Reusing needles hurts more and puts your blood sugar out of control

There are habits that we take for granted... until they start to take their toll on us.One of them, and a very common one, is to reuse needles or syringes to give ourselves insulin.I have done it myself at some point: out of a rush, out of convenience or thinking “totally, nothing happens for one more time”.Spoiler: yes it happens.

When we reuse a needle, we are not just using something that is no longer sterile.At a microscopic level, the needle breaks down from the first prick: it loses lubrication, becomes dull, and each new injection damages the skin more.That is why we often notice more pain, more bleeding or those bruises that did not appear before.

But what worries me most, and I think we should all keep in mind, is what is not seen.Over time, reusing needles favors the appearance of lipodystrophies: lumps, hardening or “strange” areas under the skin.And this is not just an aesthetic issue.Insulin stops being absorbed well, blood glucose levels become unpredictable, and we begin to wonder why the same dose doesn't work today like it did yesterday.It has happened to many of us.

Always using a new needle makes a huge difference.Insulin is better absorbed, glycemic control is more stable, and injections hurt less.In addition, we reduce the risk of infections and take care of the skin, which already has enough to accompany us every day in this chronic treatment.

It is also key to rotate the injection areas well.It is not worth always puncturing the same point “because it doesn't hurt.”Abdomen, thighs, arms, buttocks... and within each area, change the location.Before injecting, it is advisable to look at and touch the skin, and avoid red, hard or painful areas.They are small gestures, but they add up a lot in the long term.

And something that we sometimes forget: used needles do not go in the normal trash.The ideal is to dispose of them in a rigid and secure container.It is part of self-care, just like measuring your glucose or adjusting your dose.

In the end, living with diabetes is a long-distance race.It's not about doing it perfect, but about understanding that these daily details directly influence how we feel and how we control the disease.If you have questions, discomfort or notice changes in your skin, comment on the forum or consult with your healthcare team.Sharing experiences and learning from each other is also part of the treatment 💙

Reusing the needles many times can cause lipodystrophy (calluses).It is super important to ROTATE the puncture areas.

Personally, I have been there for 41 years, since I was a child, and I have never had any problems.You have to learn to prick yourself with both hands.

I started at a time when you had to buy syringes, then they started giving them out.Some were rather bad marks and hurt... The needles were always reused at least five times.

Nowadays the needles are free, they are collected in pharmacies and they are of very good quality...so much so that it is rare for me to change the needle of the pens, I use them until they run out and if it starts to bother I change it just once. This is "atrocious", I suppose having started at a different time has made me a little more stupid.

What is not clear to me is how a blunt needle can affect insulin absorption.I don't understand.

Hello @fer,

I totally agree with your comment.

I suppose that most of us at some point have reused a needle without being aware of the risks we are incurring (lipodystrophies, infections, increased pain, decreased precision in the injected dose,...)

In my case I had done it mainly to try not to waste insulin, since when performing several injections a day you lose 2 units for each purge.Furthermore, if small corrections of 0.5 or 1 unit are made, you end up spending, for example, 2.5 units when you really only need 0.5.In any case, it's not worth doing.

I think it is important to share it with the forum so that other users know that reusing needles can worsen glycemic control.

I think one of the reasons may be that when you prick yourself with a bad needle you tend to bleed and that same bleeding carries part of the dose you injected out.It's just my opinion as a diabetic.Luckily, years ago they began to prescribe me 5 needles a day since I use 4 (three times fast and once slow) and on rare occasions you have to rectify.What I don't do is accumulate boxes, when I go to the pharmacy, if it appears on the electronic prescription, I only pick it up if I only have a few left.

JuanSolo said:
@JuanSolo said:

Reusing the needles many times can cause lipodystrophy (calluses).It is super important to ROTATE the puncture areas.

Personally, I have been there for 41 years, since I was a child, and I have never had any problems.You have to learn to prick yourself with both hands.

I started at a time when you had to buy syringes, then they started giving them out.Some were rather bad marks and hurt... The needles were always reused at least five times.

Nowadays the needles are free, they are collected in pharmacies and they are of very good quality...so much so that it is rare for me to change the needle of the pens, I use them until they run out and if it starts to bother I change it just once. This is "atrocious", I suppose having started at a different time has made me a little more stupid.

What is not clear to me is how a blunt needle can affect insulin absorption.I don't understand.

I have been an insulin-dependent diabetic for 45 years, with approximately 65,000 injections and reuse, before syringes and now needles. I've never had any problems.

In Asisa, Muface mutualists who opt for that company are given (after a report from an endocrinologist or internist) the test strips and lancets (everything from Abbott), although always with a pinch, but not the needles. If they are 8 mm, they refund the amount after a period of time, if not, the patient buys them. As for lancets, they say not to use one at a time, because no one does. In short, if you don't argue or if you prefer 4, 5 or 6 mm needles (the 8 ones make me bleed), you pay out of pocket and consider reusing them like @Rubioares does. I don't know if it will be the same in all provinces, surely not.

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Antes en la época de las jeringuillas contadas en la SS (porque cuando se compraban, pues cada uno valoraba), inclusive te las suministraban calculando una para todas las dosis del día, pues no quedaba otra. Pero a día de hoy, no se me ocurre reutilizar una aguja de pluma o jeringuilla ni harto vino, tampoco las lancetas y eso último podía estar días con la misma. Primordialmente por salubridad propia, nunca pasas nada, hasta que pasa y después que son utensilios de un solo uso (tal y como indica el fabricante). Es chino antes que con la misma jeringuilla extraían sangre a todos, eso hoy día es impensable. A Podrá ser justificado por el gasto que supone al estado, etc.. pero vamos si hay jeringuillas para regalar a gente con adicciones que es algo que se elige, yo que no he elegí tener diabetes no voy a exponer mi salud por eso de ahorrar.

Nadie, se limpia por ejemplo el culo con un paño y luego lo lava para la siguiente vez, sino que usamos papel cada vez que vamos al baño y no usamos el mismo papel cada vez ..