# does it hurt to inject?



## Finnsmummy (Jul 29, 2011)

bloods running a little high so they have said they will see after the weekend and may put me on insulin
Now i want the truth does it hurt??? i have an EXTREAM fear of needles and even taking my bloods turns me i want honest opinions i have to go into it knowing or i will just freak out
I know this sounds really pathetic but i just need to know 
Its like when people ask if having a tatoo hurts , well yeh it did but then you allways get someone who says they dint even feel it


----------



## Ellie Jones (Jul 29, 2011)

Honest..

I would say normal going no it doesn't..

However some people find that if they use Lantus it can sting slightly due to the ph balance Levimer is a safer bet on this score..

Some people find that the speed at which they inject, too quick or too slow can cause stinging, but soon find a good none stinging speed after a couple of goes..

Don't inject cold insulin it hurts  If you find that you have to put in a fresh cartridge from the fridge, role it between the palm of your hands to bring it up to room temperature before putting it into the pen..

Needles are a lot smaller and a lot finer than used to be, so a lot less problems with them than there used to be. I started out with disposable syringes and boy did I suffe bruising on my thighs untill I got the knack of injecting..

If you are squamish when it comes to the sight of a needle, ask your nurse for the Auto-Cover Version then you won't see the actual needle..

But don't be fearfull you be fine, and comparing injecting to finger pricking, the injecting is a lot better less painfull etc


----------



## Northerner (Jul 29, 2011)

Doesn't sound pathetic at all, it's a very genuine concern of many people. Occasionally I feel it, but most of the time I feel virtually nothing. The needles are really fine and tiny, so don't have the image of hypodermic syringes in your mind - it's nothing at all like that! Sometimes after you have injected it can sting a little, but that is largely dependent on the type of insulin. You can rub the area to inject with an ice cube beforehand to numb the area a little, but I have never needed to do that. The main thing is to just go for it and not be hesitant as tensing up can make it hurt a little, although I know it must be very difficult to relax when you are scared of it. After you have done it a few times I'm sure you'll think nothing of it


----------



## Tezzz (Jul 29, 2011)

I'm terrified of needles. With bells on.

Modern needles (31 gauge are the finest) might sting a little tiny bit - however I can tolerate them. Ask your DSN for a hand full of each type of needle and when you find one you like, ask for those at the pharmacy/doctor/clinic.

May I suggest you don't make the skin too tight where you put the needle in? It can make the world of difference.

If things are still bad you can get topical creams to help numb the skin.


----------



## Finnsmummy (Jul 29, 2011)

thank you guys  iv been so so so worried that iv been eating tiny portions of dinner lunch etc to not run the risk of a high reading but in turn im hungry most of the time , which is stupid i know . Only got 7 weeks left to little lady is on the scene .
Its just reasuring to know im not alone , Had a 'normal' size dinner tonight and ended up with a 7.1 soo im just within range , so hopefully i wont have to inject .
I think the other problem is im allways trying to stay below a 6.5 so i get no where near the 7.8 top off! which is total madness now im reading this back to myself 
Crazy pregnant lady lol
Thank you again !!
p.s im likeing the sound of the numbing cream!


----------



## hyper-Suze (Jul 29, 2011)

Finnsmummy said:


> thank you guys  iv been so so so worried that iv been eating tiny portions of dinner lunch etc to not run the risk of a high reading but in turn im hungry most of the time , which is stupid i know . Only got 7 weeks left to little lady is on the scene .
> Its just reasuring to know im not alone , Had a 'normal' size dinner tonight and ended up with a 7.1 soo im just within range , so hopefully i wont have to inject .
> I think the other problem is im allways trying to stay below a 6.5 so i get no where near the 7.8 top off! which is total madness now im reading this back to myself
> Crazy pregnant lady lol
> ...



Heya!

If this course of action is needed for the remainder of your pregnancy, Ellie has given tonnes of info as have others. 

Diabetics are or have in the past been told to pinch the skin and a bit of fat up when injecting. If you have a really small needle(4mm) ther there is no need for the pinch...BUT it might help to pinch to reduce any chance of pain. Once the needle is in, release the pinch and inject away. 
Pulling out doesn;t hurt and remember to change the needle. I don;t always do this and I can feel the difference if I use mine 2/3times(I know everyone, I shouldn;t!!!!)

If you have a blood testing kit, have a look at the size of the lancet needle. This should re-assure you that you wouldn't be given a huge hypodermic one!!!

Take care & fingers crossed for you that you get away with no injections...


----------



## rachelha (Jul 29, 2011)

Having bloods taken is a lot worse than injecting insulin in my opinion.  The needle is tiny and very fine.  You only have to inject into fat so it does not go very deep at all.  It is natural to be worried. 

Before being diagnosed I used to think how on earth does anyone do that, but now most of the time I struggle to remember whether I have had my injections.  I hope you don't have to go on insulin though.  

Seven weeks to go, exciting!


----------



## Jackie Pocock (Jul 30, 2011)

Thanks for asking this question, I too may have to go on insulin if my levels don't improve in a week.  I have to up the metformin first.

Good luck with your levels.


----------



## Robster65 (Jul 30, 2011)

It's on eof those things that seems worse than it is. Once you are in control of the situation and have the pen in your hand, you decide where and when you jab it. 
Concentrating on doing it will probably take away any feeling. But it will become easier each time.

Amazing what pain people put up with for cosmetic reasons. Waxing ? 

Rob


----------



## trophywench (Jul 30, 2011)

Well I can understand your not wanting to hit the top mark and of course if you do need to go onto insulin then you have to for your baby as much as for you.  Unfortunately if you follow the normal pattern, your BG will just continue to rise until the birth.  So even if you aren't having horrendous readings right now this minute they may still wish to start you on insulin now.

Can I also say, it always hurt me more when the skin was damp for any reason - from the sower or perspiration, esp perspiration cos it's salty of course.

Bearing in mind the first few times at least I can confidently predict you are going to find yourself a bit sweaty (it may have been 1972 but I do remember!!) my advice would be to plug your hairdrier in, wipe the area with a tissue and then play the hairdrier on cold on the site.  Then do the deed, taking delaying tactics and re-drying just as many times as you need to!  I'll be surprised if you aren't surprised how easy it was after all.

If it helps at all, the very first insulin jab I ever had, I was in hospital, she did it on the front of my left thigh and I just lay on the bed with my eyes shut and not very happy.  She swabbed my leg, I felt her apply very gentle pressure with her hand on my leg, then 30 seconds later she swabbed again and I opened my eyes and say up to tell her to stop messing about that very instant and just get on with it blah blah - and she'd finished and was putting all the junk back in the kidney dish!  Gobsmacked !

And remember - in 1972 needles were like pointed telegraph poles in comparison to now.

And a lancet is MUCH thicker than a needle.


----------



## Paul (Jul 30, 2011)

Hurt NO it some times stings me slightly it surprised me that it did not hurt I am a grown man and needles to me are nearly as scary as spiders as for buttons just don't go there they are awful things so don't worry about injecting it is not as bad as you think.


----------



## Robster65 (Jul 30, 2011)

Just for comparison, we use to use 25g x 1/2" resusable needles which were approx 0.5mm thickness, were made from stainless steel and had to be resused several times until a barb formed on the end and you couldn't force it through your skin anymore.

The modern novofine needles are 0.25mm x 4-8mm and are not expected to be used more than once.

And as TW says, we used to swab the area with surgical spirit, which would sting after the needle came out. But most diabetics then only injected once or twice a day so it gave time for the scars to heal ! 

Rob


----------



## vince13 (Jul 30, 2011)

These are all questions I asked on here before I went onto insulin in January this year.  What a big baby I was (at 64 years young )  and honestly I was SO scared of it all !!  While I can't say it's the highlight of my day, injecting really isn't anything like as bad as finger-pricking and you get used to doing it very soon after you've started.  

All the others have made suggestions which are far more sensible than anything I could add - so if you need to inject, don't worry, and if it keeps you well then there really is nothing else you can do.


----------



## hotchop (Jul 30, 2011)

I find it sometimes stings, sometimes draws a little blood and sometimes bruises however I 100% prefer to put up with this than how i feel with high sugars


----------



## Tezzz (Jul 30, 2011)

One last thought - the more you think about it, the more it hurts.

Think of something nice you can have to bolus for and there you go. Said he who hates the thought of needles.


----------



## Finnsmummy (Jul 31, 2011)

thank you everyone my top b.s this weekend has been a 7.6 so thats still .2 off my top level i am allowed  still got roast to have in an hour so we shall see, i have another question , i have read people talking about metformin what is this, will they not try this before insulin??? sorry all the questions........... i mean i had this with my first son but it was allways great readings and never had any kind of problem but than again this time round its a girl and shes been nothing but trouble since day one hahahaha 
Also this also sounds stupid but for ever pregnancy with g.d does it get worse? or harder to controll?? also (last question!!!) are my chances of having type 2 after this double now?? 
THANK YOU AGAIN everyone its so so so so so nice to know you are all out there  xxxx


----------



## MrsCLH (Aug 1, 2011)

Hey Finnsmummy

Just to second what everyone else has said, the finger pricking hurts more than the needles 

I can answer one of your other questions. I'm type 1 but I think its the same. Insulin resistance does get worse in the last few weeks, I'm similar to you, 8 weeks to go, and they told me I could expect to start finding it a bit harder to control at 36 weeks and will probably need to increase my insulin a bit more then. So maybe look out for your levels increasing a bit around that time. 

Someone else might be able to answer the rest!

xx


----------



## trophywench (Aug 1, 2011)

I hate to say this but it's the truth so I will, I have a friend - a nurse actually! - who had GD with both her children, only when her daughter was born, she didn't stop being diabetic.  It is a possibility, you know.

I would have thought with each major body event (like multiple injuries from a sky-diving mishap, or whatever!  ) you increase your chances, and pregnancy is an exceedingly major body event that taxes all your organs etc.  No idea of %ages, but you will be checked for diabetes - every 12 months is it? - anyway from now, if you haven't in the past.  That's how common it is!  Sorry.

Insulin because it starts working immediately - Metformin takes 3 weeks to soak into your system before it becomes effective, plus a lot of people experience side effects like nausea and terrible wind, it can takes months to adjust the doseages for the optimum level for you.   You can't afford the wait.

If you think of it as Metformin works on your innards to help your body cope long term where as insulin in your situation is a fast fix since it immediately reduces the BG.


----------

