Lipohypertrophy

[Bernards Shipton]

I am type 2 and have been since I was first diagnosed about 20 years ago. I have managed to keep my Sugar Levels within reason by taking Metformin, Gliclazide orally and a Trulicity injection once weekly but due to rising sugar levels have recently started on Long Acting Insulin injection once daily in conjunction with Metformin. My question is :- How on earth do you avoid getting hard lumps (Lipohypertrophy) if the sites designated for injection into fleshy areas are quite limited and in any case, it would be difficult to see exactly where you injected ? I appreciate that I can mark the injection sites with a Marker pen as I go but I don't wish to do that for obvious reasons.

I have calculated that if I rotate sites as advised, I shall return to the site I started with relatively quickly. The general opinion is to allow 2/3 months or more for an injection site to heal itself and I would very much like to hear from other members as to how they manage this.

 

[Antje77]

Hi @Bernards Shipton , welcome to the forum.

As far as I understand, rotating sites means injecting about an inch or a bit more from the previous site to prevent injecting in exactly the same spot.
With possible sites on legs, belly, bottom, and arms, I'm never short of sites and I've been injecting between 5 and 10 times a day for 8 years now.

Are you experiencig lumps and bumps or just looking to avoid them?

 

[Bernards Shipton]

Thank you for your reply. I am trying to avoid the lump and bump issue in the future, bearing in mind I have only just started on insulin for my Type 2 diabetes. As I see it in these early days, it will be very difficult or amost impossible to see the exact injection site in the buttocks or backs of the arms, without a major contortion act, which just leaves the outer thighs and abdomen. Although these areas are relatively easier to see where you are injecting, I imagine you will soon run out of places to inject and will have to move on to another area. Advice about how long to leave a particular spot to heal itself before injecting the same spot again varies such a lot and I am getting very confused about this. I am really hoping for some input from others who, like yourself, inject multiple times during the day and can tell me if this is a real problem or not.

 

[searley]

I am type 2 and have been since I was first diagnosed about 20 years ago. I have managed to keep my Sugar Levels within reason by taking Metformin, Gliclazide orally and a Trulicity injection once weekly but due to rising sugar levels have recently started on Long Acting Insulin injection once daily in conjunction with Metformin. My question is :- How on earth do you avoid getting hard lumps (Lipohypertrophy) if the sites designated for injection into fleshy areas are quite limited and in any case, it would be difficult to see exactly where you injected ? I appreciate that I can mark the injection sites with a Marker pen as I go but I don't wish to do that for obvious reasons.

I have calculated that if I rotate sites as advised, I shall return to the site I started with relatively quickly. The general opinion is to allow 2/3 months or more for an injection site to heal itself and I would very much like to hear from other members as to how they manage this.

i was injecting upto 8 times a day and never had an issue, i get a hard lump some time which only last for 2 to 3 days

even on my pump, which is injecting into the same spot 24/7 for upto 7 days and i still dont have an issue..

if you keep 1 inch from the belly button and go all the way around, swap side to side moving randomly about, it will not be an issue, the then have thighs, arm, bottom

 

[Tony337]

Hi
How many units are you injecting and what size needle?

I use both arms legs and bottom along with my stomach.
Pardon the expression but i can see most of my own ****!
I use my arms as with 4mm needles i haven't pinched my flesh in years.

The maximum i inject in one go though is 14 units so i am wondering if you are on big doses.
My stomach does not like the 14 units as it stings a bit so i use my bum or legs.

I wish you well

Tony

 

[Ashintheuk]

I'm injecting 25u of basal in a single injection per day, and then bolus as needed, sometimes up to 6u depending on circumstances.
I massage the area after injecting to disperse the liquid bubble. I developed Lipohypertropy in a couple of site before I started doing this. It has improved the situation a lot by doing this.