Diabetes:Side Effects of Insulin

Insulin has been widely used up to now ever since it was invented. It saves many Diabetic patients’ lives. Until now, there are many side effects of insulin that have not been solved. These side effects scare patients with Diabetes.



1. pain



Of course you may feel pain upon injection because your skin is penetrated by a sharp needle. Compared with other injection or vaccination, insulin injection is not that painful.


2. Hypoglycemia


Hypoglycemia after insulin injection is a serious problem which may lead patient to coma, especially asymptomatic Hypoglycemia. But the likelihood of Type 2 Diabetic patients getting Hypoglycemia after an insulin injection is lesser and mild. Hypoglycemia is a common issue of patients who undergo insulin therapy.


3. Fat pad


Fat pad usually results from long-term insulin injection on the same site causing subcutaneous fat proliferation. Fat pad may affect the local absorption of insulin. Changing of injection site regularly helps to avoid formation of fat pad.


4. Insulin resistance


Insulin resistance may come out after a certain period of insulin injection bring about increase in dosage of insulin. Insulin resistance might associate with some impurity substances. Most of the insulin using clinically nowadays are highly purified so insulin resistance is not very common today.


5. Weight gain


Many Type 2 Diabetic patients have weigh gain after a period of insulin therapy. Patients can readjust their diet and add some exercise to balance the absorption and consumption of calories.


6. Edema


Edema may take place after 4-6 days of insulin therapy, some may be seen on extremities but most are found on faces. Such edema is mild and temporary and it will disappear by itself in one month.


7. Local bruise


Some patients notice that there will be local bruise after insulin injection. Actually, local bruise not only appears after insulin injection but also other injections. Such local bruise is caused by capillary damage while injecting and it will be absorbed soon without any intervention. The patients may pressure the injection site for seconds to avoid local hematoma.


8. Lipoatrophy


Lipoatrophy is not common clinically; it can be divided into congenital and acquired. Lipoatrophy after insulin injection is acquired lipoatrophy. Formation of lipoatrophy after insulin injection is not yet fully understood. However, it is noticed that lipoatrophy might be avoided by using highly purified insulin and regularly injection site change.


9. Allergy


Just like lipoatrophy after insulin injection, allergy is also seldom seen after insulin injection. Presence of local or general allergy after insulin injection depends on personal condition. Local allergy usually appears 2-12 hours after injection and it will lasts for about 2 hours then disappear. General allergy is severer than local allergy, patients may experience edematous face and oral mucous membrane, difficulty of breath, asthma or even shock. General allergy usually occurs on patients who resume insulin therapy after several months continuation.


10. Skin infection


Skin infection of Diabetic patients can be caused by various reasons and insulin therapy is not the leading cause. There are excessive glucose contained in Diabetic patients' tissue and it provides a favorable environment for bacterium and viruses. Improper and non-sterile injection also increases the chance of skin infection. And the infection may get severe because Diabetic patients have weak resistance and immunity.


Although the side effects of insulin injection are many, they actually can be avoided by proper injection. They are easy to be avoided so Diabetic patients should confront insulin therapy objectively. Besides, insulin injection is not the curative method of treating Diabetes; Diabetic patients should participate correct treatment actively in order to free themselves from Diabetes as soon as possible.