
October 28, 2004
Blood Tests and Insulin Injections, Insulin Analogs
Question from Fort Worth, Texas, USA:
I have been taking Lantus for about two years. I usually inject in my thighs, although sometimes it is more convenient to inject in my shoulders, in the deltoid muscle. I am now suffering from adhesive capsulitis, frozen shoulder. My doctor and my physical therapist consider this condition very rare for someone my age. I am fairly active and do not suffer any other joint maladies. Could the acid base in the Lantus be the cause of my shoulder trouble?
Answer:
Unlikely. It may be that the elevated blood sugars added to the adhesions that occur with the frozen shoulder. I would be careful about injecting the Lantus into the muscle itself. The insulin is designed to be absorbed from subcutaneous tissue.
JTL