Slower absorption rate?

[Danielle91xx]

Hi all,
I'm pregnant and have stopped stomach injecting now and started in my thigh. I feel Post meals my sugars are higher is it a slower absorption rate and where else can I inject? I know buttocks but I'm unsure where is it just fatty top of buttocks.
Thank you

 

[rebrascora]

Hi
Congrats on your pregnancy. Hope all is going well.
I inject mostly into the underside of my buttocks but I only use it for basal and I use my stomach for bolus because it is generally believed to absorb quicker and it is convenient. I haven't tried bolus in my bot so it might be pretty much the same speed but that is usually quite slow for me anyway. You can also use your upper arms I believe.
Is there any problem with just bolusing in your thigh a little earlier if it is taking longer to get going there?

 

[Danielle91xx]

No i could wait longer but I am already waiting 20 mins sometimes 30mins before and I'm just greedy I might try my buttocks or upper arm actually and just see if this makes a difference. I currently have libre in my arm also x

 

[rebrascora]

Think yourself lucky! I need 45 mins prebolus on a morning with Fiasp or over an hour if I use NovoRapid and that is for slow release carbs from creamy Greek natural yoghurt, berries, seeds and a sprinkle of low carb granola! I find it is just a question of finding a new routine which takes up a bit of extra time before you eat.

 

[Danielle91xx]

Oh really god that is long! I have only just started injecting with meals so it is quite new to me so I didnt realise. Thank you for your help

 

[rebrascora]

Not recommending that anyone else, including yourself prebolus that far in advance without very cautiously increasing it by 5 mins each time until you find the point at which the insulin and glucose hit the blood stream together.... otherwise there is a high risk of hypoing before you eat. Lots of testing involved and will vary with higher fat or high fibre meals which slows the carbs down so for the likes of pizza you are probably best not prebolusing at all or split your dose and have half the bolus before eating and the other half afterwards.

Anyway, good luck with injecting into your arm. Hope it works out well for you. It is the only location I haven't tried yet, but my Libre sensors go on my arms so I stick to tummy.

 

[Inka]

No i could wait longer but I am already waiting 20 mins sometimes 30mins before and I'm just greedy I might try my buttocks or upper arm actually and just see if this makes a difference. I currently have libre in my arm also x

The thighs are supposedly slower than the stomach but I find my thighs ok. The arms are a good place too. Be careful if you try the top of your bum as twisting round can pull the ligaments a bit (they’re loosened by pregnancy).

But you must be very pregnant by now so perhaps you’re just seeing the normal increasing insulin resistance of pregnancy. As well as insulin needs increasing, I found I had to pre-bolus more in advance in later pregnancy eg with Humalog and not pregnant, I could bolus 30 mins in advance for breakfast (my ‘worst’ time of the day), but in late pregnancy that had to be 45 mins in advance (same injection site) and for the final few weeks it was approaching an hour in advance, depending on my blood sugar. The insulin resistance of pregnancy is quite something!

I hope you’re keeping well and enjoying your pregnancy. XX

 

[Danielle91xx]

Oh thank u yes I was wondering if it was just being pregnant and my requirement changing. I will try to increase by 5 mins each time as said previously and see if this helps.
Thank you so much both!

 

[trophywench]

A place you may not have tried is, again on your thigh - but you know smack in the middle of that bit of leg, have you tried jabbing about 1 to 1.5cm towards the INSIDE of your leg? - have to say I find that area quite absorbent now I'm restricted in where to jab myself (for other reasons than pregnancy which I won't bore you with) Though at 71 and in my personal circumstances, I could probably make an absolute fortune if I could get pregnant! )

 

[Danielle91xx]

A place you may not have tried is, again on your thigh - but you know smack in the middle of that bit of leg, have you tried jabbing about 1 to 1.5cm towards the INSIDE of your leg? - have to say I find that area quite absorbent now I'm restricted in where to jab myself (for other reasons than pregnancy which I won't bore you with) Though at 71 and in my personal circumstances, I could probably make an absolute fortune if I could get pregnant! )

So do you mean like front facing thigh whereas now I do it in the side? X

 

[Inka]

So do you mean like front facing thigh whereas now I do it in the side? X

The usual place that’s recommended on the thigh is to sit down, look down at your thighs and imagine a line down the middle of each thigh. You then use from that line and outwards moving towards the side of your thigh and including the side of your thigh - so from mid out to the side. But you could also try moving ever so slightly inwards from that imaginary mid-line.

If, however, you’re currently only using the side of your thigh, just move from the side towards the mid-line, then you have the proper larger area to choose your injection site in.

However, as you’re so recently diagnosed, I suspect it’s the pregnancy insulin resistance rather than poor absorption. If you still have problems, you could maybe try a slightly longer needle eg move from 4mm to 5mm, but I’m hopefully moving your bolus forward will help.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hope the change of bolus timing works well for you @Danielle91xx

I generally found the speed of absorption slowed down

abdomen -> thighs -> buttocks

I never tried arms.

Congratulations on your pregnancy!