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Injection pain

N

nannoo

Well-Known Member
Messages
112
I inject twice a day, using a Levemir Flexpen with 8mm needles. Quite often the needle hurts on insertion, or it starts to hurt halfway through the injection. Sometimes I have to take it out and try another site. It makes each session quite daunting, instead of just being something I have to do. I am overweight, and always use my stomach as the site, as I tried my thigh and that was almost unbearable. Is it normal to experience pain on injection? Is there anything I can do to lessen the pain? Many thanks.
 
Don't know anything about Levemir but the Novo booklet recommends an ice cube over the injection site for up to 30 seconds to numb it if pain is experienced.
 
Thank you, but that seems a bit of a faff, as I inject in the bedroom morning and night. Am I maybe doing something wrong when I inject?
 
Hi,
I was diagnosed type one in December 2008. I didn't have much trouble with the injections at first but after a few weeks it became really painful. I lost a lot of weightso put it down to that, although I've regained weight now and sometimes still have the same problem. I was using 6mm needles, my diabetic nurse advised me to try smaller ones, I now use 5mm. I also always inject in my stomach as found it quite painful injecting in my thigh. I still have bruises on my stomach and have been told to use a larger area i.e. don't inject in exact same site each time. It's difficult though and feels like a bit of a lottery each time- sometimes no pain at all, sometimes really sore. I'm still fairly new to all this so I don't have many answers yet! I really don't know how anyone ever gets used to this, I'd give anything to have my old life back but I guess what doesn't kill us makes us stronger and this forum makes me realise I'm not alone.
Good luck,
Tara
 
i would try smaller needles and make sure u arent injecting in/near where u recently injected, if it doesnt help u can get numbing cream :D
 
Hi nannoo,

I think it is quite normal to feel some pain.
I use Lantus pens with either 5mm or 8mm needles.
It is a good habit to inject each session at different places on the skin. The 5mm needle I use for injection in the upper leg and the 8mm in the stomach area (I am not the slimmest either :lol: ).
It takes some time and practice to find the places that are most suitable with the least pain for the injections. It is just a matter of time and trial to find these spots.
Further more, it is good to try to inject under a certain angle and not perpendicular to the skin.
Sometimes a burning feeling can occur when injecting. When injecting real slow, the burning pain may be reduced.
Instead of using ice cubes, an easier method that is worth a try is to squeeze the skin firmly at the point of injection between the thumb and index finger and keep it squeezed during the injection.

As soon you are ready injecting the insulin, wait for a 10-15 seconds before retracting the needle. This has nothing to do with reducing the pain, but is a good habit.

Best Regards from Finland,

Erkki
 
Hi Nannoo,
theres a cream called Elma available on prescription or over the counter, it numbs the area, but can take up to half an hour to take effect. Might be worth trying along with 5mm needles, and making sure you inject at different sights. My 10yr old son does his Levemir once a day in his thigh and 3 times a day in his tummy alternating sides and area,
Good luck with solving your painful problem,
Suzi x
 
Thank you Suzi, and everyone. Could I use 5mm needles - I do have a very fatty tummy, and I found injecting in my thighs was painful. Does anyone find one area less painful than another?
 
Hi Nannoo,
My son Andrew still finds his thighs painful, with the opposite problem of no fatty areas at all, he resembles a bean pole and is just beginning to fill out a bit. He perseveres knowing that for him the Levemir hasn't the same affect injected anywhere else, so thighs it is. He uses 18 - 20 units so its over within about 20 -30 seconds and always gets to pick a bedtime treat, its easier to bribe kids. Though for me i flinch as i watch his toes curl, and him holding his breathe on injecting, the sooner they find a less painful easier way of administering insulin the better for all of us. So other than suggestions already made i can only wish you luck. You can but try 5mm needles, you'll know within 6 hrs or so, if the 5mm are not penetrating the layers enough as your bs will rise considerably as not enough insulin will have been delivered into your system. Good luck,
Suzi x
 
Most people can use 5mm needles which are shorter without too many problems. Also background insulins will work a bit better if they are injected somewhere into the backside as the insulin will release its action a bit more slowly. The tummy is always going to be a tender area to inject so use the top part of the arm for the fast acting stuff. Keep the tummy area for when your bg levels are fairly high and you need insulin to work double quick :wink:
 
Is it right that you can inject into the arms ? I thought that it was the tum and the legs that was advised ? Can somebody answer that for me ?

D.
 
Here is a link to some information about injection sites and injecting. Take a look:
http://www.bd.com/us/diabetes/page.aspx ... 01&id=7282

Here is a short extract about where to inject Insulin and the reasons why you use different areas.

According to Eli Lilly, the leading manufacturer of insulin, most insulin enters the blood:

Fastest from the abdomen (stomach)

A little slower from the arms

Even slower from the legs

Slowest from the buttocks

Hope that helps.

Byetta is always recommended to be injected in the abdomen or the top of the legs.

Ken.
 
Hi Nannoo, there is a Youtube video that I found a few weeks ago that I found very useful regarding painless injecting.

Click THIS LINK to watch the video, hope this helps you as it did me

Regards
 
I used to have quite painful ones and then realised that it was probably something to do with the fact that my maths was wrong and my 90o angle was more like a 40o angle... Make sure it is 90 and it'll go in much smoother and much more pain free. Mine sometimes bleed aswell and sometimes a little insulin comes out with the needle. To be fair, our body can't expected to appreciated being proded with a pointy bit of metal without some pain. I use novofine 8mm needles and find them good. It may be worth you trying novofine autocover 8mm needles - i first found that the fear of seeing the needle go in makes it hurt more, but with the autocover needles you cannot even see it, happy days.
good luck
 
I always find thigh injections excruciating, but then I hate having my legs touched at all, ever. So I never inject there. Can't reach to do an injection on my backside, thanks to bursitis in both shoulders (now there's an unhelpful condition to have!) and I've recently been told that injecting in the upper arm (which was my main injection site for 20ish years - oops.) is not advisable as the rate of absorption is very unreliable. So I'm left with injecting in my tummy. Handily, it's quite big so I've got plenty of space to vary the sites!

I never found ice cubes useful, as it's more of a problem under the skin than on the surface. But what I do find is that if you're tense, it'll hurt like hell. You have to force yourself to relax the part of the body you're poking, it makes it a hell of a lot easier. And don't do it too fast or too slowly - you need to find the right speed for you. Also, pinching the skin up helps a lot, which I guess is why they use a little clamp thing when you have your navel pierced.

Liberty - you do get used to it eventually, honest! After 22 years, it's such a normal part of my life that I sometimes find myself asking non-diabetics if they've done their insulin before we eat dinner. Obviously they all think I'm a mental, and they may have a point... :lol:
 
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