Insulin is a powerful, effective tool for controlling glucose but most people don’t want to take it.
One of the main fears people have about starting insulin in having to inject it. It seems so painful but it really doesn’t hurt much at all. The pen needle or syringe is very small in diameter and not even very long, which makes it slide in easily. It’s nothing like a syringe used for vaccinations.
For fun, when I taught new groups of people about diabetes self management, I used to stick myself in the abdomen with a syringe. It got people’s attention; and many thought I was crazy. Some even tried to talk me out of it. I wanted people to see that the injections are not as bad as they seem. I would challenge them to try it as I handed out a syringe to each person. It was one of my favorite activities because some would try it and agree it did not hurt, others would then be willing to try, while others wanted nothing nothing to do with this challenge! One man called me the next day and said “You were right. It doesn’t hurt”. He had taken his syringe home and thought about it for a while before trying it. I want people to know early on that insulin can be a good thing!
The fact of the matter is many people who need insulin to control their blood sugars put off starting it. There are many reasons patients and even some doctors do this, but during the time they are putting it off, their blood sugars are not controlled which increases the risk of complications.
For those afraid of injections, I’m happy there is a new tool to help people who need insulin.
Afrezza is an inhaled fast acting insulin. It does not take the place of long acting insulin but can be used at meal time. It comes in 4 unit and 8 unit single-dose cartridges that are put into an inhaler. It’s recommended to start with 4 units per meal if you are new to insulin. It can also be taken 8 units at a meal, or inhale two 8 unit doses if you need 16 units, or two inhalations with one 4 unit and one 8 unit cartridge if you need 12 units, etc. The prescription can be written to have only 4 unit cartridges or a combination of 4 unit and 8 unit cartridges. It should not be used in people with chronic lung problems, such as COPD or asthma, or people who smoke. Click here to learn more about Afrezza.
And if you need insulin because you no longer make enough, know that there are options to choose from. You have not failed when you need insulin, you just don’t make enough. Feel free to contact me if you want help controlling your diabetes.
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