Needle Free Injections

[jimbob]

Hi All

I am new to the board, I have searched the forum but can not find the answer.

I have had Type 2 for about 6 years now, I was started on diet control then progressed to tablets, my dosage has been increased over the years but I am now at a stage where my Doctor wants to put me on Insulin the reason being I am still showing very high readings on my blood tests.

Problem, I am really needle phobic and I mean reallywhen I have my blood tested it is usual for the nurse to need a helper to hold onto me, I shake,sweat and hypoventalate, I know I would not be able to stick a needle in myself (even a small one) is it possible to get one of the needle free injectors on the NHS.
Thanks

 

[Dennis]

Hi Jimbob,
Interesting that you say you have searched the board but not found an answer, because the answer to your problem of high blood sugars is there in practically every thread.

Ask yourself the question - what causes my high blood sugar?
Answer - carbohydrates. You are eating more carbs than your body can produce insulin to deal with.

How do I reduce my high blood sugar?
Answer - eat less carbohydrates.

If you switch to insulin injections then you will be treating the symptom, not the cause. You will still have high blood sugars but will be taking on board huge amounts of insulin to deal with them. What your GP is proposing is like trying to stop a gas leak by lighting a flame to burn off the gas. It's a lot easier to just turn off the gas!!

 

[hanadr]

I concur with Dennis. I have made it my aim NOTto let my type 2 progress, although my GP says it's inevitable. In 5 years since diagnosis, I have not increased my medication, in fact I've decreased it and my BSs are fine. Just about due for next HbA1c, in the next few weeks, so will see for sure then.
How? I went low carb. I try to keep to no visible carbs. No bread, no pasta, no rice. Just occasional baby new potatoes (about 2 is a portion) No cakes, biscuits or high carb desserts. Very occasionally for celebraions, I slack off and I have been known to "fall off the wagon". If I do I just shake myself, vow to do better and get on with it. I don't give up for a little slip and don't beat myself up over it either. i exercise too. the gym is boring, so I walk. Miles and cros country, with my pedometer on.

 

[sixfoot]

Jimbo ........ Both dennis and Hanadr are spot on dropping the carbs is a lot less painful. Do checkout the threads.

Good luck
Dave P

 

[Nellie]

look at number 5, how easy it is to obtain, I haven't the faintest idea.
http://www.diabetesexplained.com/insuli ... urers.html

If you your beta cells are exhausted, and or you have very high insulin resistance then in my opinion it is far better for you to be on insulin, than to continue with high BS and their possible consequences.
If you have weight to lose then it is possible that you could improve your insulin sensitivity by losing that weight but I imagine that your doctor and you have invetigated this.

 

[bonerp]

JimBob
There is one Pen called the SQ pen. It uses a huge pressure jet to send insuline through the skin.

Just dont look how fast it comes out before you try it! THAT put me off lol!!

 

[jimbob]

Many thanks for the replies from Nellie & Bonerp you were both very helpful and answered my question, to the others sorry but I was not looking for a lecture, just the answer to my question about needle free injections.

Regards
jmbo

 

[sofaraway]

I haven't seen it but I've heard the needle free injector is quite big and you can only put a single dose in at a time, so need to draw up insulin each time.
I would say give injetcing a go, I didn't think I'd be able to do it, but it was surprisingly easy. and I still don't like having blood taken or anyone else giving me injections.

 

[bonerp]

the sq pen does require a single shot to be drawn from a vial for each delivery. TBH it looked a pain in the ar5e, weights a fair bit (compared to pen) and is chunky.
I sent mine to someone on here unused. Not sure how they got on with it.

On the injection side of things, I'm not preaching just giving my experience - I hate blood tests and flu vaccines etc, but doing 4 or 5 injections per day with tiny little needles that you barely feel a scratch with is no issue. I was 7 when I became type one and the needles were about 3 inches long and as thick as a nail!!! I sharpened mine on a stone with oil lol! Now I'm pumping and gone back a step - the cannulas are huge and every time I wince putting it in!!! It only every 2 or 3 days though.

Its not bad nowadays - the length I last used was 5-8mm.

Carb reduction might help depends on your circumstance.

Good luck whatever you choose.
Paul

 

[iHs]

I was 7 when I became type one and the needles were about 3 inches long and as thick as a nail!!! I sharpened mine on a stone with oil lol! Now I'm pumping and gone back a step - the cannulas are huge and every time I wince putting it in!!! It only every 2 or 3 days though.

Its not bad nowadays - the length I last used was 5-8mm.

Carb reduction might help depends on your circumstance.

Good luck whatever you choose.
Paul

Paul

I have still got some disposable needles from the late 60's and they are 5/8" long, not 3". I have given my Rocket glass syringe to my friend to use to inject her insulin as she needs something with a luer connection on the end. I have also given her 2 stainless steel needles to use to withdraw insulin from a vial. They are also just under 5/8" long. I never sharpened my needles up on a stone, I just ordered a new syringe every month. At the time, I just injected Lente insulin once a day in the morning before going to school.

 

[iHs]

This might be of some interest to you but before you think great I will go for that, I can honestly say that having used a jet injector many years ago, the force that these devices deliver the insulin do tend to give a bruise about the size of a 10p and it will be mauve. My one also made a sound similar to the sound of a gun being fired. I kept it 3 months and then took it back to the manufacturer for a refund.

The SQ pen I think is still available from MHI http://www.derweb.co.uk/group_info/pres ... 21113.html

Rather than buy one of these devices and being disappointed with it, why not have a go at using a pen with a 5 or 6mm needle and being cool like Dom from the One Show (BBC 1) and just inject straight though your clothes. It's really no big deal and I have done many injections exactly the same way with no problem at all.

 

[Dennis]

Many thanks for the replies from Nellie & Bonerp you were both very helpful and answered my question, to the others sorry but I was not looking for a lecture, just the answer to my question about needle free injections.

Jimbob,
Sorry if you interpreted my response as a lecture. My intention was to simply point out that the proper response to high blood sugars is to reduce the levels, not to simply take on more insulin to deal with it. Moving on to insulin is treating the symptom not the cause.

You can take a horse to water . . . . .

 

[jimbob]

Thanks everyone for the replies, sorry if I did seem rather "Short" to some in my last thank you, I am angry with myself at the moment and feeling rather upset, I have just failed a medical to keep my job as sugar in my urine is too high, I know my doctor will want to put me on Insulin, the DVLA will want to know this, my employer will have to be told, his view will be not fit enough for the job ,catch 22 and all because I turn a test strip a funny colour.

 

[DiabeticGeek]

Jimbob, I have no idea what you do as a job but I doubt you can be sacked for being diabetic. That is discrimination.

There are a few jobs that are exempt from the disability discrimination act - if you are, for example, a bus driver, an airline pilot, a soldier or a fireman then you will have problems. Basically, occupations when an unexpected hypo could put other people at risk. However, Sarah is right for the vast majority of jobs. If your employer is being difficult then make noises about the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act. Employers have to take that very seriously, and unless you are in one of the exempt occupations you would have a very good case for unfair dismissal if you lost your job simply because you were diabetic. You should definitely find out what your rights are. This is one area where Diabetes UK should be able to help you (just don't talk to them about diet!).

 

[jimbob]

Many thanks the Byetta drug does seem a good way forward, it is not Insulin so I would not be subject to the rules regarding that.
As for my job, I have to prove my health via medical and high readings on a urine test bar me, I suppose I could say I was being discriminated against,however I am classed as self employed, my employer chooses to use me or not, he could just choose NOT to use me, nothing I could do.
As for healthy living, I do try my best, over the last few years my blood sugar just goes up and up,the doctor now has me on the highest dose of tablet medication, he has already warned that Insulin is the next step, looking at Byetta this may be something he might consider.
Regards

 

[DiabeticGeek]

As for healthy living, I do try my best, over the last few years my blood sugar just goes up and up,the doctor now has me on the highest dose of tablet medication, he has already warned that Insulin is the next step

It is possible that your pancreas is in a very poor state, and if that is the case then I am afraid that in the end insulin is likely to be the only option. However, for most T2s, so long as you get it under control while you still have some functioning beta cells then it is possible to manage it by diet and tablets. Have you tried a seriously low carb diet? By this I mean the Bernstein solution or something similar. This does seem to be very effective for most T2s.

As for my job, I have to prove my health via medical and high readings on a urine test bar me, I suppose I could say I was being discriminated against,however I am classed as self employed

Being self-employed is a pain - it means that you loose a lot of legal employment protection. However, if your only problem is a urine glucose test that should be soluble. You only excrete glucose in urine if your BG levels are very high. If you can get that under control, by whatever means, then your urine should be fine.

Lastly, going back to your original question about needle free insulin. There are various preparations of oral insulin under development. They are mostly experimental at the moment, and I'm not aware of any British trials. However, if you ever see a specialist diabetes consultant, it wouldn't do any harm to ask if there are any trials going on that he or she knows of. You never know, you might get lucky!

 

[jimbob]

Have you tried a seriously low carb diet? By this I mean the Bernstein solution

No I have not, just googled this Bernstein subject, looks very interesting will go away and do some studying on this aspect. Many thanks

 

[DiabeticGeek]

I suggest that you invest in Richard Bernstein's book Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. It is very readable, full of useful advice and the bible of many on this forum.

 

[Calmwaters]

Re: Needle free injections.
I live in the UK so the USA prices for these gadgets means very little to me.
I was needle fobic but I just had to get over it..when I was diagnosed there was nothing like these sorts of things on the market & it was a black & white choice INSULIN or DEATH & of course I wanted to live, I had young children so first & foremost I would seek help for your needle phobia, maybe hypnosis or something like that. when you pancreas stops producing insulin no change in your diet will make it do so...
PLEASE get the help you really need.


Here is an overview of a needless injector for insulin. read about it but get some help its a terrible phobia to have because at one stage in your life you WILL need to have injections.
Hers the link

http://www.worcestershirehealth.nhs.uk/ ... ystems.pdf

 

[stephenT2]

I was put on insulin just over 8 weeks ago. Like you, I was very apprehensive on injecting by needle, so persuaded by diabetic team to prescribe me an SQ pen. (I'm a gadget freak and loved the idea of a pressure based injection, just like Star Trek has been using for 30 years!).

However, the pen has proved very elusive and has been on back order now for two months. I chase it up reguarly, but the UK suppliers are consistently out of stock. My pharmacist has been very persistent in chasing it on my behalf, but now I think even they are giving up.

In the mean time, I've started on a Novapen, and to be honest, its a breeze. Once you get over that very first psychological barrier of sticking a needle in yourself, it really is absolutely nothing to what you think it will be like. I've got the superfine 6mm needles, which I beleive are the smallest available. The only discomfort I now experience is due to the high dose I'm currently on, around 130 units/night. When I started on 10 units, it was over and done with in a couple of seconds, Now I have to split the dose,as the pen maximum is 70 units, and you feel the discomfort purely because you feel so much liquid being pumped into you!

I'm still waiting for my SQ pen and am still looking forward to giving it a go, although the maximum dose it can deliver is 50 units, so won't be as convenient as the NovoPen.

You can get more information on the SQ pen from this link:

http://www.sq-pen.com/index.php?menuID=54

Stephen