Injecting Tips

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Hughes87

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Type 1.5 LADA
Hi everyone 🙂

I am a needle phobe and very much trying to get used to injecting myself. I’m noticing that not all of the insulin is coming out, I have to push the button on the end really hard and it’s a bit flimsy, obviously that fine when it’s not in my skin but when it’s in, pushing super hard and relaxing and then again seem to be hurting my skin. I’m definitely not doing something right - does anyone have any tips?

I’ve watched loads of videos on how to inject but seems very much like load it up, push until you hear the click and wait. Even waiting 20 seconds and pushing several times (once the click is over) still leaves some insulin
 
This pen. So after I inject, leave it for 20 seconds while pushing the button, I pull it out of my skin and more starts coming out of the needle. At least 2 bubbles, sometimes 4
 

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I always had a very small amount of insulin came out after I removed the pen. It was so small I was told not to worry about it.
I notice you are using singe use pens. I recommend requesting reusable pens. These are more robust so you will not find them as "flimsy" when you press on the end. They also have other advantages such as the cartridges taking up less space in your fridge (and luggage when you travel) as well as less waste.
 
I'm guessing you're referring to seeing a small drip of insulin on the tip of the needle after withdrawing it?

Perfectly normal & not indicative of not receiving a full dose. You also don't need to "press hard" on the button nor for a prolonged time or repeating it. A simple single press of the button is all that's required & then just leave the pen in place for 6-10s.

But yes, those Novorapid pens are a bit low rent compared to others.
 
It’s worth asking for a refillable novorapid pen anyway but absolutely normal to see a few drops of insulin after injecting. I hope you can have the confidence to just inject and not sweat it and that the bruising eases. You’re doing really well to be injecting when needle phobic.
 
Hughes87 said:
This pen. So after I inject, leave it for 20 seconds while pushing the button, I pull it out of my skin and more starts coming out of the needle. At least 2 bubbles, sometimes 4
Click to expand...

Get a re-useable pen. Apart from being more environmentally better, they’re much better quality and nicer to use. All you do is change the cartridge and keep using the same pen. They’re more reliable and all round better.

Do you do an air-shot before injecting (dial up 2 units and squirt it into the air)?

Little bubbles coming out afterwards don’t matter, but that shouldn’t really be happening every time. I’m sure the crap pen is partly to blame.
 
Hi. Sometimes if I inject in an area of hard flesh it can be hard to inject and some insulin shoots out of the skin after I take pen out. I then try to avoid that area next time.
 
Hughes87 said:
This pen. So after I inject, leave it for 20 seconds while pushing the button, I pull it out of my skin and more starts coming out of the needle. At least 2 bubbles, sometimes 4
Click to expand...
I sympathise; I had these worries too! And I'm also rather needle-phobic. So-- rounding off the advice others have given and adding a bit:

1) As Inka says, "Do you do an air-shot before injecting (dial up 2 units and squirt it into the air)?" You absolutely have to do that every time before injecting.

2) If you do an air-shot first, and then inject, and then after injecting you see a drop of insulin on your skin or on the tip of the needle-- as all other posters have said, this is completely normal and nothing to worry about. (Which doesn't mean you were wrong to worry about it! A lot of us are worried about it at first. But it really is ok.)

3) RBZ is right, "A simple single press of the button is all that's required & then just leave the pen in place for 6-10s." I know the temptation to press hard against your skin and for more than 10 seconds! But you really don't have to, and really shouldn't; that will hurt your skin and give you bruises.

4) Get a Tickleflex! When I mentioned to my diabetes nurses that I was quite needle-phobic, and was finding injections quite painful, they gave me a Tickleflex, and it is wonderful-- reduces pain, reduces bruising, and it's less phobia-triggering because you don't see the needle going in. Invented by an engineer who then got Type 1 and had a lot of problems injecting! https://www.tickleflex.com/

Wishing you all the best; it really will get better.
 
It will be a teeny amount of insulin and solely the contents of the actual 4mm of metal needle itself you have just removed from your skin.

Bung a needle on your pen, air shot say 10u downwards over the sink then immediately place the palm of your other hand under the end of the needle, and only then release the pressure on the plunger. See? - a minute amount. As soon as you turn the pen upright again to remove the needle, it instantly stops. (Doesn't actually need to be 10u, any amount more than 2u will do it, as long as the thing is pointing downwards cos nobody injects into themselves upwards, do they!)
 
If you do ask for reusable pens and disposable cartridges (which I also thoroughly recommend) then make sure you have reserve disposable pens for each of your bolus and basal. In the unlikely event of a pen failing (or slightly more likely event of you damaging or even losing a reusable pen) then it's essential to have a reserve; this will always occur at the worst possible moment and when you can't realistically wait for a fresh prescription and pharmacy delay!

I use NovoRapid bolus and Tresiba basal, each using the NovoEcho reusable pens and I have a red pen and a blue pen to reduce my risk of mixing the 2 types of insulin. I only have one reserve pen (blue) and am c ontent with the one, interchangeable, reserve. I also have a 'gold star' on my blue basal pen - which provides a visual and textural difference; this might seem a bit over the top - but in part-lit mornings the blue and red colours are not terrific and I did almost take a double basal dose recently. The gold star did its job and caught my attention. One can get a wee bit complacent sometimes.

These can be requested through your GP Surgery and don't need any other 'approval'. They actually work out as a bit cheaper for the NHS since the lifespan of a disposable pen is normally very good, 4yrs plus.
 
Hughes87 said:
Hi everyone 🙂

I am a needle phobe and very much trying to get used to injecting myself. I’m noticing that not all of the insulin is coming out, I have to push the button on the end really hard and it’s a bit flimsy, obviously that fine when it’s not in my skin but when it’s in, pushing super hard and relaxing and then again seem to be hurting my skin. I’m definitely not doing something right - does anyone have any tips?

I’ve watched loads of videos on how to inject but seems very much like load it up, push until you hear the click and wait. Even waiting 20 seconds and pushing several times (once the click is over) still leaves some insulin
Click to expand...
I'm on nova rapid too...my last prescription my pens changed to spring loaded.. sounds like this would help you. Mine is dispensed pretty quickly now it's spring loaded
 
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