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Posted 5/11/2005 5:49 AM (GMT 0)
Hi again.  Finally got a new monitor, so can post again.  (Thanks to all for prior comments)  :)

The lady I'm helping with this is asking how to know where is the best place to take the shots (abdomen, arm, thigh, etc).  I'm not sure what to tell her.  We've experimented with several places, and I'd like to keep it as painless as possible for her, but don't know the best place.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Also, she says that sometimes the shots sting after she gets them.  Is this normal, or am I doing something wrong?

Finally, not too often, after I give her the shot there will be a little bit of blood from the point I gave her the shot.  Again, is this to be expected, or am I doing something wrong?

Thanks for all input.

Best....Larry

Posted 5/11/2005 3:26 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Larry. Don't worry, you're not doing anything wrong, it's very normal for it to sometimes sting or bleed. There are lots of nerves under the skin and it's impossible to not sometimes hit one. For injection sites you can use her arms, buttocks, stomach, hips, or thighs(front or back). Injections in the abdomen are absorbed quicker, so if your sugar is high this would be a good spot to put it. The buttocks is usually absorbed a little slower, so i usually do my morning injections there. Another thing to keep in mind is her activities throughout the day. For example if she's going to be playing tennis, avoid injecting in the arm or if she's going for a long walk, avoid the legs because the insulin will be absorbed to quickly. I hope this is making sense, it's kind of hard to explain in writing! Good luck, I hope i was able to help ya! Robyn
Posted 5/11/2005 6:21 PM (GMT 0)
Larry,

Don't know if this will help or not but this is how I do my shots. I put a dot of orange magic marker where I'll be injecting, usually on my tummy. I make a new dot for each injection because I can't always see where the last spot was. The marker fades with each day's shower and that makes it easy to see where the recent shots were given. I try to keep them in a row. I never inject where a dark vein is visible thru the skin.

After the dot, I clean next to it with alcohol, pinch a wide pad of tummy fat up with the spot in the middle.(For me the pinching of the skin seems to deaden the needle effect a few seconds later.) Poke the needle and release the skin. Inject medium slow, stop, leave the needle in place for a few seconds. Then I give it a quarter turn and slip it out, immediately putting my clean finger over the spot of injection and pressing firmly for a few seconds.

The sting is one of the side effects of the insulin and is listed on the med info sheet. Watching for veins should avoid some of the blood at the spot, but I've had it, too. The finger press should stop this. Also, Lady should be learning this herself in case you are ever unable to do it... (car accident, vacation, caught in traffic, stuck in a grocery line) She will have less pain injecting herself than she does when you do it. Hope this helps.

~Jeannie
Posted 5/17/2005 3:02 AM (GMT 0)
My first time at the site here, I just stumbled in.

I have been injecting insulin for 46 years and here is my advice.

First I rotate:
right abdomen, left abdomen, upper right leg, upper left leg, middle right leg, middle left leg, lower right leg, lower left leg, right butt cheek, left butt cheek and then start over again.

To me the most painful are anywhere in the arms (notice above pattern), the least painful are the stomach, buttocks and upper portion of my legs (closer to hip).

Sometimes you get a sting, sometimes you don't. My personal thought is that the alcohol is what sometimes causes the sting. And I bleed rarely but sometimes I have a little bleeding.

No bruises unless I hit a vein and ouch! that hurts too.

I hope this helps and I agree MAKE SURE the lady gives herself her own injections. I started on my own when I was 7 or 8, my mom and dad gave them to me the first few years.

Post Edited By Moderator (Admin) : 5/17/2005 9:17:53 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 5/17/2005 1:38 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Elyod, I must say i totally agree with the alcohol making it sting! It always stings way more if the alcohol isn't completely dry. I told a nurse that once and she looked at me like i was nuts! So I'm glad to hear someone else agrees with me lol. Robyn
Posted 6/3/2005 12:52 PM (GMT 0)
usually i do my needles in my legs and tummy...but my mam does them in my arms for me..for some reason i always bruise myself when i do it ...but it never happens when my mam does....i bleed as well sometimes...ive just started to learn to do it in my tummy so thats new to me
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