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Just started insulin for the first time, T2

Jenny15

Well-Known Member
Messages
770
Location
New Zealand
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Dislikes
Jazz music, science denial, and running out of coffee.
Hi, I have had Type 2 diabetes for 9 years and started on Lantus insulin yesterday. Just something I can ask my nurse when I see her next week but I'm curious to know before then if I can:

When you inject, count to ten, then pull out the needle, is there any way to avoid that tiny amount that spills out and you can see sitting on your skin where the hole was?

I'm on 10u, going up by 2u every 3 days. If I'm only getting 8 or 9 units, is that much of a problem? Thanks
 
That small amount you sometimes see after the injection is nothing to worry about and wont amount to anything significant....

In reality, the injection of insulin isn't 100% efficient down to the way the dose is delivered in one go under the skin....so you don't actually use all the units the way you think they are used......
 

Hi, do you mind me asking why they put you on insulin? Was it purely down to your a1c?
 
Fenn said:
Hi, do you mind me asking why they put you on insulin? Was it purely down to your a1c?
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I was eager to go on insulin. A specialist suggested it, I asked my GP and he immediately said yes. Through a series of medical centre mistakes and my own burnout, my A1c climbed to the 70s and stayed there for 12-18 months. I've been very symptomatic, exhausted and unwell. My fasting BG is around 11 and post meal goes above 15.
 
Thank you, that's reassuring.
 
Do you know if your insulin resistant? Sorry for the questions I’m trying to understand myself.
 
Thankyou, I hope the insulin works for you!
 
Hi @Jenny15
Have your HCP's ever given you a fasting insulin test to see if you are over or under producing your own insulin?
 
bulkbiker said:
Hi @Jenny15
Have your HCP's ever given you a fasting insulin test to see if you are over or under producing your own insulin?
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No they have not. What would be the rationale for having this test? Early on I had a GGT and it made me feel so ill. It wasn't even necessary.

If it's relevant to this issue, my BMI is around 40. So either way, I have insulin resistance.
 
Jenny15 said:
No they have not. What would be the rationale for having this test? Early on I had a GGT and it made me feel so ill. It wasn't even necessary.

If it's relevant to this issue, my BMI is around 40. So either way, I have insulin resistance.
Click to expand...
Well if you are producing little insulin yourself you would obviously need more .. if you are already overproducing your own but not responding then injecting more may not necessarily be the best policy. Have you have read Dr Jason Fung on the subject of giving Type 2's more insulin?
 
Yes. I've made my decision and I'm working with my doctor on it.
 
rab5 said:
Hopefully they can sort it out with you
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I'm sure they will. This thread is about an injection technique issue, not my overall treatment.
 
I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to derail your thread with the questions. I was asking because I’m in a similar position of potentially starting insulin in July, I was not questioning anything you are doing or suggesting it’s incorrect. I am just worrying about it is all, sorry
 
I know, I'm happy to help you with what I know so far. It wasn't your posts that were the issue. I haven't been on this forum long but I have figured out the lay of the land, so to speak.

So, no apology needed. I learned a lot by reading Jenny Ruhl's website and also the national guidelines, to see what standards the doctors and nurses are meant to be meeting. My GP had a gentle kick in the backside from his peers about not doing anything sooner about my high BG that has caused nasty issues for me for over a year. Like, potentially life threatening because of other medical conditions I have. I really really wish I'd done this a year ago.

I am a firm believer in "each to their own," though. I will support people as best I can whatever approach they take. We are all different, and often we don't know what others are going through. Please feel free to ask away, whether in a thread or by DM.
 
Thankyou, I am extremely interested to hear about your progress
 
Hi, @Jenny15 , it's quite common for a small leak like that and it isn't a concern.

There's sometimes a small leak because of some of the insulin looking for the path of least resistance out after being injected under pressure into a confined area, and the needle withdrawal channel is the obvious course for it.

Also, sometimes the leak you see is not from the skin, but from the pen.

One way to put it into perspective is to squirt 10 units onto your palm and compare it to the size of the leaked amount. The latter will often look large but when you see it alongside an actual 10 units for comparison, it's generally a tiny, tiny proportion of it, so even if it has come out of the skin and not the pen, it's not going to make a practical difference.
 
Thanks Scott, you've explained it very well. I haven't had any idea what 10 units looks like so had no way to compare that against a bit of leakage. My "insulin initiation" session with the nurse was a bit rushed so I only asked questions I felt I needed to know there and then. She probably would have told me the same thing.Thanks again.
 
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