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Excerpted from Chapter 10 – Insulin Therapy Must Be Custom-Fit for You

Needleless Injection

Equidyne Systems makes a new affordable needleless injector that is small, convenient to use, and does not require a battery or CO2 cartridge as the older, larger, and more expensive injectors required (Figure 10-5). The Injex needle-free injector is spring-loaded and shoots the insulin down a long narrow tunnel so fast that it goes painlessly through the skin. It will allow you to reach alternative sites for insulin delivery that you could not previously reach. For more information, see the Injex website (www.injex.com).

The Role of Home Glucose Monitoring

It is important to emphasize that there is no way to achieve glycemic control without the proper use of home glucose monitoring, no matter what type of insulin regimen you are using. Home glucose monitoring is essential to determine how much Regular or fast-acting insulin to give yourself before each meal, and how long to wait between the injection of insulin and consumption of the meal, and if you gave yourself too much or too little insulin 1 to 2 hours after meals. Home glucose monitoring will also help with avoiding hypoglycemia, planning exercise, and making long-term adjustments in your insulin regimen (Table 10-4).