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

Injection Sites

laurakirkup

Active Member
Messages
39
Location
South Wales
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi all,

The past month or so I have really noticed big bruises and lumps on my injection sites, I spoke to the nurse a few weeks ago and her advice was to just keep rotating.
I have been injecting for 22 years now and have always rotaed sites as much as possible, (I’m quite slim so there’s not much space to rotate) my concern now is that I’m just injecting into bruises that are already there, and it looks awful! Boiling weather and I have huge bruises over the tops of my legs making me super self concious!
I am having the same issue in my stomach with lumps as well, I just feel like I’m stuck at the moment.
A few years ago I used to inject long acting into my bum, I was told now the only sites to use would be my stomach and legs but does anyone still inject in there bottom? Even if I can do it for a couple of weeks I feel I really need to give my legs a break.

*I will be on the pump soon and not have this problem for much longer but right now it’s just painful!

Any advice appreciated!
 
Hello @laurakirkup yes definitely use your bum for basal injections, what size needles are you using ?

In regards to the pump getting the right cannula sets is important too, so depending on your pump do some research beforehand on the type of sets you can use, it took me a while to get the right set which suited me.
 
Bum, upper arms, sides of torso.
 

I rotate my self started of in belly but i lost all my weight there so now I use my bum just really because its carry’s the most fat and less pain
 
Be careful with a pump if you have problems with skin and injections.
You may well need to avoid certain sets/cannula as they may not work. Another lady a while back had problems with useable skin and cannula... I myself cannot use a pump as my skin blocks the cannulas, although I don’t have lumps at all..I am lean too.
Just make sure you get a variety of sets to try.

What size needles are you using at the moment?
 
Thank you, are you finding the bum works just as well as legs? I got the impression we weren’t meant to inject there any longer but I can’t keep swelling like this!

Thank you for the info on the pump, I am getting plenty of questions together at the moment so will add that to the list.

To be honest I can’t remember the needle size I am on at the moment but I know I went down a size about 5 months ago? Prior to that I don’t think I had changed the needle size in about 10 years!
 
Diakat said:
Bum, upper arms, sides of torso.
Click to expand...
Thank you, definitely going to go back to the bum for a bit, haven’t used arms since the syringe injections years ago, also use he libre on my arm now, don’t know if injecting there will effect the readings on that?
 
BrixtonType1 said:
I rotate my self started of in belly but i lost all my weight there so now I use my bum just really because its carry’s the most fat and less pain
Click to expand...
It’s a nightmare when there’s not enough room to rotate! I’m going to go back to bum for a while and just give legs a break, my stomach has a permanent swelling now so not much I can do about it but legs are just to painful to keep injecting there!
 
Thank you for the info RE pump, will definitely try different sizes out, didn’t occur to me before!
Needles I’m not sure what size I am on at the moment, last downsides them about 5 months ago as I was always on slightly longer needles, but that wasn’t brought up at my last appointment even though we spoke about the lumps/ bruises.
Have you changed needle size and found it helps?
 
Yeah I can’t use my belly at the moment no fat to use. My legs not bad but I’m finding the best fat on the bum at the mo the only problem I find with bum have to inject blind but for me best place at mo
 
When I was diagnosed I think the needles were 12mm long!!! Then down to 8mm, then 6mm and then 4mm. I am on 4mm ones now.

Cannulas in pumps start at 6mm. Either steel or plastic. I could feel the steel 6mm ones against my bones at some points of my ultra lean times (I have had other non diabetic related health issues). The plastic ones used to bend. I successfully gained some weight but skin still persisted in blocking the sets for at least 15 hours... I had to stop as it was the same with all cannulas...

I would also check that the needles you are given by the GP are the good quality ones.. BD Micro fine ultra I think are the best ones but GPs like to issue cheaper ones....due to costs...

Was there a reason why you changed needle length about 5 months ago??

Have you tried anything to reduce any skin damage??
 
Don't think it would affect Libre, just keep a good space around it.
 
I inject 5 times a day, 3 Novo Rapid, 1 Lantus and 1 Liraglutide. I work down the left one day and the right the next. I also rotate the injection points in each area, so that I never use the same spot twice in 3 days. I have no lumps, bumps etc. I get the occasion bruise but that's just from catching a capillary once in a while. Still bloody hate injecting, even though I've been doing it for 29 years!
 
I used to inject in by bottom all the time at home as it is quite a large area so is easy to move injection sites , i never got lumps that way. I have been on a pump for 4 years and do have some problems with where to place the pod ( i'm on omnipod the bluetooth pump ) as I now do get lumps because thre are less sites to place the pump , I find they fall off my legs so have given that up , I mainly use my stomach but try to use my arms as well to rotate a bit but they sometimes do come detatched on my arms
 
As long as it`s subcutaneous fat tissue any site will do. I prefer abdomen (twice a day), away from the umbilicus even 5 inches on both sides. Lost more than 40 lb but still enough subcutaneous fat.
 
I had the same issues with injecting and also did use my bum and my hips but changed to a pump as was just sore all over all the time. I took a while to find the best sets for me and prefer the metal/ steel (not sure what they are) but they were the last ones I was given to try as I was told that most people don't like them.
When I was injecting i was on 8mm for many years even though I have also always been quite slim and it was only about a year before I went on a pump that I had changed hospitals due to moving and the new doc was horrified that I wasn't on 4mm but it had never occurred to me there might be other needle options!
I now mostly use my pump but have little pump breaks and inject if I am getting lots of leakages from sites. I like being able to switch every now and then as I find it remotivates me.
Good luck with your switch to the pump
 

Hi Laura,
I got diagnosed recently and the three sites they told me to use were stomach area, top/ side of legs and bum (towards the top). I have been doing long lasting in bum/ legs and rapid in stomach area. I have found it works fine so far, its just difficult to reach around and inject (especially using my left hand!).
This is advice from a clinic in an NHS hospital, so it seems weird they would tell you not to inject there...
 
It seems everyone has something different! I always find the bum hard to get too and not hit the same spot over and over again but I’ve gone back to using it just to give my legs a rest!
 
That’s good to hear!
I moved clinics a year ago and I was so shocked about the different treatment they recommend!
Im hoping the pump will sort out my injection sites, it’s getting to the point that my legs are just sore now, and so bruised! Pump meeting in two weeks, looking forward to it!
 
I inject in my arm as well if the situation arises. Wearing a dress makes it impossible to do that so use my upper arm and it works fine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…