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Injection Areas

Topher

Well-Known Member
Messages
202
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
HI, I have been injecting in my abdomen for a while as i was told this is the most effective area to inject, I am just seeing can you inject in other places like your thigh, and does this affect how quick the insulin is absorbed and quick it can work - Thanks
 
You certainly need to vary your sites as if you continually inject in the same areas you will get lumps which impedes the absorption of insulin. Once these lumps develop they can take a year or more to disappear and can be painful as well as ugly if they are bad.

Long term diabetics move sites between stomach, arms, thighs and backside but sometimes it does get difficult to find enough space!

Also different areas will affect how well and quickly the insulin is processed. I don't have any links but I'm sure others can help you with this.
 
Insulin absorbs fastest in the stomach, arms legs and buttocks in that order, so when injecting fast-acting insulin into any other area than the stomach you might want to consider the delay when timing your food intake, generally they don'y advise injecting QA insulin in the bum.

My basal insulin goes mainly in the bum or legs, bolus doses go mainly in my stomach or backs of the arms, very occasionally the legs.

To avoid injection site problems and absorption issues it's best to rotate injection sites regularly and use a new needle each time you inject.
 
cheers thanks for the info
 
I have always injected in the stomach area as my legs are too muscly and my arms are too skinny!! I had a doctor tell me that I was swollen (the kids just call it fat) through injecting in the same area too often. She gave me the medical term but I have since forgotten. Anyone know it? I'm going to ask at my next appointment.
 

Lipohypertrophy
 
I like to inject into my triceps, response is much quicker than stomach for me.
 
KazV1 said:
I like to inject into my triceps, response is much quicker than stomach for me.
Click to expand...

But you don't acutely inject into the triceps, if your using the arms after injecting..... say with weights then it will speed up the acceleration in which the insulin is absorbed, it's the same if you inject in the leg and go for a walk or a run soon afterwards, if your not doing either it's still fastest in the stomach..... as far as I'm aware.
 
Not sure of the science, just saying what I was told on my DAFNE. Maybe it's because we constantly use our arms ? It certainly works for me though, although happy to be corrected !
 
mo1905 said:
Not sure of the science, just saying what I was told on my DAFNE. Maybe it's because we constantly use our arms ? It certainly works for me though, although happy to be corrected !
Click to expand...


No your right Mo if your using your arms a lot, that's what I was saying in my previous post, seem goes for the legs if you inject in there and your job involves a lot of walking. Don't forget we inject into the fat layer under the skin and not into the muscles or veins.
 
DAFNE told me NOT to inject into the arms because it's too fast and can give hypos before your food has digested, so you will have more swings


Blogging at drivendiabetic.wordpress.com
 
hale710 said:
DAFNE told me NOT to inject into the arms because it's too fast and can give hypos before your food has digested, so you will have more swings


Blogging at drivendiabetic.wordpress.com
Click to expand...

Something else to throw in the mix hale
 
I inject in the arms and legs (I did try my behind briefly but when you get a bruise on it you can knock it more often - sorry laughing as I write that - so gave up on my bum!). I do find the arms for me are the quicker route, and I tend to inject in the same area mostly (not exclusively) for the injection - so leg at lunch, arm at dinner - unless I am high or something like that when I give a longer wait and use an arm! I did try my stomach as a child, but I just didn't like it at all and it put me off my food! Having said that having a cgm sensor in my tummy was fine, so maybe I should give it another go - but then you can't put the sensors too close to where you inject!
 
hale710 said:
DAFNE told me NOT to inject into the arms because it's too fast and can give hypos before your food has digested, so you will have more swings


Blogging at drivendiabetic.wordpress.com
Click to expand...
It can be a useful site however if your food is relatively high GI or if you are in a restaurant or similar and want to wait for food to arrive prior to injecting. Also, if you are just late injecting for whatever reason.


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