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Injections

C

C-Mack

Well-Known Member
Messages
52
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
The last few days I have been "ugh" and dreading my injections. I was doing well but realized I was injecting in the same general spots all the time so now have a sore spot on one side and am avoiding it. Went and re-read all the injection techniques and feel that I am still doing it right.

So now I am feeling super sensitive to them and dread doing it. Sometimes there is a slight burning or sting with both the novo rapid and the levemir or it feels ouchie before I push it through the skin so then I start to hesitate which I know isn't helpful.

Just feeling whiny over it and dread it and it has only been just over 3 months with this. How do you all deal with it?

Just a note I hate needles so that was hard enough in the first place and the thought of a pump scares me so much. In the beginning it was the finger pokes I dreaded but those have gotten easier. Now the needle stuff. I really just want to rant and rave and beat my pancreas up.
 
Perhaps because your so tense and anxious about the injections its making the experience worse than it need be, have a word with your DSN and ask if they can suggest anything, you'll not be the first to ask for help so don't be afraid to ask for help.
 
Sorry to hear that you are struggling with injections. It an be hard to keep track of where you have injected. To ensure that areas I jab get a rest I inject (and test) on one side for a week then swap to the other side for a week. So this week I am using my right side and on Monday I will swap to my left side. Even though this means all the injections are concentrated on one side for a week I know the other side has a complete rest from it. This works for me.
 
Thanks for the tips. @hels I think I am going to give the weekly thing a go. Was switching sides daily but that wouldn't give a lot of recoup time.
 
I also give my sites treatment like if it's sore or bruised I use different creams you can get that heal the skin. I have used arms, tummy, bum and legs. I find the legs the worse though I am muscular. If you are more muscle in certain areas it is harder to inject
 
C-Mack said:
The last few days I have been "ugh" and dreading my injections. I was doing well but realized I was injecting in the same general spots all the time so now have a sore spot on one side and am avoiding it. Went and re-read all the injection techniques and feel that I am still doing it right.

So now I am feeling super sensitive to them and dread doing it. Sometimes there is a slight burning or sting with both the novo rapid and the levemir or it feels ouchie before I push it through the skin so then I start to hesitate which I know isn't helpful.

Just feeling whiny over it and dread it and it has only been just over 3 months with this. How do you all deal with it?

Just a note I hate needles so that was hard enough in the first place and the thought of a pump scares me so much. In the beginning it was the finger pokes I dreaded but those have gotten easier. Now the needle stuff. I really just want to rant and rave and beat my pancreas up.
Click to expand...

During those times that you felt burning/stinging, were you using the insulin straight from the refrigerator, or did you remove the insulin from the refrigerator in advance and give it some time in room temperature before you inject? I've read that cold insulin hurts.

There are times when I wind up feeling the prick of the needle and a tiny bit of pain as I push the needle in... and then there are times when I feel nothing at all and it all goes smoothly and painlessly. Sometimes I wonder if my choice of injection site had something to do with it. (Maybe I injected too close to a previous injection site or something.) Or maybe it was just a bad needle in the batch. I don't have a needle phobia, but following such experiences, I would feel slightly nervous when the time came around for my next injection, and my movements would be more tentative. Too bad slow and tentative strokes don't exactly help with avoiding pain. The pain is brief, though - as is the nervousness, but that's just me.

I imagine that in time I would get used to all of it... at least I hope so.
 
Basically, the faster you put the needle in and the shorter the needle, the less likely you are to feel anything at all. If it feels "ouchie" before you push the needle in, you must be resting the tip on the skin. That's not such a good idea. But whether and how much you feel an injection is going to depend on the network of nerve endings in your skin. Long-term diabetics tend to learn those places where it hurts and where it doesn't. In fact, it's not really a good thing because you find yourself always injecting in the same places (where it doesn't hurt) when in fact the odd twinge now and then may help to preserve your injection sites in the long term.

When children ask me if my injections hurt, I always say, "It does, but not much and not for long." I think you have to remind yourself of that if you are anticipating great discomfort.

On the other hand, if you are actually feeling great discomfort, can I ask, how long are your needles? You can get really short needles for children, and they are fine to use for adults too. That might help you.
 
@Fayefaye1429 that is a good idea. I have been putting lotion on regularly but may add in a bit extra.

@GoRachel1989 definitely not using it out of the fridge. That was one of the first things the dsn warned me about. I am thinking it is me being too slow and tentative. When I inject in a hurry is doesn't hurt as much.

@tim2000s novo rapid and levemir. They don't burn that often but after a few I think I got overly cautious.

@RuthW. I think you nailed it. Also the extra sensitivity was around that time of the month. I am using the 4mm needles. They are so small it is almost silly being afraid of them.

So my tummy is a map of stretch marks due to the joy of kids, normally I inject between the stretch marks and avoid them well. Last night I must have caught the edge of one because when I woke up this morning one stretch mark next to where I injected was all red and angry looking, bs was a bit higher than normal waking... No troubles during the day and has gone back down now but really reminds me that I need to work on getting comfortable with the other injection sites, at least for the levemir.

Thanks all... So nice to have somewhere to talk about this. I feel like I am obsessed with diabetes and that I bore my friends with the rambling!
 
I'm not new to this at all but I'm petrified of needles, even when doing them to myself. I'm always really slow and hesitate and I know in the long run that causes much more pain.
I don't have any diabetic friends to talk about this either.
Hope you're feeling better about it all x
 
Taking Hels suggestion a step further, my DSN advised me to imagine my stomach divided into four squares, with the navel in the middle and imaginary lines across and up. I inject into various spots in one square for a week and then switch to another square, so it takes four weeks before I return to where I started.

I'm a newbie and agree it helps not to mess about: just get the pen/needle in quick and don't think too long about it.
 
Don't forget you can use your bum cheeks which are generally more fattier.

Also there is a difference in needle quality. BD Micro-fone Ultra 4mm length are good as they have a lubricant coating (not visible to the eye) to the needle that helps them slide in easier. Many CCG's and GP's though will try to palm you off with cheaper versions that aren't so good at sliding in.

To me, if I feel the needle against my skin then I move it. I never feel the needle against the skin on my bum and this is after 30 years of jabs. Majority have been in my bum and its still gorgeous!

I have recently tried my legs but I get lumps from levemir and I can see little red blobs on my skin for up to 3 days. I don't get this problem with my bum for some reason.

I am a size 8 and lean and muscular and my stomach just can't be used because it has skin but no fat. So I don't even attempt it.

I do mousturise my bum cheeks and legs with any oil basically.. Coconut oil and years ago it would even be sunflower oil etc..rarely any special cream although bio oil or tea tree oil is also meant to be good. I've used bio oil for a little while.

Arms are ok to use as well. In time you will get used to it..
 
@reamarie I just keep reminding myself that the little bit of pain at times is worth it as I feel way better than I did before. Doesn't always help but really no other choice as the pump scares me even more!

@ Ledzeptt ooo 4 squares would definitely give the areas more of a break. May give that a go.

@ donnellysdogs I haven't even thought of my bum for shots... Would definitely work but I still get a bit shakey during some of the shots so have image of stabbing my bum too hard! Have tried the legs the last few nights with the levemir and it is leaving red bumps as you have mentioned... So far only seems to be there for 24 hrs or so. I am a size 4 - 6 depending on the style but have a bit of jiggle from having kids.
 
I'm having issues injecting into my stomach now so I've started injecting at the top of my bum or if I'm wearing shorts my inner thigh. You definitely have to rotate but i always lose track of where :)
 
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