I’m on Lantus pens, once a day, using BD Ultrafine needles. The 4th needle I opened was badly bent on the skin side, and slightly bent on the pen side, straight out of the package! Needless to say, I didn’t use it. But I’m wondering how often is there a dud in the box? If not often, then wow, what are the odds I find one on the 4th try!
Often, I get leakage. I read online a tip to hold the site with my finger for a bit after the injection. I guess it’s working. It’s hard to tell though because of the drops lingering on the needle from the test of 2 units. I don’t know if what’s on my skin is a leak or just the test drops. Should I be wiping of the test drops? I’m scared that will contaminate the needle. Also, I take the needle out pretty fast. Could this be causing suction?
Tonight, I injected into my outer thigh. I’m rotating sites as recommended. I’ve done this site before with no problem, bit tonight upon removing the needle a pea sized amount of blood gushed out. Ew! How often is that going to happen? What did I hit a blood vessel, or go too deep or something? I’m not pressing hard.
My doc told me to start with 10 units and after a week or two increase by 3 units every few days to a week until I reach a therapeutic level. So earlier this week I went up to 13. I started itching in random places and thought it was just winter dry skin. I piled on the moisturizer. No relief, but it wasn’t severe so I just dealt with it. By this afternoon though, I realized the itching was bad enough I took a benedryl. That’s when it hit me I might be allergic. So I went online to several sites but it describes a reaction as itching at the injection site, which I don’t have. But I also saw where some people were reporting this all over itching. Of course the doc’s office was closed by then. So I decided to go back down to 10 units tonight, grin and bear it through the weekend, and go see the doc Monday to perhaps change something. Has anyone else experienced this? Does my body just need time to get used to it? Or is this really an allergic reaction?
Not asking for medical advice, just experiences. Thanks.
By the way, finger pricking hurts worse than the insulin! Wish I knew that, I would have started insulin a long time ago.
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I don’t take insulin, but I do test my blood. For it to hurt less, press the lancet hard against your finger and hold it there when you trigger it. And it don’t do it right on my finger tip, but a bit off to the side.
It’s unlikely that you hit an actual large blood vessel, but some of those capillaries sure do bleed more than you expect! Keep a cotton ball or kleenex handy to press on the site for a few seconds if you need to.
While you don’t need to linger for long, yes, going a little slower with your withdrawal may help. Are you grasping the skin and kind of bunching it into a mound before you inject? I find when I can’t get a good meaty grasp, there tends to be more bleeding. I think maybe because then it takes more force with the needle to penetrate. Grab, bunch, insert, let go of the skin, inject, remove needle from the skin, press cotton ball or kleenex over the site. (Or gauze, if you’re being fancy and made of money.)
You may lose a drop or two. It’s okay. Keep track of your sugars as directed, and it’ll usually work out in the wash. Once in a while you get a gusher of a leaker, and then it’s important to watch your sugars pretty closely until your next dose, and use more insulin according to your sliding scale, if you have one, if your sugar goes high.
I’ve seen one wonky needle in 5 years of nursing. Exactly wonky like you describe. It’s not common, but it happens. It’s good to get into the habit of inspecting anything you plan on sticking in you.
When you inject, pinch the skin a little to make sure the needle is going into the fat tissue. Also, after injecting, count to 8* before withdrawing the needle. This will minimize leakage.
Also, you can get different length needles. Try the BD Nano - it’s only 4mm.
*there is actually a study that 8 seconds is the minimal count time; any longer makes no difference in preventing leaking.
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The OP is injecting into his thigh. Do people have enough fat on the top of their thighs? An intramuscular injection IS going to hurt more than an intra-fat* injection, right?
Yes, insulin needles are usually less than half an inch long. Except for emaciated elderly people, I’ve never seen a thigh without a half inch of fat under the skin. It’s recommended that you rotate sites, not use three ones on the stomach all the time, to allow the tissue time to heal and prevent scar tissue formation. Back of the arms, thighs and on the abdomen away from the belly button are all good sites for subcutaneous injections.