Novolog Injection Sites / Absorbtion?

aeromarv · #1 (**permalink**) 07-20-2006, 01:19 PM

I am a type I and have been using the Novolog FlexPen for about 6 months now. I'm noticing that sometimes when I use my upper arm for injections, it seems as though the insulin may not absorb as well.

I am carb carb counting and use a sliding scale with a correction factor. I am no expert at the carb counting and often err on the side of caution and low ball it. However I notice when I inject in the arm rather than the stomach (say when at lunch during a working meeting and I'd rather not untuck my shirt and re-tuck) it seems like some times I am much higher a few hours later than I should be. Even if I did guess low at the carbs I ate.

Anyone else notice this?

I am attributing it to the shorter pen needles (never had trouble with the 1cc syringes when I was using vials) and the difference in fat between my arms and my big ole belly.

Keezheekoni · #2 (**permalink**) 07-20-2006, 01:32 PM

I believe that insulin is absorbed more quickly in the stomach and thighs than in the arms... that could be why you are seeing what you are seeing.

Rikki

sbuff28@charter · #3 (**permalink**) 07-20-2006, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rikki

I believe that insulin is absorbed more quickly in the stomach and thighs than in the arms... that could be why you are seeing what you are seeing.

Rikki

i agree

I notice that if i am up walking around and i inject into my thighs it will absorb much faster and will drop me more than in my stomach. I can't reach my tricepts well so i have never done the arms.

Emm · #4 (**permalink**) 07-20-2006, 01:49 PM

What gets me is the pain!
I can inject easily & painlessly in my belly, but arms and thighs really hurt. I keep trying though, hoping to find a painless area, because I'd love to have a place to jab that doesn't mean showing people my belly when I'm out!

Do others have the same problem?

Keezheekoni · #5 (**permalink**) 07-20-2006, 01:54 PM

I've found that if I inject directly into the back of my upper arm, there's enough fat there that it doesn't hurt.

That's the only place I'll inject if I'm out in public...unless at a restaurant where my belly is hidden by a table and there aren't other customers within close range. LOL

Rikki

spring · #6 (**permalink**) 07-20-2006, 01:57 PM

Emm - same problem for sure. My legs bleed and my arms hurt. Aside from the stomach, another good place is the hips, about where the waistline of low-rise jeans sit on either side.

Just make sure you don't stick to those painless spots alone - that's how I ended up with lipohypertrophy! Seems rotating between just the four areas (left and right side of each) was not enough. Now I'm having to avoid the hips and stomach entirely in favour of my bruiseable arms and legs.

Emm · #7 (**permalink**) 07-20-2006, 02:32 PM

I bleed, bruise, & gasp in pain in any spot other than belly. Wonder if I just need to know some tricks... were are the best spots on arms/thighs?

Hey Rikki - just read your profile. Mine's a bit of a ditto, really!

Keezheekoni · #8 (**permalink**) 07-20-2006, 02:49 PM

Some people have tried numbing the areas with ice... then there's that stuff that they give to my daughter whenever she gets an IV, though I don't remember what it's called and it takes about 10 minutes to completely numb the area. I guess some topical things like Num-zit would work just as well.

Isn't it interesting? I find most of my homeschooling friends online. Though in my neighborhood we have 3 other homeschooling families. We're just really disgusted with our school districts (I live on the border of two, hence I can have my kids in either district...but one is not much better than the other.) My only non-homeschooler is also the one who is giving me a hard time right now. She wants to stay in Atlanta with her dad, yet he and I both agree she needs to be with me during the school year. Oh, 14 year-olds! They think everything's better than where they are at! Grrrr...

Sorry for going

Rikki

aeromarv · #9 (**permalink**) 07-21-2006, 06:25 AM

I've never had much trouble with site pain. When I started out I was using both arms and thighs. I always avoided my stomach. Now with the flexpens, I'm using my stomach almost exclusively. Almost all my sites are pretty much painless. I use mostly stomach and arms these days.

But then, I've never had much problem with needles either. I'm one of those people who watch rather closely when I go to have blood drawn for labs. No looking away for me. I watch the needle go in and the vaccutainers fill up. And my arms are hard to use sometimes. If I get a phlebotomist who isn't very well experienced, it can take some fishing around in there before they hit pay dirt!