Pain when injecting

glavesr said:

Like I said Dka is preferable and my doctors are tighter then a duck when it comes to pumps I've tried for 8 years unsuccessfully to get one
Hopefully they might give me this option rather then tell me to suffer

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Have you not had a pump assessment last month? How did that go? Any problems there?

Edit: when I inject, the needle goes in fairly quickly, but the injection I do slowly, for instance I inject 60units over about 15 seconds, to allow the fibres to accommodate.

Just a quick question - how do you store your insulin before you inject ? The reason I ask is that when i've injected and the insulin has been not long out of the fridge it's hurt alot more than room temperature.

Then also check your injection technique with your DSN the next time you meet, they may make some suggestions that could help you with areas, needle sizes.

Hi there!

In Leeds, UK, we really endorse the use of pumps. My HbA1c wasn't problematic, and probably didn't warrant me getting a pump but I struggled with dawn phenomena. So in the end I managed to get myself the Omnipod. And it gave me my life back. My boyfriend hated giving injections to himself so they gave him a pump and now his control is better than mine lucky so and so! Pumps really are the way to go.

However to help with your problem in this thread, I injected for six and a half years. You should always pinch if you can. It gets more of the fatty tissue rather than the muscle. Have you tried more towards the sides of your stomach rather than above and below? That's the recommended area for doing it rather than above and below your belly button. Novorapid is the closest pH value to try of your blood so it is much less painful than the rest. Levimir is also the best basal insulin for the same reason.

Have you tried relaxation techniques? Maybe you're subconsciously tensing up before you inject. And that does hurt to high hell.

Where do you/have you tried injecting in your arms? You can only use certain areas (as I found out the hard way by injecting somewhere I shouldn't and it caused me to cry in pain...)

I hope this is of some use to you.

If you get an iPort, do let us know how,it goes @glavesr

If the needle is what's causing the pain it's easy to tell - stick a needle in without injecting anything. What else triggers your pain?

You could try a numbing cream. Do you have any metal allergies? People get it with earrings/etc made of certain metals. If you have a severe one, needle could feel like fire.

My advice would be to see a specialist for nerve problems. If the problem isn't external, it's inside you.

If you could describe your pain that might help figure it out. Is it instant? Slow? How long? What does it feel like? Burning? Stabbing? Dull/cold? How deep is the pain? Surface? Underneath? Does it cover a large area? Does it cause muscle spasms?

Are you on low carb? If you went to the bare minimum of carbs, and only had carbs at one meal, you might be able to reduce the number of injections per day.

Only suggestion I can offer is try numbing the area with an ice cube first. And pinch up like everyone else says. I also have only used the bd needles and never had a problem. I've seen threads on here about problems with others. I agree on the seeing a nerve specialist. If it is nerve related a pump would make no difference as canulas are inserted with a needle and keeping it under the skin may also cause you pain.

Also consider switching hospitals to a more friendly one. Your's doesn't sound at all supportive. Input can give you advice on which are pump friendly.