When I Inject My Insulin It Leaks Out Should I Take It Again
One of the most popular blogs of all time here at The LOOP is on lumps and bumps related to insulin infusion, so we wanted to bring it back to you lot along with some new tips. [Originally published Jan 17thursday, 2012—Updated April 21st, 2020.]
Q. What are these lumps and bumps at my injection sites?
A. Lipohypertrophy is a medical give-and-take for a lump nether the skin from a buildup of fat at the site of insulin injection or infusion. This comes in the form of lumps or bumps nether the skin. Scar tissue, or hardened areas, may also develop at the sites.
This can happen to anyone who takes insulin, whether it's delivered through a syringe or insulin pump. It happens due to the action of insulin on the fat cells because insulin can cause fat cells to increase in size. Information technology'due south mostly seen when someone uses the same favorite spots over and over over again, and ordinarily happens in areas easiest to reach (both sides of the belly button and on the sides of the thighs.)
Q. What happens with these lumps and bumps?
A. Delivering insulin into affected areas tin impact your glucose control. Since insulin is not ever well-absorbed in these areas, you may find that your glucose control is non what you wait it to be. The more damaged the surface area is, the more than probable it is that glucose control volition exist afflicted.i Sometimes these areas have damaged nerve endings and y'all don't feel a needle going in at all. This is a sign that you should stay away from that spot.
Q. If I need to accept insulin, how can this be prevented?
A. If you tend to use the same spots repeatedly then you might desire to use one of these approaches to make sure you lot're spreading out the love:
- Employ a visual body map. For case, recollect most an imaginary clock or the letters "G" or "W" on a trunk part similar your abdomen. Trace your finger along this shape and then the adjacent time you poke your skin, attempt a unlike spot along your imaginary shape.
- Create your own simple method. For example, if you insert a glucose sensor on the correct side of your torso, then exercise your side by side injection or insert the next couple of infusion sets there, too. So the next fourth dimension yous change your sensor and motility it to the left side, insert your next couple infusion sets on the same side.
- Use a calendar to continue track. Injections or infusion set insertions on specific days of the week could be done on the forepart side of your body while others could be on the dorsum. Or maybe you could attempt to wear infusion sets on the back of your arm when you're more than bundled up during the winter or your buttocks more than often during swimsuit season. This will permit for longer periods of time for other tissue, or other sites used to heal, too.
You might besides want to talk to your dr. near using a new location that y'all might non accept thought of before. If you move to new areas, y'all may need to test your glucose more frequently since it'southward absorbed differently and may affect your glucose. If you lot have been using your abdomen (where insulin is generally captivated the fastest) and commencement using your buttocks (where insulin is absorbed more slowly), y'all may see your glucose values alter more than slowly.
Here'south a guide of some potential areas to give your insulin:
Moving forward, before you lot inject insulin or insert a new infusion set, take a moment to firmly stroke the areas in a sweeping motion to feel for any lumps. If you discover that you have areas on your body that have lumps and bumps, and then allow them to heal before using them again. Lengths of time to heal the tissue volition vary, but you might want to wait at least a few weeks. We hope these tips aid y'all. Thanks for reading!
1 Famulla S, Hövelmann U, Fischer A, et al. Insulin injection into lipohypertrophic tissue: blunted and more than variable insulin assimilation and action and impaired postprandial glucose control.Diabetes Intendance. 2016;39(9):1486-1492. doi:American Diabetes Association
Important SAFETY Information
– Medtronic Diabetes insulin infusion pumps, continuous glucose monitoring systems and associated components are express to sale by or on the order of a doctor and should only be used under the direction of a healthcare professional familiar with the risks associated with the apply of these systems.
– Successful operation of the insulin infusion pumps and/or continuous glucose monitoring systems requires acceptable vision and hearing to recognize alerts and alarms.
Medtronic Diabetes Insulin Infusion Pumps
– Insulin pump therapy is not recommended for individuals who are unable or unwilling to perform a minimum of iv blood glucose tests per day.
– Insulin pumps utilise rapid-acting insulin. If your insulin commitment is interrupted for any reason, yous must be prepared to supercede the missed insulin immediately.
For more information, please visit MedtronicDiabetes.com/isi
Tags: diabetes, infusion ready, injections, insulin, insulin pump, lipo, lipohypertrophy, MiniMed 530G, MiniMed 630g, minimed 670g, MiniMed 770G, scar tissue, type one diabetes, Type 2 diabetes
Source: https://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/loop-blog/lumps-and-bumps-from-insulin-therapy/