Injector pen timers?

[jackdinn]

Hi, new'ish T1 here. So i have been tinkering around for some way to time my last use of my insulin pens as i just keep forgetting if i have used the darn thing or not. (i suppose i would very quickly find out if i did either no dose or double dose !) but that's beside the point.

I use
Abasaglar KwikPen from Lilly
NovoRapid FlexTouch from Nordisk

I have had both the Timesulin and the InsulCheck devices/caps for both. Neither are very good quality and one is stupidly priced. However, putting the price aside they both broke within a few days for both my devices. They are just plastic crap that snaps (in the case of the InsulCheck, the plastic collar snapped during proper use) and the Timesulin's are just as bad. The contact switch in the lid often does not make contact, just a knock can reset the timer, the battery can become disconnected just from daily movement, and the pens drip directly into the electronics and the battery so that's a great design.

Iv seen Novopen echo but i don't know if i can use it? do i have to ask for a prescription change? can i do something for both pens?

Its mainly the Abasaglar that i need the timer on, but both would be nice.

Advice and suggestions welcome please, thx. 🙂

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Iv seen Novopen echo but i don't know if i can use it? do i have to ask for a prescription change? can i do something for both pens?

I don't know about Abasaglar, but for NovoRapid you can use Novopen Echo Plus (or Novopen 6). I think Novopen Echo is still available, maybe, but I don't think there's much difference in price so you'll probably get the Echo Plus. It requires changing your prescription from the disposable pens to cartridges (which are much smaller, so that's a benefit), and you'll need a prescription for a couple of the reusable pens (like everything, they do break). Pen needles are the same as for disposable pens.

If your GP practice has a pharmacist, they can likely change you over (and can probably look up options for Abasaglar).

I agree with you about the replacement caps. I used a couple and found them more trouble than they're worth. The reusable Novo Nordisk pens are really nice, though, and remember the dose as well as time. (And remember lots of doses so with the right phone software can be scanned to record those. LibreLink supports that.)

 

[jackdinn]

Ok thank you, It's mainly the Abasaglar that i need to monitor, more so than the Nonorapid anyhow, i seem to forget that one even though that's just once a day, odd but yea.

So i shall go see what my doc's and chemist have to contribute to the subject, although they really don't seem to know much about extra tech stuff. I shall prob have to do the searching to find exactly what i am looking for myself first.

Cheers 🙂

 

[Bruce Stephens]

I shall prob have to do the searching to find exactly what i am looking for myself first.

That's usually a good idea whoever you talk to. If there's nothing suitable that you can see for Abasaglar you might need to get some help from your DSNs. Maybe they can suggest something, or maybe they can work with you in changing to some other insulin which does have a good option.

 

[DianeD]

I sometimes have the same problem. So now when I go to bed I check the back door is locked and put my abasaglar next to the kettle with a needle next to it. If in the morning I'm not sure I've taken it, if the needle is still there then I haven't. Low tech but works for me.