• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Where do you inject?

Scottnicholls

Scottnicholls

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi everyone! I was diagnosed Type 1 a couple of weeks ago. So I have a question - I inject my quick acting insulin in my tummy. But how long before should I inject before I eat? I've been doing it just before I eat - is that right?

I've also been injecting my long acting insulin in my tummy too - should I inject it elsewhere as it's all going in my tummy?

Thanks
 
Hi Scttnicholls, I'm T1 & only inject in my thighs & bottom now as I had problems injecting into my stomach. The fast acting insulin is absorbed much quicker from the stomach sites so you have to eat immediately after administering it. I use Apidra SoloStar, what do you have?
 
I'm on novorapid and levemir! There's so many types people talk about - I don't know what the differences are!

When I was in hospital, they told me of lipids (i think that's what they called them) the hard bumps where insulin is injected in the same area. That's why I asked because I don't want any of them! Lol! I might do the Levemir in my thigh in the morning then...do you do the upper thigh? I'm a bit scared of getting it wrong x
 
Use your stomach and arms for your QA insulin and your legs and bum for your long-acting, with bolus doses many of us inject our insulin 10 - 20mins before food to give the insulin time to work before the food digests as QA insulin takes around 15mins to begin lowering bg levels, but if the meal is high in fat or has low-gi carbs then you might want to inject just before or after eating.

The following has some good advice on injection sites and injection techniques:

http://www.bd.com/us/diabetes/page.aspx?cat=7001&id=7261
 
I'll give that a bash tomorrow! See if I notice anything different ! I don't really know what I'm looking for to be honest! It's all a learning curve! Thanks noblehead
 
Scottnicholls said:
I'll give that a bash tomorrow! See if I notice anything different ! I don't really know what I'm looking for to be honest! It's all a learning curve! Thanks noblehead
Click to expand...

Insulin absorbs fastest in the stomach, arms, legs and lastly the bum, that is why your bolus doses are best injected in both your stomach and arms and your basal in the legs and bum, but above all else its important to rotate your injection sites and use a new needle with each injection, if you do this it will reduce the chances of lipohypertrophy problems further down the road.
 
You need to move around your tummy, from your left side all the way to the right, imagine straight lines from one side all the way to the right going under your belly button.
Then again but jumping over your belly button.
Then above too.

Also the back of your arms, just rest in on your knee when sat to bring the skin out.
The sides of your thighs and your bum!

Usually 10-30 minutes before you eat, if you find your blood sugars spike if you do it ten minutes prior, try 15 minutes and so on.

Evening, or before bed injections, should be done in your legs on bum.
And day time can be anywhere, but belly and arms are the best.

Xx
 
Back
Top