Type 1 Diabetic Insulin Therapy

The type of insulin your doctor prescribes will decide how your body responds to the insulin. For example, your doctor might prescribe regular acting insulin 3 times a day when you eat, then a medium lasting or long acting insulin at bedtime. Or your doctor might prescribe an insulin type which is a premixed combination of the two to be injected twice a day. In other words, your doctor will work out a dosing schedule which will suit your needs or lifestyle. This might take a little while, so be patient. For example, if you are a child or an adult, this will make a difference. It will also make a difference if you are a very physically fit and active adult or a mildly active overweight adult. Plus if you plan to eat a little more than usual or exercise a little more than usual you will have to adjust your dose somewhat also. You will probably even have to adjust your dose of insulin if you have an infection, been in some type of accident which leaves you injured or even if you are just emotionally stressed. If you have problems adjusting your dosage to control your blood sugar properly, your doctor might recommend use of an insulin pump.

You can inject insulin into several different parts of your body. Most doctors recommend your stomach because injecting insulin into this area works the quickest. Injecting into your thigh works the next quickest and injecting into your upper arms works the least quick. Giving yourself a shot everyday will seem strange at first; this is why it is important for your doctor to have you take a shot for the first time in his or her office. If you have any questions about how to take your injection make sure you ask them at this time. Some doctors even insist having you take the shot in their office for the first time. This way you are sure you are doing it correctly.

Most people who use insulin will inject it through syringes and needles. The needles today are very thin, so you can hardly feel the stick. But, for some people this is still difficult, for example, if you have arthritis. For people who may have problems there are several different options for injecting insulin. The options include insulin pens, insulin jet injectors and insulin pumps.

There is more than one type of insulin pen, but they all basically work the same way. They look simply like a big pen. Some of them have a cartridge filled with insulin, and when the insulin runs out you change the cartridge. Others come in the form of a disposable pen which is pre filled with enough for usually a month worth of doses. When the insulin runs out you throw away the whole pen and get a new one. With either type of pen, the amount of insulin is the same every time.

Although some people still use these, they seem to be in general fading away. But if you don’t like needles you may want to look into the use of this device yourself. These devices use air pressure to push a fine mist of insulin through your skin. As good as this sounds these units are expensive, you have to boil them quite often to keep them sterile to avoid infection, and some people even say this process is more painful than needles or even pens.

This device is about the size of a deck of playing cards and looks kind of like a pager. You just hang it on your belt or carry it in your pocket, but you must keep it with you at all times. The insulin is stored inside the pump and is then pumped through a long tube and is injected into your body through a needle which stays in your skin all the time. This is how the insulin gets into your bloodstream. Some people say they don’t like the idea of having something connected to them at all times, but so far most people who actually use the pump seem to agree that they got used to it fairly easily. For more information on insulin pumps see my insulin pumps page.