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Cartridges

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D

Doddy

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1.5 LADA
I am trying to work out how many units are in a cartridge....Im talking about Novomix 30.

It says each cartridge contains 300u of insulin in 3ml suspension. 1ml contains 100u of insulin aspart.

So I am taking this to mean that each cartridge is 300u...so if I am taking 24u twice a day, plus 2u testing, i will get thru a cartridge in about 6 days?
 
Sounds about right 🙂

EDIT: Hehe! Beat me to it!
 
Doddy said:
I am trying to work out how many units are in a cartridge....Im talking about Novomix 30.

It says each cartridge contains 300u of insulin in 3ml suspension. 1ml contains 100u of insulin aspart.

So I am taking this to mean that each cartridge is 300u...so if I am taking 24u twice a day, plus 2u testing, i will get thru a cartridge in about 6 days?
Click to expand...

Though I am not familiar with Novomix 30, ALL the cartridges and pens my son has - Novorapid, Lantus, Humilin M3 and Humilin S all have 300 units in each. So yes, you are right on the amount of time each one will last. Make sure you order new insulin well ahead of needing it. It's good to get in the habit of ordering a new batch as soon as you start the last box you have as notoriously chemists can struggle sometimes to get yours in and you have to wait a couple of days, GPs can take time to generate repeat prescriptions, and things like bank holidays play havoc with prescriptions.

How are things going? Seeing any improvements in levels yet?
 
Tina63 said:
Though I am not familiar with Novomix 30, ALL the cartridges and pens my son has - Novorapid, Lantus, Humilin M3 and Humilin S all have 300 units in each. So yes, you are right on the amount of time each one will last. Make sure you order new insulin well ahead of needing it. It's good to get in the habit of ordering a new batch as soon as you start the last box you have as notoriously chemists can struggle sometimes to get yours in and you have to wait a couple of days, GPs can take time to generate repeat prescriptions, and things like bank holidays play havoc with prescriptions.

How are things going? Seeing any improvements in levels yet?
Click to expand...


I am glad you are all agreeing with me! It takes me a while to figure these things out! I wouldn't normally worry, but I am going away next week for 5 days, so I want to make sure I have plenty!
Not seeing any change yet Tina, but I must surely be getting close to the dose that's going to work for me!
 
Doddy said:
I am glad you are all agreeing with me! It takes me a while to figure these things out! I wouldn't normally worry, but I am going away next week for 5 days, so I want to make sure I have plenty!
Not seeing any change yet Tina, but I must surely be getting close to the dose that's going to work for me!
Click to expand...

Make sure you have more than you need Doddy, in case there should be a problem with one. 🙂
 
I always try to take about half as much as I think I could possibly need these days (I ran out on a holiday in France once, with all the 'extra' eating 🙄)
 
Yup, I'm getting through one cartridge every 9 days or so at a total of 32u per day and have just remembered to order a new box as I'm well into the first cartridge of my current one.
 
I have currently got 4 new cartridges in the fridge, but I still have a week to go before I go away...
So that should really equate to 24 days supply shouldn't it...but that's assuming I don't get increased anymore!
I think I need to stop panicking, I can still get a script up until next weds, so I should be ok....
 
Doddy said:
I have currently got 4 new cartridges in the fridge, but I still have a week to go before I go away...
So that should really equate to 24 days supply shouldn't it...but that's assuming I don't get increased anymore!
I think I need to stop panicking, I can still get a script up until next weds, so I should be ok....
Click to expand...

If they come in boxes of 5 cartridges (like my insulins) then it's worth having a whole spare box in the fridge, then as you finish a box, order another so you always have a full spare one. I do this in case I find I have a bad batch for some reason (hasn't happened yet, but better to be safe than sorry!).
 
Northerner said:
If they come in boxes of 5 cartridges (like my insulins) then it's worth having a whole spare box in the fridge, then as you finish a box, order another so you always have a full spare one. I do this in case I find I have a bad batch for some reason (hasn't happened yet, but better to be safe than sorry!).
Click to expand...


Yep, they sure do come in 5's. I have put in for another prescription today, so should pick it up on Friday. Do the doctors not questioning you stockpiling? There is a note on the ones from my surgery telling you not to stockpile. But surely, it's good to have a back up supply.
 
Doddy said:
I have currently got 4 new cartridges in the fridge, but I still have a week to go before I go away...
So that should really equate to 24 days supply shouldn't it...but that's assuming I don't get increased anymore!
I think I need to stop panicking, I can still get a script up until next weds, so I should be ok....
Click to expand...

My doctor gives me 2 boxes per prescription and I always reorder when I have one box left ie when I start to use the final cartridge of the penultimate box.

This means I don't need to worry about ordering extra for holidays or going to pick up the prescription to be told by the pharmacist they are waiting for the insulin to be delivered. Not sure why they don't keep a stock....

At the moment I also have a box of lantus and novorapid pens in the fridge as I have recently switched to the cartridges. need to make sure I use them before the use by dates🙂
 
Well if you double ordered all the time then that would be a stockpile. But to me a whole box was a stockpile cos it was 50 days worth! LOL

Think Mike EDUAD meant ONE and a half times as much as he needs LOL.

Frankly Mike I would not set foot outside this house to go on hols abroad now without at least TWICE as much of everything. And some.

Why?

We went to Oz for 3 weeks. So I had the two in use pens (except I had new ones that very morning and lobbed the half used ones) plus I took another 2 of each. So that was a full 30 days supply, wasn't it? Great.

When they brought lunch round on the plane (we were sat in th emiddle) the Chnese lady next to me got a Novorapid Felxpen out and jabbed herself. I did a great big grin and reached down to get mine out .... Oh sheet. No pen. Actually no both pens as they were both in a nice litlle Frio which I had (evidently) left balanced on top of the giant loo roll holder on the loo wall at Heathrow.

We'd had a full English in the pub and after we ate it, I suddenly said oh sheet I forgot I was diabetic! - but wanted the loo anyway so just grabbed the Frio and ran .......

I thought I best address this the first week, thus to be able to relax and enjoy the rest of our hols. The sodding palaver to get a scrip, and that was in English. I will never ever (as far as I can avoid it anyway) put meself in that position EVER again.

And Sod's Law being what it is and what with us walking up hill down dale, round reservoirs through national parks and playing ball with niece's doggies - of course I didn't need anything above the two pens I still had anyway......

I'm sure my doc thinks I lie because we do quite honestly have 2 or three 3.5 week hols plus any number of 4- 10 day hols both in UK and usually, France. So I'm forever ringing up and saying I need, and can I have a double scrip please as we are going away for a month ..... LOL
 
Trophywench that is my nightmare scenario and why I am so anxious half the time! I am always checking my bag for my meter and pens!

I realise they have to keep an eye on insulin scripts, but they would have a cheek to question it - it's a medication which can't just be forgotten or missed once in a while! Grrr.

I keep plenty spare supplies of it, for things like holidays too, and my pharmacy are very good at having it in stock so far anyway!
 
And mine are excellent at 'lending' me stuff (insulin, strips) when I makes a mess of ordering scrips and nearly run out!
 
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