• Question: Can a non-diabetic become diabetic by injecting insulin into themselves? Thanks.

    Asked by tiri to Pete, Rebecca, SallyB, Sally, Sian on 23 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Sally Barber

      Sally Barber answered on 21 Jun 2010:

      I don’t think anyone would ever be allowed to do this experiement as it would be terribly unethical. Injecting insulin wouldn’t make them diabetic but what it would do is to lower their glucose level in their blood, it could lower it so far as to be dangerous.

    • Photo: Sally Fenton

      Sally Fenton answered on 21 Jun 2010:

      No they can’t. If a non diabetic did this it would probably make them quite ill. Diabetics don’t produce insulin which is why they need to inject it. Insulin is needed to take sugar out of the blood into the muscles so we can keep a normal blood sugar level. If it gets to low or to high a diabetic will become ill. Therefore if insulin is injected into someone who already has insulin in their body then it is likely to much sugar will be taken out of the blood..which would be dangerous.

    • Photo: Rebecca Randell

      Rebecca Randell answered on 23 Jun 2010:

      I don’t think this would cause someone to become diabetic but it could be very very dangerous so i would not recommend this.

    • Photo: Peter Styring

      Peter Styring answered on 23 Jun 2010:

      I douby it. But injecting anything you’re not supposed to is a crazy idea, Why would anyone WANT to become diabetic?

    • Photo: Sian Lawson

      Sian Lawson answered on 23 Jun 2010:

      Injecting insulin would certainly mess with your blood sugar levels, and if you did it often enough it may be possible to adapt to the high levels of insulin – becoming insulin resistant (a form of diabetes).

      It’s an interesting question.

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