# Do you ever re-inject if your insulin leaks out of the injection site?



## Pigeon (Jan 21, 2017)

I ask because I'm only taking 1.5u of levemir at bed time. Last night I injected in my thigh and a dribble leaked back out again. This nmorning I was at 14 and my libre showed BG had risen steadily overnight. The previous night was quite stable, so I think the dose is ok (did a basal test the night before and reduce by levemir from 2 u as it showed  a drop of 6 overnight....) I tried squirting 1.5u as an airshot onto my leg and it looked about the same amount as leaked out last night. So I'm thinking probebly none if it went in, hence the rise. Any thoughts?


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## Robin (Jan 21, 2017)

Pigeon said:


> I ask because I'm only taking 1.5u of levemir at bed time. Last night I injected in my thigh and a dribble leaked back out again. This nmorning I was at 14 and my libre showed BG had risen steadily overnight. The previous night was quite stable, so I think the dose is ok (did a basal test the night before and reduce by levemir from 2 u as it showed  a drop of 6 overnight....) I tried squirting 1.5u as an airshot onto my leg and it looked about the same amount as leaked out last night. So I'm thinking probebly none if it went in, hence the rise. Any thoughts?


I personally wouldn't do any more basal if I thought some had leaked out, because you've no idea how much has gone in, and once long acting's in, it's in! 
I'd probably set an alarm for 3am if I really thought none had got in, and have done a correction dose then with short acting, if I had risen a lot. Or left it, and dealt with the consequences the next morning, as you presumably did.


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## stephknits (Jan 21, 2017)

I think the problem is you are on such tiny amounts of basal that it leaking out would make a much bigger difference.  I am on 10 units of Levemir at night, so if a bit leaked out, like Robin I would just leave it.  Not sure what to recommend in your case, but agree it's better to have too little than too much.  My DSN said that as much as a unit can easily leak out.  I guess the best advice is to minimise the risk of that happening.


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## Lilian (Jan 21, 2017)

Try holding the needle in for longer.


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## Ljc (Jan 22, 2017)

If Lilian's suggestion doesn't work, I read somewhere to try using longer needles.  I have no idea if  that is good advise or not.

Could it be that their is some insulin left on the needle after the air shot and this is what you are seeing , I've had this happen , I now give my pen a little shake after the air shot, or is it too much for that.


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## Northerner (Jan 22, 2017)

Wow, that is tricky! I remember when I was down to 2 units of lantus and waking in the 4s, I couldn't reduce further because I only had a 1 unit pen and half units didn't exist. In my case I just decided not to bother with any and from that point on (nearly 5 years ago!) I haven't needed any at all. My consultant did suggest that such a small amount of lantus probably wasn't going to produce a huge difference in my levels, but clearly you appear to have a problem even on such tiny doses. Really, it must be an argument for the finer control of a pump - have you considered/been considered for one?

I would agree with @Robin in this case - no re-injection and a 3am test/possible correction. I've heard/experienced slight dribbling out after an injection, but like @Ljc says, put it down to chiefly the insulin that coats the needle after an airshot, rather than anything exiting the injection site - but the rise you experienced is puzzling! Smaller doses do tend to have a shorter lifespan - not that 1.5 versus 2  should be significantly different, but maybe it's just that there is so little to absorb that it is more prone to fluctuation and predictability?

I


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## HOBIE (Jan 22, 2017)

Pigeon said:


> I ask because I'm only taking 1.5u of levemir at bed time. Last night I injected in my thigh and a dribble leaked back out again. This nmorning I was at 14 and my libre showed BG had risen steadily overnight. The previous night was quite stable, so I think the dose is ok (did a basal test the night before and reduce by levemir from 2 u as it showed  a drop of 6 overnight....) I tried squirting 1.5u as an airshot onto my leg and it looked about the same amount as leaked out last night. So I'm thinking probebly none if it went in, hence the rise. Any thoughts?


When I was young my mother could not inject me anymore. My father who was very strong used to put the GLASS syringes with "panel needles" into my elephant hide skin !   I am not joking & twice the syringe has exploded with the pressure & we never new how much insulin had gone or if any.  Good luck nxt time Pigeon


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## SB2015 (Jan 22, 2017)

You mentioned that you had reduced your background from 2 to 1.5 overnight and that is most likely the cause rather than the leaking out insulin. It is tricky when you are on small doses, and that may be a good reason to consider a pump as you can adjust doses by increments as small as 0.1 units.  Just an idea.  It worked for me.


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## Pigeon (Jan 22, 2017)

Thanks all for you replies. Yeah, I think the 1.5 u is actually not enough (haven't done another basal test but the last few days have been more carfeul about leaving the needle in longer and injecting in my tummy rathyer than thighs but have have woken up at about 14....), which leaves me with a problem if 2 u is too much! I went through this with the DSN last summer when I went through a period of hypos at night and she suggested moving the levemir to bedime (previously tea time) which helped, but now with the cold weather I think 2u is too much. Maybe I'll email them again with some graphs and see if they think it makes me a candidate for a pump.


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## HOBIE (Jan 22, 2017)

Good luck Pigeon sorting !


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## Carolg (Jan 22, 2017)

HOBIE said:


> When I was young my mother could not inject me anymore. My father who was very strong used to put the GLASS syringes with "panel needles" into my elephant hide skin !   I am not joking & twice the syringe has exploded with the pressure & we never new how much insulin had gone or if any.  Good luck nxt time Pigeon


As a student nurse in 70,s I visited an old lady who had glass syringes,thick  metal needles and am I right saying surgical spirit as skin prep. Really brutal. Maybe where some of my fear of insulin comes from ahhh. A total revaIation thought it was because my mum ended up on insulin....


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## Northerner (Jan 23, 2017)

I remember reading that the first injections of a (very impure) insulin were in the region of 5cc  That's nearly a gallon! At the time though it was regarded as a miracle. 

I won’t forget those wise old words my Daddy said to me
As he sat down in his chair one night and perched me on his knee.
He said, ‘Son, diabetes wasn’t always so much fun,
So let me tell you how it was in 1931!’

Twice a day we’d drive to town, down to the abattoir,
Pick out a bovine pancreas and stow it in the car,
And when we got home Mum and Dad would mash that organ up,
And strain it through a muslin bag into a paper cup…

Then Dad would get some chemicals and boil them in a pan,
Adding bits of this and that with flourish and élan!
And meanwhile I would drink and drink until I had to pee,
And Mum would take a jar away, as swiftly as could be!

She’d add it to the chemicals, and if it turned bright red
Then I would have no supper and be sent off straight to bed.
But if it just turned yellowish, I’d have something to eat
Like carrots mashed in gravy, with sweet pickles for a treat!

I didn’t like the needles though, at least six inches long!
So Mum would jig around the room, distracting me with song!
And when he’d scraped the rust off, Dad would stick it in my butt,
I’d bite down on a leather strap to keep my mouth tight shut!

So, should you whinge and moan about how finger pricking’s bad,
Then pause to contemplate about the progress we have had.
We’ve gone from times when prospects for our future might seem poor,
To looking forward to the day that they announce the cure!


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## Pigeon (Jan 25, 2017)

Fab poem, Northerner! Emailed my dsn and they are going to put me forward to the monthly pump panel for discussion So quite excited but a bit nervous too.


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## Lindarose (Jan 25, 2017)

Love your poem


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## PhoebeC (Jan 25, 2017)

I'm a naughty one, id re-inject but only a tin bit. Like ive had it when the whole things come out, slipped and I've ended up with hardly any of it, maybe 20% of what i needed so I will have a bit. Only ever with my novorapid though not the solostar, changing the amount i have with that is tricky. I dont like to mess with that without a good plan, and not much to do the next day ha! xx


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