"Priming" insulin pens - is this really practical?

[AlisonM]

With my pen, I'm not on insulin of course and my pen is a fixed dose, I was told to dial a dose and expel it on first use. I usually do it over the sink, oh and I hate the way it smells, yeuch!

The only time I've had a problem was when I had a needle with no hole in it, it took me ages to figure out what went wrond. I usually feel a wee sting from the Byetta when it goes in and there wasn't one that time.

I suppose you could aim it at a tissue if you were out and about, that would show a wee wet patch and you'd know it worked.

 

[Ellie Jones]

When I was injecting with a pen (pump now) I always primmed my pen before injecting.

It's important to hold the pen up, so that when you are priming your are expelling any air bubbles that might have collected in the cartridge, more likely if you leave your needle on the pen either between use or ready for the next injection... As air in the cartridge can cause a miss dosing of insulin..

when not in company I just use to squirt it, but anywhere else if you do it slowly then it just dribbles down the side of the needle

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I've never been very sure myself that you are likely to get any air out of a cartridge based on the direction you hold the pen when air-shotting (unless there is a *considerable* volume there).

The needle inserted into the cartridge is very fine and inserts several mm into the insulin. In order to eject any air you would need the bubble to rise towards the top of the cart, but then sort of 'stick' to the part of the needle that has gone through the rubber seal and wait there to be pushed out be the insulin (and not slide off to the side).

I might be wrong, but it's never seemed very likely to me.

As far as I am aware small bubbles won't cause any problems, and even if they compressed a little on injection waiting for the 'regulation' count of 10 would allow the increased pressure to deliver the last micro droplets of dose as pressure equalised.