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Insulin needles

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
JimBear

JimBear

Active Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi folks! Me again!
Just a quick question this time about insulin needles.

My nurse prescribed 6mm needles for my insulin as I am 'a big chap'. However, on several occasions now, I have come up with the most appalling bruises from where I have injected and she told me to be more gentle.

Now I know I am fat (and not ashamed), but most of my fat is behind my belly muscle, so my gut is somewhat firm with very little soft fat above the muscle. I think the needles are just a bit too long and are hitting the muscle causing the bruising. I have mentioned this to the nurse thinking perhaps she would prescribe the 5mm needles but she didn't want to.

I don't bruise all that frequently, but the bruises look terrible and take a good two weeks to go away. And just when it has gone, it's usually when another one appears.

Do you think the needles are too long, given the firmness of my belly?

Thanks for your answers!
Jim 🙂
 
How long have you been injecting Jim? I have found that I bruise more readily when using an area that I haven't used for some time. For example, I normally inject in my behind/top of hips but have found I need to inject in belly for evening meals (complicated reasons!). I used to always inject in the belly and rarely got bruises, however, now I do - not always but quite often. I have always used 6mm needles, I'm not sure the length makes much difference - I used them when I had no body fat after diagnosis (BMI was 17 😱). There are 5mm and 4mm available (and 8mm or even 12mm 😱) - I can't see why the nurse can't let you try a selection to see if one suits you better than the others. As long as the insulin gets under your skin then there shouldn't be a problem with it working properly. If you're fairly new to it though, it might improve, with less bruising in future. One place I am guaranteed to bruise is my thighs, which have no fat layer due to 30+ years as a runner - I tried it a few times then gave up.
 
It might, so don't shove em in up to their hilts, and see!

4mm is supposed to be enough anyway however I found em a bit too short, but there again I probably have tough skin LOL They said I did in hosp when I was diagnosed and I've found over the years, that the suntanned bits seem tougher.
 
Hi. I've only been on insulin since January. Being a large lady Ii find it best to tension the skin on insertion and removal rather than pouching it as I was taught. I was first prescribed 5mm needles, then I bought some 4mm just to try which I was happy with , I spoke to my GP to get the prescription altered.

Do try tensioning the skin first, it made a big difference for me.
If it doesnt help I suggest you take some pics to show them as in my opinion just telling you to be more gentle is not good enough .
 
Thanks for your replies and suggestions. Some very useful tips there. I hadn't thought about buying shorter needles. That would certainly be worth a try and see how I go. I actually showed the nurse my bruises and she didn't seem over concerned. They annoyed me as they were tender and looked plain ugly lol.
 
If you are using regular needles and syringes ensure that you do not change the angle at which the needle is in your flesh once inserted. This will reduce the possibility that you are perforating blood vessels when giving yourself your insulin. Perforating blood vessels will cause significant bruising. The other consideration is to ensure that you draw the plunger back slightly before injecting the insulin. If you have the merest hint of blood in the syringe then remove it and reapply.my syringes are very much 'old school' and my needles are 12.7mm long
 
I'm on 5mm needles and I often just let the weight of the pen do the work . Sometimes I have to look to check that they've actually gone in.
 
I have used 8mm pen needles for years (along with 12.7mm syringes (until about 10 years ago) that DL mentions) and I'm fairly skinny. Recently my DSN said fat or thin the skin layer is the same and 4mm needles are fine and I've therefore starting using these in the last few weeks. Bruising however is just an occupational hazard and I don't have much choice other than put up with the occasional bruise or die.
 
Diabeticliberty said:
If you are using regular needles and syringes ensure that you do not change the angle at which the needle is in your flesh once inserted. This will reduce the possibility that you are perforating blood vessels when giving yourself your insulin. Perforating blood vessels will cause significant bruising. The other consideration is to ensure that you draw the plunger back slightly before injecting the insulin. If you have the merest hint of blood in the syringe then remove it and reapply.my syringes are very much 'old school' and my needles are 12.7mm long
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I'm pretty sure Jim is using pens, not syringes, DL 🙂 It's only old-timers like you who use syringes these days! 😉
 
Northerner said:
I'm pretty sure Jim is using pens, not syringes, DL 🙂 It's only old-timers like you who use syringes these days! 😉
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Old timers????? Well the cheek of it 😛

Jim you need to ditch those sissy pens and start using 'real man syringes'. They will turn you into a Goddamned sexual tyrannosaurus, just like me 😉
 
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I asked to switch from 8mm to 4mm a couple of years ago, because my stomach and thighs were always a mass of little bruises. I still get the odd one, but nothing like as many. It stands to reason, doesn't it, that the further something travels through your body, the more likely it is to encounter and damage a small blood vessel.
 
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Diabeticliberty said:
Old timers????? Well the cheek of it 😛

Jim you need to ditch those sissy pens and start using 'real man syringes'. They will turn you into a Goddamned sexual tyrannosaurus, just like me 😉
Click to expand...
:D:D:D
 
My chemist cant get 6mm needles easily they only stock 4mm needles as standard now.
 
Thanks for your 'humorous' input folks lol! Yes, I am on 'sissy' pens 😛 I think I will stick with those, thanks 😉
I am glad you all seem to be pretty much agreed that longer needles are likely to increase the risk of bruising. I don't mind the occasional one - I suppose it's to be expected, but the ones I have had, have been disproportionally large and taken so long to heal. I will have to persuade the nurse to prescribe shorter ones... or put a collar round each needle so it can't go in as far lol.
 
Make sure your technique is right too - always inject at 90 degrees to your skin (ie don't go in diagonally). Vary your sites too. Just because your stomach bruises doesn't mean the same thing will happen on your thighs or butt cheeks.
 
Perhaps the GP would be more agreeable to changing your prescription. that's who I spoke to after I tried the 4mm ones, if your GP changes the prescription , then it's a done deal and you've no need to say anything to the nurse.
 
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