6 ways to Give Yourself Insulin - Method5 Using Other Methods to Administer Insulin

1 Consider using an insulin pump. Insulin pumps consist of a small catheter inserted into your skin with a small needle, which is held in place with an adhesive dressing. The catheter is attached to a pump device unit that holds, and delivers your insulin through the catheter. Using pumps have both advantages and disadvantages. Some advantages to using an insulin pump include the following:

§  Pumps eliminate the need for insulin injections.

§  Insulin doses are more accurately delivered.

§  Pumps often improve the longer term management of diabetes as indicated by blood level measurements of your hemoglobin A1c.

§  Pumps provide constant insulin delivery in some cases which eliminates the swings in your blood glucose levels.

§  They make it easier to deliver an extra dose when needed.

§  People that use pumps have fewer hypoglycemic episodes.

§  Pumps allow more flexibility in when and what you eat, and allow you to exercise without the need to consume extra carbohydrates.

2 Recognize the disadvantages of insulin pumps. According to the American Diabetes Association, even though there are disadvantages to using an insulin pump, most people that use one agree that the positives outweigh the negatives. Some disadvantages to using an insulin pump include the following:

§  Pumps are reported to cause weight gain.

§  Serious reactions including diabetic ketoacidosis can occur if the catheter unknowingly becomes dislodged,

§  Insulin pumps can be expensive.

§  Some people find it troubling to be connected to the device, which is usually worn on a belt or top of a skirt or pants, practically all the time.

§  Insulin pumps often require hospitalization for a day or more for the catheter to be inserted, and for you to be properly trained on how to use it.

3 Adjust to your pump. Using an insulin pump alters your daily routines.

§  Develop a routine to limit the time you turn it off, or take it off.

§  Have back-up pens or insulin vials and syringes available if the pump is not working properly.

§  Learn to account for extra carbohydrates consumed in order to adjust the dose delivered through your pump.

§  Keep accurate records of your blood glucose levels. Daily records with additional notes of exercise times and extra foods consumed are best. Some people record information three days each week, spread out through the week, to provide a good balance of information.

§  Your doctor will use your logs to adjust your insulin dosing and improve the overall care of your condition. Usually about three months of of average blood sugar levels will give your doctor a good idea of how well your diabetes is controlled.

4 Ask your doctor about a jet injector. Insulin jet injectors do not use needles to get the insulin dose through the skin. Instead, insulin jet injectors use strong air pressure, or blasts of air, to spray the insulin through your skin.

§  Jet injectors are very expensive and somewhat complicated to use. This form of technology is new. Talk with your doctor if you are considering this method of delivering your insulin dose.

§  In addition to their high cost, some risks have been identified such as improper dose delivery and trauma to the skin.

§  Research is ongoing to determine the risks and benefits of administering insulin in this manner.

5 Use inhaled insulin devices. Some forms of rapid-acting insulin are now available in the form of inhalers, similar to the inhalers used to treat asthma.

§  Inhaled insulin is to be administered just before meals.

§  You will still need to administer your primary long-acting insulin by another method.

§  Several manufacturers have made insulin inhalers available in the United States, but the research in this area is ongoing. Much is still to be learned about the risks and benefits of using insulin by the inhaled method.