DiabetesDiabetes & hormonesMedicationsLiving with chronic illness

6 tips for insulin injections

Starting a new insulin regimen can raise questions. Follow these guidelines to get comfortable with your injections.


LearnHormone healthDiabetes6 tips for insulin injections
Know the different types of insulin
Vary where you insert the needle
Relax while injecting insulin
Do not freeze your insulin or store it somewhere hot
Do not shake up a cloudy bottle
Be consistent

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If you’ve been newly prescribed insulin, you may have questions about to do it. Where do you inject it? When? How often? How is it stored? Your healthcare provider should be your first source for questions about insulin, but here are some tips that may help.

Sources: American Diabetes Association. Insulin B... + 8
  1. American Diabetes Association. Insulin Basics. Accessed September 2, 2022.
  2. American Diabetes Association. Insulin Routines. Accessed August 10, 2020.
  3. BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company). 2020. Diabetes Care: Access diabetes solutions designed with innovation. Accessed August 10, 2020.
  4. MedlinePlus. Giving an insulin injection. Reviewed August 19, 2018.
  5. MedlinePlus. Human Insulin Injection. Revised October 15, 2019.
  6. Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Diabetes. Revised June 4, 2020.
  7. Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists. Insulin Injection Know-How. Accessed August 10, 2020.
  8. Bahendeka S, Kaushik R, et al. EADSG Guidelines: Insulin Storage and Optimisation of Injection Technique in Diabetes Management. Diabetes Ther. 2019 Apr;10(2):341-366.
  9. Chowdhury S, Chakraborty PP. Errors of insulin therapy: Real-life experiences from developing world. J Family Med Prim Care. 2017 Oct-Dec;6(4):724-729.
Written by Michael Gollust.
Medically reviewed by Megan Burke, MD.August, 2024
Updated onAugust, 2026
Written by Michael Gollust.
Medically reviewed by Megan Burke, MD.August, 2024
Updated onAugust, 2026
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