What can affect my body’s response to insulin?

After you have been injecting insulin into your abdomen for several weeks, you probably know how long it will take for the insulin to take effect. This predictability can help you better manage your blood glucose.

If you were to suddenly switch to injecting insulin into your thigh, you might experience a different response. You might find that it takes longer for your insulin to take effect. Then it would be more difficult to meet your target blood glucose levels without adjusting what time you inject.

Other factors, such as body temperature, diet, exercise, and level of stress, affect your body’s response to insulin. In general, anything that increases the blood flow to an area increases insulin absorption. Your response to insulin could even be the opposite of what you might expect, based on where you inject. For example, playing soccer for 2 hours may cause your insulin to be absorbed more quickly than usual so that your blood glucose level isn’t where you expect it to be. So what can you do? Routinely check your blood glucose level. It is the only way to make sure you are having the response you had planned. Then you’ll know if your site rotation plan is working for you.