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Injection sites bruising/bleeding

R

Rose22

Well-Known Member
Messages
282
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hello,
I’ve been on MDI insulin since March this year, late onset type 1. Most of the time it’s pretty painless and just get on with it without too much thought...but the last few days I’ve been really bruising and bleeding from where I’ve injected?! Help! Anyone else have this or know why? I’ve got yellow bruises about the size of a 50p coin, on my tummy, sides, top of bottom. My thighs don’t seem to bruise too much but breakfast one today did bleed! One yesterday on my abdomen really hurt and sort of bulged out, like a swelling, a hard lump that I could really feel, the went down and now bruised. Am I injecting wrong?
Thanks for any advice!
 
I think my blood is thinner when it's that time of the month, I get nosebleeds, bleeding gums, finger keeps bleeding after a blood test, things like that, I haven't noticed bruising but I probably get more than usual. Not to be too personal but if it's that time of the month for you...
 
porl69 said:
Do you change needles every time you inject??
Click to expand...

I so agree with this. On a recent course they showed how blunt the end of a needle was when used for just ONE injection. I had been using mine 5/6 times before that (I know!!!) and although I rarely bruise I was only reminded to change it when it hurt. Completely the wrong thing to do and now I change it every time. The Course people said don't worry about cost (if you do) as a whole box costs pennies. x
 
@KK123 I know the picture you are on about. It isn't actually true BUT the needle does goes blunt pretty quickly.
 
Ah thankyou that makes sense, yep I must be hitting blood vessel more by chance lately then. Nope I’ve not bothered trying to keep my insulin cool, oops! I do use a 4mm needle, and I was taught not to pinch, just to come down and push into the skin, but not hard from afar or anything. Maybe pinching an inch first may help! Thanks for advice x
 
porl69 said:
Do you change needles every time you inject??
Click to expand...
I do yes, every time as I unscrew the needle right after using, so the pen is empty on the end again. Otherwise I’d loose track of how often/long it been there I reckon! You wondering in case blunt? That would make sense wouldn’t it for the lumps and bruises.
 
I was always told to pinch on injecting.....mind you I am 49 years in and had to use mahoosive needles when I started
 
Oh no I’ve not re used, but I guess I am a relative newbie, 6 months injecting insulin, so not long enough to just get fed up with it all! Wowzers I won’t after reading how blunt they get! Mine are on prescription thankfully so I’m not having to worry about making them last/cost etc.
 
Oh guess my hormones may be playing a part, nearing time of the month end week, so pain thresh hold usually goes way down etc may be why reacting and feeling it, bruising more? Interesting! I know it influences my blood sugars for a week, urgh so annoying see double numbers no matter what I do then back to happy level again.
 
porl69 said:
I was always told to pinch on injecting.....mind you I am 49 years in and had to use mahoosive needles when I started
Click to expand...
Ohhhh thank heavens for advancement in medical science! I may have passed out at the sight of your original needles then heheh! What a warrior you are! My grandmother was Type 1 and I remember her with a little bottle of insulin and long needle. Had no idea before that she was diabetic!
 
Hi, I have lots of bruises on my tummy this week suddenly! Mainly yellow but a big dark one too! I’ve been having a fairly hormonal week so maybe conincides x
 
JMoli said:
Hi, I have lots of bruises on my tummy this week suddenly! Mainly yellow but a big dark one too! I’ve been having a fairly hormonal week so maybe conincides x
Click to expand...
That sounds like me at the mo! Really big yellow ones on my tummy and sides and top bottom where inject levemir. Hmm maybe it’s hormones + heat + hitting vessels + diabetes just being a pain in the bum sometimes
Sorry to hear you’ve got them too! Although nice to know it’s fairly common, and like @In Response said can be handy to see where we’ve injected previously! Always like a positive out of it hehe.
 

Haha that’s true!
 
porl69 said:
@KK123 I know the picture you are on about. It isn't actually true BUT the needle does goes blunt pretty quickly.
Click to expand...

It definitely made me think twice about reusing them so I guess they got their message across. Lol. x
 
Hi @Rose22 - If you are experiencing lots of regular bruising, that you weren't having before, it is definitely worth mentioning it to your team. Whilst it seems like it can be quite commonplace for some people, bruising can also be a sign things aren't quite right for the person's general health too.

I'm not posting that to be alarmist, but just to encourage you to have it checked out by someone actually looking at the bruises.

There may be something that can be done to minimise the bruising, and you might be in absolutely perfect health, but in my world bruising that has just started and is otherwise unexplained shouldn't be ignored.

For these other "things", it could be something as simple as being a bit low on a vitamin, but the options run to more serious things too.
 
Oh I hadn’t thought of that thankyou for the information, I usually feel when something’s amiss, was low in vit d (after being put on metformin couple years ago) and my legs where aching and so drained. I thought was going to be anaemia, as had that severely after my son was born, oh joy! GP tends to fob me off to be honest, as I went in saying my blood sugars are high (which she was set against as I’d been testing) I went through several medications, many of which gave me bad side effects, and some I refused to take, with an increasing blood sugar level and rising hba1c and my GP telling me that I’m type 2 and can refer but probably won’t be seen...anti gad and islet positive, told I’m late onset type one by consultant and still my GP refused to acknowledge it. Three letters on the system saying it and me showing her the letter, I had to call up and ask medical record to be updated to show type 1. She said I was a difficult type 2. So I think we don’t se eye to eye really. The bruising is only where I have injected, not anywhere else. They are yellow and turn purple black. I don’t remember bruising at the start nearly 6 months ago? I will tell the specialist diabetes nurse, she is really great.
 
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