injecting - but clearly I can't do that AND hold the pen to inject. So do you just inject? I don't have a whole lot of fat on my arms, how can I be sure I'm not going to go into muscle?
I've been using my tummy and just switched to my thigh, been mostly fine so far but I've got one bruise on my tummy and one on my thigh - maybe my injection technique needs perfecting but it just got me thinking some more about rotating the sites and made me wonder about arms.
 
It will depend on what needles you're using but I don't pinch (mine are 4mm).
Back of the upper arms only are suitable as that's the fatty area.
 
db89 said:
It will depend on what needles you're using but I don't pinch (mine are 4mm).
Back of the upper arms only are suitable as that's the fatty area.
Click to expand...
Oops I meant to say in my original post I've got the BD Viva 4mm needles. So you don't pinch at any site?
 
Mine aren't the Viva but are made by BD. Nope, I just find a site and jab it in! Not ruling out the possibility I'm maybe just a bit of a masochist when it comes to injecting.
 
I was always told to pinch as, like you, I have little fat.
I never managed to find a way to pinch and inject in the back of my arm. When I asked how to do it, it was suggested I may be able to wedge my arm up against a chair instead of punching. Never managed that either.

I also bruise sometimes when injecting in my belly or thighs. When I mentioned That, I was just told "some people bruise easily. To be honest, as it didn't hurt most of the time, I just took it as a marker of previous injection sites so I could remember to rotate my sites.
 
Hi @wildtoast ,

I'm a pincher myself.. Though through habit fro the old glass needles of yesteryear...
(& the general advice.)

However.
With a fresh microfine 4mm you should have no issue just injecting (without a pinch) in the arm.
Though I would test a little more with the meter just to check a muscle catch hasn't changed the dosage working profile...?
 
I don't know about anyone else but I find if it goes in too deep it hurts like hell and becomes novo extremely rapid. I have read that some people get extra long needles and do that on purpose but obviously there is a risk of mega hypo if you screw it up.

I am very very skinny these days, it is not good, there is not much to pinch. And I have never been told to pinch, I was told to just go for it, but I know that it is really supposed to go in the fat and the only way I can reliably do that is by pinching so that's mainly what I do.

Does that sound safe?
 
No one ever suggested Back of the arms to me I am a thigh man myself with only the occasional stomach when not convenient to drop my trousers. Only site that is impractical to use is my bottom (A- r- e ) which nurses used to use in hospital
 
I never use my arms at all,just legs and stomach,mostly stomach.I dont pinch either,just jab it in.Sometimes you bruise,sometimes you dont.I remember as a little girl becoming aware of my bruised arms and how they looked,much easier to hide in other areas.
 
I don't think it's necessary these days to pinch as the needles are now so short. Pinching was back in the day when the needles were at least an inch long and much thicker. It was necessary then to pinch the skin to slide the needle horizontally through the skin.
 
I was told not to pinch.
Ironically before reading this thread I’d just done a quick correction bolus in my arm of a couple of units. I normally use all other areas on a 5 week rotation. Tend to use left arm for corrections only. I have very little fat on my upper arms and don’t have a problem with it. Tend to bruise a lot on stomach
 
I wonder whether the answer to the question "to pinch or not to pinch?" Is "it depends.
Like @NoKindOfSusie , unless I pinch, I would struggle to keep a 4mm needle in fat.
So, perhaps it depends how much fat you have.
 
I'm finding this forum so helpful Things you think are very clear cut when your nurse or whoever talks about them turn out to depend more on the individual, such a wealth of experience on here. It'll be good to try arms when eating out, could be less hassle. I also tried not pinching my thigh at my lunchtime NovoRapid dose and that seemed to work fine!
 
I was advised to try and avoid the back of the arm as it's awkward and also if you have muscle in that area, it can tend to bruise and lump more easily. So I have never injected in the back of my arm.
 
Sit in a chair then put your arm on it like your putting your arms around your date in the movies before poking pinch the part you will poke then taking your dominate hand stab it into the flab btw your arm will have a flab like a chicken wing look and your done
 
In my 46 years as type 1 I have never done an injection in my arm. Always been legs or belly. I hardly pinch now. Really had to pinch when i was first diagnosed as the needles were sooooo long and thick (and blunt) it actually eased the pain to pinch as hard as you could
 
ive only ever injected in the back of my arm once and it left me with a nasty bruise so now i tend to stick to stomach ,thighs and bottom for nighttime lantus some times i pinch sometimes not
 
I never inject into my arms as there simply isn't enough flesh and always ends up bruised. I tend to use thighs and stomach (used to inject into my buttocks but over the last few years it's got harder to get round there!).
 
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