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Step-by-Step: Giving Yourself an Insulin Shot

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Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Remove the cap from your insulin bottle. Clean the top of your uncapped insulin bottle with an alcohol wipe. Uncover the needle attached to the syringe. Pull up on the plunger and fill the syringe with the same amount of air as the amount of insulin you are prescribed. Place the needle in your insulin bottle. Push fully down on the plunger. Pull up on the syringe and fill it with your prescribed amount. Check for air bubbles within the insulin inside the syringe. If there are any air bubbles, empty the syringe and refill it until there are none. Point the syringe upward. Push on the plunger until a drop of insulin comes from the tip of the needle. Clean the side of the injection with an alcohol wipe. Use the index finger and thumb of one hand to gently pinch up a bit of skin. With the other hand, fully inject the needle at a 90 degree angle to the skin. Release the pinched skin and press the plunger all the way in to release the insulin. Leave the syringe in place for 10 seconds. Correctly dispose of the entire syringe.

© 2000-2026 The StayWell Company, LLC. All rights reserved. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your healthcare professional's instructions.
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