• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Injecting Lantus directly into Bloodstream causing sharp drop in Sugar level

B

Berkshire2023

Newbie
Messages
2
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Has any other Type 1 sufferer had the situation of injecting directly into a blood vessel resulting in a sharp drop and Hypo? Are there any tips for avoiding this, are there any other injection methods?
 
Berkshire2023 said:
Has any other Type 1 sufferer had the situation of injecting directly into a blood vessel resulting in a sharp drop and Hypo? Are there any tips for avoiding this, are there any other injection methods?
Click to expand...
Hi @Berkshire2023 ,

Welcome to the forum.

What sites are you using? (Injection sites.) I tend to go for fat tissue & “pinch up” on injecting..
Legs mainly for Lantus.
 
I've had it happen to or three times (in ten years). After the last time I decided to split my lantus so that even if it hits fast I only have half the insulin to deal with. I also make sure I stay awake for half an hour after injecting it.

I inject in my stomach, though I guess I could try my legs. I've got plenty of fat to inject into.

Splitting the lantus has actually worked well for me outside minimising the hypo risk. It seems much more level now.
 
Are you happy with the lantus otherwise @Berkshire2023 . If you are in the UK you could probably request a different basal (eg tresiba or levemir), but you may prefer the (normally) level 24 hour action of lantus.
 
I injected Lantus for 12 years (until I converted to a pump) and never experienced this.
I always pinch before injecting to make sure I am injecting into fat.
I understand we are no longer recommended to pinch as needles are shorter (I use 4mm needles), as I have little fat, this gives me confidence I would not inject too deep or direct into blood.
 
Berkshire2023 said:
Has any other Type 1 sufferer had the situation of injecting directly into a blood vessel resulting in a sharp drop and Hypo? Are there any tips for avoiding this, are there any other injection methods?
Click to expand...
Yes, it happened to me once, one of the scariest experiences in my life. I'm sure I have been very close to dying on that night.

My solution was to tell my diabetes nurse that I needed a different basal because I wasn't going to take the Lantus anymore and I'd even rather go back to the old NPH than take my chances with Lantus even one more night.
I don't think she believed in Lantus Lows, but she did believe that I'd refuse to take Lantus.

She was also a very nice nurse and happy to do whatever it took to support me in managing my then still quite new diabetes, so I got prescribed Tresiba the next day, very lucky with my nurse. That one last night I think I split my dose into 5 different places to make sure that if it went wrong it would at least only be a little.
I'm fat so no problem injecting in fatty tissue, but even fatty tissue has capillaries you can hit.

Here's some more about it: https://www.diabettech.com/diabetes/lantus-lethal-or-lifesaver-doc-gbdoc/
 
Back
Top