Pushing the (insulin) button

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lofty_8

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Evening all,
First post- be gentle!

Newly (Nov’21) diagnosed T1 diabetic, learning the ropes at 30 years old. Currently using Tresiba and Novorapid and I wondered why they have different ‘trigger’ mechanisms to them?

With the Tresiba, it doesn’t matter how many units you click up, the trigger button doesn’t move and a single press and hold slowly clicks down the insulin.

With the Novorapid, the more units you click up, the higher the button gets and you have to push that button all the way back down to the pen, which makes it a lot less ergonomical.

Just wondering if anyone knows a reason it’s like this?
 
The reason is just different pens designs
Are you using single use ones? If so, I highly recommend requesting reusable pens. They are more robust, take up less room and better for the environment.
I believe you can use the same pens for NovoRapid as Tresiba. So there is no particular reason for different designs.
 
Welcome to the forum @lofty_8 from another late starter (aged 53)

There are many different designs of pens. As @helli says the reusable pens are much more sustainable and you may be able to get the same ones for both your insulins, although two different colours can be useful so that you don’t mix them up (Yes I have done that, probably along with quite a few others). You can then just get the cartridges to put in your pens. Also you might like to ask for half unit pens. In the early days/months/years it can be really helpful to be able to adjust your doses by smaller amounts. I don’t think these are available in the disposable pens, so another good reason to swap.

If you want to ( and apologies if I have missed it) tell us a bit about your diagnosis it can help us in our responses to your questions. No questions are considered silly on here, so just ask.
 
Sounds like disposable pens @lofty_8 Ask for the re-useable pens. They’re much better quality and design. You simply put a cartridge in the pen, like in an ink pen, and then replace the cartridge when you need to. You can also get Novopens that record your doses.

And welcome to the forum 🙂
 
Tresiba is a newer insulin than NovaRapid. The Tresiba disposable pen has a newer 'soft touch' mechanism than the original NovaRapid pen.

As others have said the half-unit NovoEcho reusable pens are better for the environment, with the disposable cartridges needing less space in the fridge AND noticeably more pleasant to use. They are a little heavier but feel better balanced and far less flimsy than the disposable pens.

If you only change one insulin to disposable cartridges you must ask for 2 pens; essential to have a reserve pen - just in case, although they are reliable and should provide up to 4 years of service. Again as already said, insist on different colour pens for different insulins; currently only red and blue pens exist. I use blue for basal and red for rapid and have put a couple of tactile stickers on one pen to reinforce the difference. I only have 3 pens, so only one reserve; seemed unnecessary to have more, but a second reserve was offered by my GP Surgery. In extremis you can change cartridges between the one pen, but that is a desperate scenario; far too fiddly and too easy to get wrong.
 
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