Troubleshooting

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Nobody's perfect and everyone (parents and children) can make a mistake or run into a problem with insulin injections. Here are a few common problems and ways to handle them.

Too Much Insulin

If your child receives too much insulin, check her blood glucose about every two hours for the rest of the day or night. If you can determine how many extra units were injected, give the right amount of food to cover the extra amount. Watch for symptoms of low blood glucose and treat the symptoms promptly.

Too Little Insulin

If you know right away (within one hour) that your child didn't receive enough insulin, just add another shot with the rest of the dose. If you don't realize it until later, watch her blood glucose and ketone levels for the rest of the day.  If your child's ketone level is normal, encourage her to get some extra exercise.

Leaking From Injection Site

Sometimes insulin leaks out after an injection. If this happens, check blood glucose levels a little more often for the day. Consult the doctor about when and how to adjust a later insulin dose if blood glucose is higher than usual. If your child experiences frequent leaking, try one or all of the following tips to prevent leaking. Talk to your child's doctor for more suggestions. Push the plunger more slowly while injecting the insulin. Count to 5 or 10 after pushing in the plunger and before removing the needle. Check the angle of the needle. You may need to straighten it a little (to a 90 angle). Check the injection site for lumpiness. If it's lumpy, choose another site.

Not Feeling Well

If your child feels woozy, moody, or tired for no apparent reason, her blood glucose level could be the culprit. To find out, check her blood glucose. If it's too low (hypoglycemia), she should eat or drink something with 10 to 15 grams of carbohydrates right away. When she starts to feel better, give her a snack that is high in carbohydrates. If her blood glucose is too high (hyperglycemia), you may want to encourage her to plan some extra exercise. If your child's blood glucose is too high on a regular basis, talk to the doctor about making some changes in her diabetes care. Also, keep in mind that getting sick -- even with a cold -- can make her blood glucose levels unpredictable.