Injection Sites & injecting in public

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mikee

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Type 1
Hi,

Are there any other places on your body you can inject other than thigh&stomach? I inject into my lower stomach out of ease, but i was wondering where other people inject? and ive read about people injecting through clothes...is this ok to do?sounds wierd to me!:confused:

Also how do people get on with injecting in public? after 5-6 months of being diagnosed i still find it uncomfortable to inject in restaurants etc as i dont want to put other people off their meals etc.. or shud i just think, stuff them i need to do it?

Thanks in advance!

Mike 😎
 
I inject into my buttocks - but not in public!

I rotate by doing one buttock in the morning, 2 to stomach during the day then the other buttock last thing. In public I try and be discreet, and if necessary try to find a disabled WC - more space.
 
Injecting in public

Hi there Mikee, i inject in public all the time, the staff in Mcdonalds stopped gawking at me after the first few weeks, i treat the kids to mcdonalds breakfast at weekends 🙂
They are great actually and have never said anything, i take the kids out all the time so inject in some funny places and no-body has ever said anything and i couldn't care less either, it's life or death in a manner of speaking so if they have a problem then tough t***ys
Have never injected through my clothes though, does sound a tad weird as you can't tell where your getting and i use the back of my arm and thigh too
Hope this helps :D
 
I was told thigh or buttocks for basal and stomach or upper arm for bolus. Can't easily inject myself in buttocks or upper arm so I stick to thigh and stomach.

I have no qualms about injecting in public - I doubt that many people other than those on my table even notice and anyone on my table has probably seen me inject lots of times before.

As it might cause a bit of a stir if I pulled down my trousers in a restaurant I inject through them if I am out when my basal shot is due - my nurse said it was OK and the needle goes through the clothing with no difficulty. Only touble is if it bleeds I make a bit of a mess of my trousers.
 
you can also use your upper arm, although not everyone gets on with that. I'm fine now but I used to be very skinny and then when I used my arms I came out in bruises the size of tennis balls! I have a friend take me to one side once and ask if I had problems at home as it looked like I was being beated around..!

I know a lot of people inject through clothing but it is something most medical people will tell you not to do, I believe you risk infections etc. I've done it probably 2/3 times when I've had no choice, stuck on a train platform with a big coat on etc.

I really struggled with injecting in public at first, I've been diagnosed for about 4 1/2 years now but have only really done it in public for the last 18 months. I think it's a personal thing about when you feel comfortable but my attitude now is that I have to do it and that I shouldn't need to go off to hide in the toilets etc. That said I try to be as subtle as I can about it (under the table in my leg or stomach etc) and I'll always 'warn' the people I'm sitting with if they haven't seen me do it before, that way if they really don't like it they know to look away!
 
I prefer to use the tops of my thighs, but obviuosly this becomes impractical in restuarants if you want to inject at the table, in which case I use my stomach. A friend has been Type 1 for nearly 20 years has become much more adept at using different sites - he tends to use the tops of his arms in restaurants. I must admit that I was very conscious of not upsetting others when I was first diagnosed too. I try to be discreet, but if it's a choice between DKA and upsetting someone I know which i'll choose.
 
I don't inject in the toilets, I think it is unhygenic. Injecting is discreet and takes a minute at most. I can't imagine anyone feeling anything stronger than momentary disgust in a restaurant.
 
I do mine in my tum,thighs and bum but I've never been able to bring myself round to doing it in my arm because my arms are tiny and I don't know how i'd be able to push the button to inject anyway lol. I'm also newly diagnosed and have found it a bit embarrasing in public before to inject but we have to do it and if they don't like it they don't have to look do they? I've never injected through my clothes because I'd prob hurt myself and I don't think it's very clean either but that's just my personal opinion i know some people on here say that they do.
 
thanks ladies and gents, glad to hear im far from alone in this situation. some great help and advice coming in!
 
mikee said:
thanks ladies and gents, glad to hear im far from alone in this situation. some great help and advice coming in!
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hi mikee i dont really care if people see me inject in public, it is a fact of life in this day and age, if you dont like it dont look is my opinion!i tend to just use my thighs and stomach. i always try to avoid injecting in to lumps. in public i always inject in to my stomach, just coz its easier. you can use your bum or arm to rotate sites. i dont inject in my arms through choice as they injected me there in hospital and i had a bruise for a week ha ha. i wouldnt inject through clothes because of the hygiene aspect and because im always scared of the needle snapping off, (irrational i know!)
 
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yeah thats the think about injecting through clothes, would the needle snap? il stick to straight in the flesh i think. ive never tried it in the arm or bum before. but you mention lumps...do you mean the lumps from constant injections?is that a kind of scar tissue or sumit? i am wary of this and guess its the body was of telling us its time to switch site?
 
I inject in public all the time, I have never had anyone say anything and I'm pretty discrete so I don't think most people even notice. Even my other half will sometimes ask if I did my insulin because she didn't notice me doing it.

I inject through clothes, I think the minimal risk is worth it and will inject through my trousers (dark coloured only!).

I like to do my lantus in my buttocks, but most of my novorapid go in my arms- my prefered site.
 
When I asked my DSN, I was told not to inject through clothes because it will change the depth of the injection. Probably wouldn't matter much with a thin shirt or something on, but if that's the case, it's easy enough to pull the shirt up a bit to expose a bit of skin.

I definitely would not inject through trousers or thick clothes, and absolutley refuse to hide in the toilets like a druggie.
 
I inject in buttocks, thighs and tummy. usually do left buttock for 3/4 injections, changing site, right buttock, left thigh, right thigh, tummy. Unless in public and then its tummy.

My dsn told me to do it in public as should not offend anyone, I did at first and can honestly say no one seems to notice, but I got so worked up about it, I found I didnt enjoy my meal! i know stupid, for months going to toilet but have recently starded doing it at the table again and feel much better about it. Especially after reading these posts! Thanks guys, I was never ashamed or anything, just uncomfortable that people would wonder what I was up to.

This is just a normal part of life for us and we just need to get on with it, who cares if people look, I dont anymore!
🙂
 
mikee said:
yeah thats the think about injecting through clothes, would the needle snap? il stick to straight in the flesh i think. ive never tried it in the arm or bum before. but you mention lumps...do you mean the lumps from constant injections?is that a kind of scar tissue or sumit? i am wary of this and guess its the body was of telling us its time to switch site?
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not really sure, i assume the lumps are nothing much to worry about i usually just make sure i rotate. after a few days the lumps go.i only ever get them on my thighs where i inject my nightime levemir. its probably just celulite!! ha ha.
 
Some places have a dedicated first aid room. While you might have to be accompanied by a member of staff or first aider, reputable organisations are happy to allow you to use the room for this purpose.
 
injecting insulin

🙂 getting back to a previous thread about injection sites etc, have any of you taught family how to inject you?:confused: i have been teaching my 12yr old how to inject me in case im to ill to do it, my 15yr old is too needle phobic at the moment. what about glucagon injections have any of you type 1's got it at home in case of severe hypo's ? or relying on the emergency services ?? sorry to scare you.😱😱
 
Kids

I took my kids to my diabetic appointment, they are 10 & 12, the nurse i saw after the doctor showed them and got them to inject a squidgy ball thingy a coupla times and it was all a bit of a laugh so they weren't too bothered about it and now if i'm ill they do it for me, in fact my 12 yr old gets it all ready for me when i do it myself 🙂
As for the hypo needle, i have one in the fridge and they know how to use that too, i know some people wouldn't agree with taking kids to their appointments but she was fine and said it was better because if anything did happen they know exactly what to do, hope this helps
 
angel30eyes said:
I took my kids to my diabetic appointment, they are 10 & 12, the nurse i saw after the doctor showed them and got them to inject a squidgy ball thingy a coupla times and it was all a bit of a laugh so they weren't too bothered about it and now if i'm ill they do it for me, in fact my 12 yr old gets it all ready for me when i do it myself 🙂
As for the hypo needle, i have one in the fridge and they know how to use that too, i know some people wouldn't agree with taking kids to their appointments but she was fine and said it was better because if anything did happen they know exactly what to do, hope this helps
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i totally agree that our children are taught all aspects of diabetes, including injecting and where to inject. if it was'nt for quick thinking on my eldests part in calling the paramedics i woud'nt be here to tell the tale!! ( i was unconcious with dka)another reason i have told them all about it is in case they develope it in their 30s like my whole family have, at least they will have all the knowledge to deal with it. plus they are the next generation and we need to educate as many people about diabetes as we can. you would be surprised how many people i have spoken to since i was in hospital who knew i was diabetic and was rushed to hospital in diabetic coma and asked "didnt someone give you sugar?" i had dka!! people assume because your diabetic that you should be given sugar because they dont know the difference between hyper and hypos!!!
 
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zip-off trousers for thigh injections

A couple of years ago I bought my first ever pair of trousers where you can zip off the legs to leave just shorts. They were ideal for travelleing, camping etc - and almost by accident I discovered that openning the zip a short way meant I could inject into my thigh.
 
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