Insulin pens contaminated by unknown substance

[Sam90]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone can help me with this issue I've been having with my insulin pens. It's quite common for my insulin pens to get contaminated with what I've showed in the attached photo (I wanted to attach a video but it wouldn't let me).

I noticed this about 3 or 4 years ago and asked my endocrinologist about it. She told me she had never seen something like that, and that she would make a report to the manufacturer and asked me to send my contaminated insulin pen into them. They got back to me and told me it was blood. This does not look like blood to me though. In a day or two, you will see the contamination grow. It makes me feel really uneasy that I might accidentally inject myself with this stuff before I notice it. Has anyone dealt with this before, and if so should I be worried?

Insulin pens I am currently using: Fiasp FlexTouch and Tresiba FlexTouch (Novo Nordisk)

Thanks

 

[Pumper_Sue]

As you have been told it's blood then it must be down to your injection technique I would have thought. If you think about it if there had been other reports there would have been a recall/investigation.
It would also be inconceivable to have to different types of pens/insulins contaminated.

 

[Satan’s little helper]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone can help me with this issue I've been having with my insulin pens. It's quite common for my insulin pens to get contaminated with what I've showed in the attached photo (I wanted to attach a video but it wouldn't let me).

I noticed this about 3 or 4 years ago and asked my endocrinologist about it. She told me she had never seen something like that, and that she would make a report to the manufacturer and asked me to send my contaminated insulin pen into them. They got back to me and told me it was blood. This does not look like blood to me though. In a day or two, you will see the contamination grow. It makes me feel really uneasy that I might accidentally inject myself with this stuff before I notice it. Has anyone dealt with this before, and if so should I be worried?

Insulin pens I am currently using: Fiasp FlexTouch and Tresiba FlexTouch (Novo Nordisk)

Thanks

Not sure from the photo it’s “blood.”

Could your cartridges or if a pen. Been frozen? Touching a part of your fridge or the chemist’s that’s too cold.

Edit to add, it looks like a car windscreen chip?

 

[Satan’s little helper]

Additional; insulin tends to crystallise when frozen?

I don’t think I’ve ever drawn back blood with a pen. The old needles, possibly.
I have on occasions drawn blood after removing the jab. But that forms on the skin. Like a lancet test. (For clarity.)

 

[Sam90]

Additional; insulin tends to crystallise when frozen?

I don’t think I’ve ever drawn back blood with a pen. The old needles, possibly.
I have on occasions drawn blood after removing the jab. But that forms on the skin. Like a lancet test. (For clarity.)

It's not frozen and isnt touching any part of a fridge that would freeze it at any time. I usually keep my pens I'm using out of the fridge until they are done while the rest of my supply stays refrigerated.

It moves around the vial like snow in a snow globe if I shake it hard, otherwise it seems to clump together.

I have no idea what this could be, I have no other illnesses I'm aware of thay might cause this other than my diabetes.

 

[Leadinglights]

It's not frozen and isnt touching any part of a fridge that would freeze it at any time. I usually keep my pens I'm using out of the fridge until they are done while the rest of my supply stays refrigerated.

It moves around the vial like snow in a snow globe if I shake it hard, otherwise it seems to clump together.

I have no idea what this could be, I have no other illnesses I'm aware of thay might cause this other than my diabetes.

Perhaps you should take it back to the pharmacy who supplied it.

 

[Finn]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone can help me with this issue I've been having with my insulin pens. It's quite common for my insulin pens to get contaminated with what I've showed in the attached photo (I wanted to attach a video but it wouldn't let me).

I noticed this about 3 or 4 years ago and asked my endocrinologist about it. She told me she had never seen something like that, and that she would make a report to the manufacturer and asked me to send my contaminated insulin pen into them. They got back to me and told me it was blood. This does not look like blood to me though. In a day or two, you will see the contamination grow. It makes me feel really uneasy that I might accidentally inject myself with this stuff before I notice it. Has anyone dealt with this before, and if so should I be worried?

Insulin pens I am currently using: Fiasp FlexTouch and Tresiba FlexTouch (Novo Nordisk)

Thanks

I've had this happen after bleeders. If I have a bleeder, I try to remove the needle as soon as possible, especially if there's a drop of blood on the end of the needle, so it can't travel up the needle into the cartridge. If it does, it sometimes looks more blood-like initially, then turns into this cobwebby thing like what you've got. While I'm removing the needle, I keep the button depressed so there's no possibility of suction pulling the blood on the needle into the insulin.

I try to examine my insulin once a day and more carefully when I have a bleeder. When I see blood in the cartridge, or cobwebs, I discard the pen/cartridge and start a new one. It's annoying, but better safe than sorry.

Here's a Reddit post where someone had the same issue:

https://www.reddit.com/r/diabetes/comments/u3f6qd

 

[Sam90]

I've had this happen after bleeders. If I have a bleeder, I try to remove the needle as soon as possible, especially if there's a drop of blood on the end of the needle, so it can't travel up the needle into the cartridge. If it does, it sometimes looks more blood-like initially, then turns into this cobwebby thing like what you've got. While I'm removing the needle, I keep the button depressed so there's no possibility of suction pulling the blood on the needle into the insulin.

I try to examine my insulin once a day and more carefully when I have a bleeder. When I see blood in the cartridge, or cobwebs, I discard the pen/cartridge and start a new one. It's annoying, but better safe than sorry.

Here's a Reddit post where someone had the same issue:

https://www.reddit.com/r/diabetes/comments/u3f6qd

Thanks, thats reassuring to hear. I was thinking it was blood going up the needle because I've noticed that when I remove my needles after use instead of leaving them on the pen, this cobweb stuff doesn't appear.

 

[Amity Island]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone can help me with this issue I've been having with my insulin pens. It's quite common for my insulin pens to get contaminated with what I've showed in the attached photo (I wanted to attach a video but it wouldn't let me).

I noticed this about 3 or 4 years ago and asked my endocrinologist about it. She told me she had never seen something like that, and that she would make a report to the manufacturer and asked me to send my contaminated insulin pen into them. They got back to me and told me it was blood. This does not look like blood to me though. In a day or two, you will see the contamination grow. It makes me feel really uneasy that I might accidentally inject myself with this stuff before I notice it. Has anyone dealt with this before, and if so should I be worried?

Insulin pens I am currently using: Fiasp FlexTouch and Tresiba FlexTouch (Novo Nordisk)

Thanks

Interesting, something I've never seen or heard about before. Gives another (besides blunting) reason to remove needle every time.