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ALLERGIC REACTION to insulin or needles?

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little fawn

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Has anyone recently experienced an allergic reaction to either insulin or needles? I have been diabetic Type 1 for 60 years. But recently when I inject my insu!in, large red swellings like hives are appearing. I do 5 injections a day. These hives can be sore and some are like abcesses which leak. At the moment I have 4 of these swellings on my arm and stomach. I am very worried about this. I have been using the same insulin and needles for years and years. Has anyone else experienced this?
 
Sounds painful :( You need to talk to your GP though before things get out of hand.
Please do not take offence by this comment as I am not saying you are unclean or unhygienic but have you tried using an antibacterial wash to be 100% sure you haven't picked up a skin infection from somewhere? Or have you changed your washing soap or clothes powder and this on your skin and causing your problems.

Has the problem started since you started a new batch of insulin? If so can you try a different batch just in case the insulin is compromised in any way?
 
Not something Ive heard of from anyone else @little fawn but even with needles/insulin you have been used to for a long time, it could be worth checking nothing in the make up of either has changed recently by calling the manufacturer - but definitely needs a visit to GP in case it is something else entirely and it can be treated.
 
Have you changed needles recently.

My Practice changed me for BD Microfine to GlucoRX which caused problems as I got bruises and very sore spots with the change of needle. I asked the Practice to change me back which they did.

I also tried FIASP for my quick acting insulin for a few months, but gave up when I found that I had developed very sore cannula sites.

It is important that you are able to sort this out, as you need to have as many sites available for the injections. Another thought might be to switch to a pump. This means one needle inserted every two days, rather than 6 each day as you are doing at present.

I hope that you get things sorted.
 
@little fawn Are you using porcine insulin? If so, could you have developed a reaction to it?

I think @Pumper_Sue might know something about this (apologies if I’m misremembering).

If not, my only other thought is something on the needles like a lubricant or sterilising agent or something that’s been changed without you knowing.

The swellings sound nasty and I hope you can get things sorted out very quickly.
 
I'm not now suited to BD needles which is bats really as I was using their disposable syringes even before we were allowed to have them free courtesy of the NHS owing to the fact one of the divers where MkI husband worked, was herself wed to a bloke who worked at a Veterinary Supply company! - and the excruciating pain I suffered through the 1990s was only relieved, after I got my insulin changed in 1998, to Lantus and Novorapid. Now the old Lantus Solo pens (which only delivered in 2u increments) and knowing that the BD screw-on needles I'd been using years anyway for Humulin pens wouldn't fit the pharmacist dispensing my first lot of Lantus & NR cartridges (Hosp had given me the pens) got a different make of needles prescribed for the Lantus. Those were Ypsomed needles and were lovely - so I had a ponder so told my GP and asked for something different for the NR and he went for Novofine, which I've been using successfully and painlessly ever since. (subsequently changed to Levemir instead of Lantus anyway so the same Novofine fitted both)

When we did commonly use animal insulins the simple solution was to swap from a porcine to a bovine (or vice versa) which normally cured the prob.

Bearing in mind all insulins, the pens, the needles and the boxes they are all in are manufactured in shedloads of different places worldwide - any of them could have been contaminated with anything somewhere between that particular facility and the end user - so get your poor old body examined properly by a doctor (in A&E if you can't see your GP) and tested asap so you can get to the bottom of it.

It isn't 'normal' by any stretch of the imagination, it shouldn't be happening and you need to get it sorted!
 
I have heard of people being, or becoming sensitive to the lubricant on needles occasionally over the years.

Plus as @SB2015 says, some needles just dont seem to suit some people
 
Fear Forum
Thank you all so very much for your interest and advice. I will keep on all informed of my progress with this issue. So far the problem is ongoing and unresolved. I have been to see the sister at the surgery and also spoken to the DSN at the hospital. I was told to change my needles after one use and to start injecting into my buttocks. I have to continue injecting into my stomach but NOT my arms. Also that the needles now get blunt after one injection and are not the same quality as before. I know that injecting into my buttocks has a slower absorption rate so I need to acknowledge this (never done this before). TIP to inject into your buttocks it's much easier if you lie on your side on top of the bed and stab it in! I also have a phone consultation with a G P mid wee so I'Il keep you all up to date.
 
I've not noticed by bum absorbs any slower than the rest of me, and it's part of my regular rotation of cannula sites. Jabbing, can you 'pinch an inch' between your waistband and the bottom of your ribcage? cos I have always been able to do that despite being mega short-waisted and always found it very useful (and easily accessible mostly) for short acting.
 
What insulins do you use?
 
DaveB said:
What insulins do you use?
Click to expand...
Morning Dave
I'm on porcine insulin which suits me The sister did say that if I was changed I would produce antibodies to the newer insulins after all these years So the conclusion was it was the needles which are not as good a quality now
 
little fawn said:
Morning Dave
I'm on porcine insulin which suits me The sister did say that if I was changed I would produce antibodies to the newer insulins after all these years So the conclusion was it was the needles which are not as good a quality now
Click to expand...
If it's of any help to you I used bovine insulin for well over 50 years and changed over to Fiasp and have had no problems at all.
 
trophywench said:
I've not noticed by bum absorbs any slower than the rest of me, and it's part of my regular rotation of cannula sites. Jabbing, can you 'pinch an inch' between your waistband and the bottom of your ribcage? cos I have always been able to do that despite being mega short-waisted and always found it very useful (and easily accessible mostly) for short acting.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your comments Will give my buttocks a try I use that area too for short acting But I also inject above my waist (abdomen) and it's there I have another two swellings and abcesses. Very painful My long acting insulin used twice a day on my thighs has caused no issues
Keep you posted
 
Is there something on your skin - cos lumps are one thing - abcesses are quite another matter entirely!
 
trophywench said:
Is there something on your skin - cos lumps are one thing - abcesses are quite another matter entirely!
Click to expand...
trophywench said:
Is there something on your skin - cos lumps are one thing - abcesses are quite another matter entirely!
Click to expand...
The sister says she has seen hundreds of these things before (swellings, abscesses) and it is caused by overinjecting in the same site and cheap needles I do 6 injections a day sometimes more! So I kinda get that. I think I need to change to another screw fix needle for my Humulin pens after all these years Seemingly these are the needles prescribed for these pens (BD Ultrafine) and that's it!!! End of story So I have to keep using something that isn't right for me I don't get it But then again I do do a large amount of injections daily These pens are now discontinued However I did manage to get some extras via the hospital and pharmacy
Don't think this is a good time to try a pump although I haven't been offered one as a possible solution I have to try this daily routine first and see if the problem goes away I'm beginning to think something is contaminated needles? Insulin? So I've scrapped the lot and got new stuff What a carry on!I
what type of pain did you go through in the 90s You said these needles didn't suit you eventually after years of using them Why didn't they suit you? Doesn't make sense does it?
 
@little fawn would you be adverse to using syringes? I wonder if the needles would be better on them rather than the pens.
 
They stung me instantly I pierced my skin with NR, unlike the Lantus jabs, which stung when I depressed the plunger - so the NR it was the needle and the Lantus, the insulin.

I suggest to check that the new box of needles and not accept any from the same batch. Clearly there's summat up with those you are using.
 
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