Insulin Jet Injectors

10084 Views 9 Replies 5 Participants Last post by nvoutback, Oct 5, 2011

Fleegle

Discussion Starter · Oct 19, 2010

After a scary wake up call, (Diabetic Retinopathy), I am soon going to be getting with my doctor to get my blood sugar under control. Even when l limit my carbs to a very low amount and take my oral meds regularly, (1000mg Metformin BID, and 2mg Glimepiride BID), my blood sugar is in the low 200s 2 or 3 hours after a meal. I have a HUGE pathological fear of needles and I'm terrified that my doctor is going to put me on insulin.

I'm been looking at insulin therapy methods and I'm interested in the insulin jet injectors. Does anyone here have any experience with them, and how they compare to needle injections?

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· #2 · Oct 19, 2010

Consider this:

Jet injectors

A jet injector is a type of syringe that uses pressure instead of a needle to penetrate the epidermis. The original prototype, known as the peace gun, was invented in the 1940s by Dr. Robert Andrew Hingson. They are used primarily by diabetics to inject insulin as an alternative to needle syringes, though they are still not very common.

Insulin jet injectors send a fine spray of insulin through the skin by a high-pressure air mechanism instead of using a needle. While this may sound painless, it is not. You should definitely try one out before making a purchase. Downsides of jet injectors include:

Bruising from the force of the spray breaking the skin.

Most people report more pain with injectors than with a syringe.

It is time consuming to prepare and clean the injector (some newer models have disposable injection chambers but they are expensive).

They are rarely covered by health insurance.

If you're "needle-phobic"...I don't think it'll take more than a few dances with this device before you soon become "injector-phobic"!

I'm a little on the syringe-phobic side, myself, so I use an insulin pen with the BD 5mm 31G needle. 5mm 31G is a pretty small needle. BD makes an even smaller needle, the 4mm 32G needle. No pinching the skin up and all that "needle-phobic" ceremony. You don't even feel it. Here, here's a video of what I'm talking about; Solostar Video.

You may feel a little anxiety for awhile until you become accustomed to it...but trust me, you'll be a trooper in no time!

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Fleegle

Discussion Starter · #3 · Oct 19, 2010

Bountyman said:
Consider this:

Jet injectors

A jet injector is a type of syringe that uses pressure instead of a needle to penetrate the epidermis. The original prototype, known as the peace gun, was invented in the 1940s by Dr. Robert Andrew Hingson. They are used primarily by diabetics to inject insulin as an alternative to needle syringes, though they are still not very common.

Insulin jet injectors send a fine spray of insulin through the skin by a high-pressure air mechanism instead of using a needle. While this may sound painless, it is not. You should definitely try one out before making a purchase. Downsides of jet injectors include:

Bruising from the force of the spray breaking the skin.

Most people report more pain with injectors than with a syringe.

It is time consuming to prepare and clean the injector (some newer models have disposable injection chambers but they are expensive).

They are rarely covered by health insurance.

If you're "needle-phobic"...I don't think it'll take more than a few dances with this device before you soon become "injector-phobic"!

I'm a little on the syringe-phobic side, myself, so I use an insulin pen with the BD 5mm 31G needle. 5mm 31G is a pretty small needle. BD makes an even smaller needle, the 4mm 32G needle. No pinching the skin up and all that "needle-phobic" ceremony. You don't even feel it. Here, here's a video of what I'm talking about;

You may feel a little anxiety for awhile until you become accustomed to it...but trust me, you'll be a trooper in no time!

Thanks for the reply, Bounty, (And to the one in my intro thread). Any idea where I'd be able to try one, say with water or saline rather than insulin since it's not yet prescribed?

Heck, I may be jumping the gun here, but the Retinopathy has be REALLY freaked out and has kicked me into gear. I don't want to fight a battle on two fronts, so I'm not goint to look for the blood sugar therapies until after the vitrectomy that I have to have in my right eye, but as soon as I can, my ass is getting into the doctor as well as back on my elliptical machine at least 5 days a week!

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· #4 · Oct 19, 2010 (Edited)

Fleegle said:
Any idea where I'd be able to try one, say with water or saline rather than insulin since it's not yet prescribed?

That's a good question...of which I don't have a good answer. When my PA switched me from syringe and vial to the pen he broke out this demo kit. Not sure if it was a Solostar kit...but they're all pretty much the same.

When I was first diagnosed the hospital gave me a script for syringes and a vial. That sucked! Like you...I don't take to the whole ceremony thing leading up to slippin' myself the needle. Plus I couldn't read the dang syringe numbers...and getting the air bubble out of the syringe...forgetaboutit!

Next visit I told my PA about it and he opened a cabinet and drug out the pen demo kit and demonstrated it on a supplied pin cushion type thingy! "Yeah, boy!" I said, "that's me, right there!"

He wrote me a prescription for the pens (come 5 pens to a box, 300 units per pen). Pharmacy filled the script and handed me a plastic bag with 30 pen needles in it. Same dang sized needles that were on the syringes; 1/2" 29G. I got smaller needles I inject my Thanksgiving turkey with!

I went on the BD website and saw that they had 3 choices of needles at that time. The 12mm 29G; 8mm 31G; 5mm 31G. The 12mm and the 8mm required a "pinch-up"...where the 5mm was for "skinny" people and children. Well, I ain't skinny and I'm not a child...but the 5mms sounded like my kinda' needle...I had my PA write me a new script for those.

At first I started injecting at bedtime...like it said on the box. The anxiety leading up to the injection sucked...as you know, since you're needle-phobic. It's like sitting around in a dentists office all day...then he calls you into the cubicle around 10 o'clock that night.

Since Lantus is a basal insulin and lasts 24 hours...it really doesn't matter when you inject it...as long as it's at the same time every day. I switched my injection time to as soon as I get out of bed in the morning. Everything's all set out on the computer table here from the night before. I do a FBG test with my meter, then an insulin shot...and I'm done. Most of the time before I'm really awake and the coffee's finished perking.

Works pretty good.

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Fleegle

Discussion Starter · #5 · Oct 19, 2010

Bountyman said:
That's a good question...of which I don't have a good answer. When my PA switched me from syringe and vial to the pen he broke out this demo kit. Not sure if it was a Solostar kit...but they're all pretty much the same.

When I was first diagnosed the hospital gave me a script for syringes and a vial. That sucked! Like you...I don't take to the whole ceremony thing leading up to slippin' myself the needle. Plus I couldn't read the dang syringe numbers...and getting the air bubble out of the syringe...forgetaboutit!

Next visit I told my PA about it and he opened a cabinet and drug out the pen demo kit and demonstrated it on a supplied pin cushion type thingy! "Yeah, boy!" I said, "that's me, right there!"

He wrote me a prescription for the pens (come 5 pens to a box, 300 units per pen). Pharmacy filled the script and handed me a plastic bag with 30 pen needles in it. Same dang sized needles that were on the syringes; 1/2" 29G. I got smaller needles I inject my Thanksgiving turkey with!

I went on the BD website and saw that they had 3 choices of needles at that time. The 12mm 29G; 8mm 31G; 5mm 31G. The 12mm and the 8mm required a "pinch-up"...where the 5mm was for "skinny" people and children. Well, I ain't skinny and I'm not a child...but the 5mms sounded like my kinda' needle...I had my PA write me a new script for those.

At first I started injecting at bedtime...like it said on the box. The anxiety leading up to the injection sucked...as you know, since you're needle-phobic. It's like sitting around in a dentists office all day...then he calls you into the cubicle around 10 o'clock that night.

Since Lantus is a basal insulin and lasts 24 hours...it really doesn't matter when you inject it...as long as it's at the same time every day. I switched my injection time to as soon as I get out of bed in the morning. Everything's all set out on the computer table here from the night before. I do a FBG test with my meter, then an insulin shot...and I'm done. Most of the time before I'm really awake and the coffee's finished perking.

Works pretty good.

When I say I'm needle-phobic, I mean to an extreme. I can't even watch someone get an injection on TV or a movie, I cover my eyes and look away. The retinal specialist wanted to to the laser treatment on one of my eyes the day I saw him, but the thought of even a painkiller injection by my eye sent me into a panic attack. I had to have him prescribe a couple Valium just so I could handle that needle.

In fact, this fear is what kept me from going into teh medical profession when I was younger. I could never get past it. The injection pen you mention might make it easier since I won't have to see the needle... But then again, I don't have to see the lancet for my glucometer, but it still takes a lot of willpower to hit that button knowing what's going to happen.

Man, that's a lot of whining...

If it comes to it, I know I'll have to find a way to inject the insulin, but it absolutely petrifies me.

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· #6 · Oct 19, 2010

Needle phobia affects more than 10 percent of the population to an extent that it causes them to avoid needed medical care.

Here's an interesting read from needlephobia.com.

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onaughmae

· #7 · Oct 20, 2010

Fleegle said:
When I say I'm needle-phobic, I mean to an extreme. I can't even watch someone get an injection on TV or a movie, I cover my eyes and look away. The retinal specialist wanted to to the laser treatment on one of my eyes the day I saw him, but the thought of even a painkiller injection by my eye sent me into a panic attack. I had to have him prescribe a couple Valium just so I could handle that needle.

In fact, this fear is what kept me from going into teh medical profession when I was younger. I could never get past it. The injection pen you mention might make it easier since I won't have to see the needle... But then again, I don't have to see the lancet for my glucometer, but it still takes a lot of willpower to hit that button knowing what's going to happen.

Man, that's a lot of whining... If it comes to it, I know I'll have to find a way to inject the insulin, but it absolutely petrifies me.

Its ok...sometimes we just need to whine

I whine a lot sometimes...it helps me get through things. I can honestly tell you...injecting insulin is really not that bad at all. To be honest, it usually hurts more to check my blood sugar than it does to inject insulin. There are sometimes that I dont even feel the needle at all. I started out using syringes and a vial. Then I moved to the pens. I liked the pens because it was way more convenient to use and the needles are really thin. One thing you might consider is the I-Port. You insert it and it stays in place for up to three days (very similar to the pump sites). That way you can give your insulin through the port for three days and only have to stick your self once. I use a pump now and I have to say its been the best for me.

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DiabeticSense

· #8 · Sep 8, 2011

Wake up!!!

Fleegle said:
After a scary wake up call, (Diabetic Retinopathy), I am soon going to be getting with my doctor to get my blood sugar under control. Even when l limit my carbs to a very low amount and take my oral meds regularly, (1000mg Metformin BID, and 2mg Glimepiride BID), my blood sugar is in the low 200s 2 or 3 hours after a meal. I have a HUGE pathological fear of needles and I'm terrified that my doctor is going to put me on insulin.

I'm been looking at insulin therapy methods and I'm interested in the insulin jet injectors. Does anyone here have any experience with them, and how they compare to needle injections?

even low 200s is bad.... you should try Novolog Insulin.. let me tell ya something... the needle prick is only 2 or 3 seconds long at most.. I would rather feel that than the 8 hours of Painful Cramps I used to have when I took Glyburide. or Januvia. Get yourself on some Novolog and maybe some Lantus insulin.. You wont need such a high dosage of Metformin aka glucophage.

Get yourself a Different doctor.. trust me any doctor that would let you keep your sugar levels in the 200s should be FIRED... Your goal is to keep your sugar levels down under 150!!! Under 120 would be ideal. Exercise daily too! walk a lot work out if you can... do everything you can do to keep that sugar down! or its not the shots that are gonna hurt its the painful complications that may follow!

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diabetes86

· #9 · Sep 8, 2011

I dont understand needle phobia whats the big deal?

Just dont get me near a spider ..(*%^&*(>>.

It wont help but there is very Little to NO pain with injecting insulin, unlike most "shots you get at the Doc office insulin goes into fat and very shallow.

Find a hospital that can help you overcome your phobia. Taking needed insulin is much better than the alternatives. Of which you are familiar with a minor one.

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nvoutback

· #10 · Oct 5, 2011

I just started on insulin just two days ago. I hate needles more than I do spiders. That was the first thing that pop in my head when they hit with the news was NEEDLES!. But using the pen injectors are really easy and you don't feel a thing. I was surprise.

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