Wasteage

[Kaylz]

Had to discard of a pen with nearly 50 units left in it as the insulin wasn't coming out properly due to an air bubble and no matter what I did I just couldn't get rid of it x

 

[Robin]

Had to discard of a pen with nearly 50 units left in it as the insulin wasn't coming out properly due to an air bubble and no matter what I did I just couldn't get rid of it x

Next time you could try holding the pen upright, ( needle pointing straight up, I mean) dialling up a few units, and shooting it towards the ceiling, sometimes gets rid of the bubble.

 

[Kaylz]

Next time you could try holding the pen upright, ( needle pointing straight up, I mean) dialling up a few units, and shooting it towards the ceiling, sometimes gets rid of the bubble.

I did that more than once, it just would not shift, therefore the insulin wasn't coming out in a continuous leak if that's how you'd put it haha, never had that problem before so just decided it was best to give up on it x

 

[trophywench]

Er, why are you still using disposable pens? Take up far too much room in the fridge when you have as in my case when I first went onto pens - two boxes of fast acting and one of slow on repeat, order before I'm on the last single on of either, so often 6 of the gurt great things in my fridge. And - very environmentally unfriendly.

The initial cost of a refillable pen is more than a single disposable one but it's a one-off cost (my last Novopens had lasted me about 9 years by the time I went onto a pump) and the boxes of 5 cartridges are far smaller, and only the cartridges themselves to go into landfill.

Disposable pens are definitely more cheaply made - flimsier than refillable ones, hence less mechanical type problems.

Had you perchance ever left a needle on that pen after you used it instead of removing it straight after use? - cos sometimes, that can be the route via which air can be introduced. If you are eg out and about, still remove the needle after jabbing after first putting the thin needle cover back on, then back into the outer needle cover, then secreting it wherever you can till you can dispose of it properly. (there's a zip compartment in my meter case, but anyway there's always one in handbags and two in my purse!

 

[Kaylz]

Er, why are you still using disposable pens? Take up far too much room in the fridge when you have as in my case when I first went onto pens - two boxes of fast acting and one of slow on repeat, order before I'm on the last single on of either, so often 6 of the gurt great things in my fridge. And - very environmentally unfriendly.

The initial cost of a refillable pen is more than a single disposable one but it's a one-off cost (my last Novopens had lasted me about 9 years by the time I went onto a pump) and the boxes of 5 cartridges are far smaller, and only the cartridges themselves to go into landfill.

Disposable pens are definitely more cheaply made - flimsier than refillable ones, hence less mechanical type problems.

Had you perchance ever left a needle on that pen after you used it instead of removing it straight after use? - cos sometimes, that can be the route via which air can be introduced. If you are eg out and about, still remove the needle after jabbing after first putting the thin needle cover back on, then back into the outer needle cover, then secreting it wherever you can till you can dispose of it properly. (there's a zip compartment in my meter case, but anyway there's always one in handbags and two in my purse!

Just what I was put onto and I really like them, and nope the needle is always taken off straight after injecting x

 

[Ginny03]

I use mine with bubbles in, I'm just careful about where the bubble is when I'm injecting - almost certainly not recommended!

I asked my DSN if there was any difference in cost re disposable/reusable when I first went onto pens. She said in the long run, there isn't any so it was my choice. I was put onto a disposable for my basal and a reusable for my bolus - I prefer the disposable by a mile and am actually so concerned about the accuracy of the reusable one when giving small doses, I'm going to ask to go disposable for my bolus too at my review. Sorry environment!

 

[trophywench]

Sorry - you've completely lost me there! How/why could a disposable pen be more accurate than a refillable one? Do you think syringes are less accurate than disposable pens too?

Please explain the logic? (I'm not saying there isn't any, at this stage - however if there is - how come I've never ever heard it mentioned by anyone else, until now. I mean you'd imagine there would at least have been anecdotal evidence of others being suspicious. Such stuff tends to get discussed more on forums such as this one than eg Balance or The Lancet, BMJ etc

 

[Ginny03]

Sorry - you've completely lost me there! How/why could a disposable pen be more accurate than a refillable one? Do you think syringes are less accurate than disposable pens too?

I don't generally think disposables are more accurate than reusables, I just have particular concern about my current reusable - if you do 1 unit test shots with it, it's pot luck whether anything comes out at all - which if I want to do a 1 unit correction is a real problem. I don't expect them to all have that issue, but I confess that it has rather put me off them. It also worries me what I'd do if the reusable were to break (because I get paranoid about things like that 😳 ). That's not an issue with disposables because you can just change the pen out. Honestly - I far preferred syringes to pens! Felt safer with what I was injecting and didn't have the constant annoying dripping while I'm pondering over where to stick it!

 

[Ljc]

I don't generally think disposables are more accurate than reusables, I just have particular concern about my current reusable - if you do 1 unit test shots with it, it's pot luck whether anything comes out at all - which if I want to do a 1 unit correction is a real problem. I don't expect them to all have that issue, but I confess that it has rather put me off them. It also worries me what I'd do if the reusable were to break (because I get paranoid about things like that 😳 ). That's not an issue with disposables because you can just change the pen out. Honestly - I far preferred syringes to pens! Felt safer with what I was injecting and didn't have the constant annoying dripping while I'm pondering over where to stick it!

Hi @Ginny03 . Just a thought, When you do a test 1 unit shot with the refillable pen, have you done the 2units air shot first to fill the needle

 

[KookyCat]

Had to discard of a pen with nearly 50 units left in it as the insulin wasn't coming out properly due to an air bubble and no matter what I did I just couldn't get rid of it x

Don't worry about it Kaylz it happens sometimes. I had a Lantus pen that acquired a huge bubble (more like a lake of air) that I couldn't get rid of. I wasn't long diagnosed and they were only giving me one pen at a time (long story but my GP surgery is difficult!). I ended up having to take it to the pharmacy to get a new one, none of them could get the bubble out either 😱. Lessons learned along the way though, the first, always have a backup 😉.

Refillable pens are great, mine do half unit doses which is brilliant for me, so if you fancy switching over to refillable pens then Novopen echo is a good bet (takes novorapid and Tresiba). If you prefer the disposables then stick to those of course. I quite like the Tresiba disposable pen as it happens, really easy to trigger the jab 🙂

 

[Northerner]

Have to say, I would always prefer a reusable pen, simply because logic tells me it is going to be better construction in order to last longer. Also, the Novopen Echo gives me lots of features I wouldn't get on a disposable pen (half units, timer, dial-back dose, dial forward dose). The only reusable pen I (and many others, from all accounts!) had a problem with was the Autopen 24 (lantus/levemir pen), which was very poorly constructed. I would reject the argument that a disposable costs the same as a reusable in the long run, there are more materials involved and a more complicated manufacturing process for every pen compared to one pen and endless cartridges.

However, I know that, with this condition, trust plays a big part in feeling comfortable with it, so if you don't have that trust it makes things just that tiny bit harder than it needs to be 🙂

 

[Ginny03]

Hi @Ginny03 . Just a thought, When you do a test 1 unit shot with the refillable pen, have you done the 2units air shot first to fill the needle

Always! And i haven't been happy with it from the start - maybe I just got a dud.

I would reject the argument that a disposable costs the same as a reusable in the long run, there are more materials involved and a more complicated manufacturing process for every pen compared to one pen and endless cartridges.

Yes, I have to say despite having a huge amount of respect for my DSN I can't see how she could possibly be right in saying it evens out in the long run!

 

[Ginny03]

... actually, having just done some research the price I can find for the cartridges and the price of disposable pens fot humalog is very similar. Who knows what they sell them to the NHS at, but maybe my DSN was right!

 

[DeusXM]

It really depends on the pen. In my experience the only reuseable pen that's worth bothering is one made by Novo. Every other reusable pen I've had seems to have some problem after a year or so, whether it's the plunger/spirally thing inside not working, or the cart holder losing its 'teeth so it doesn't hold on to the base, and my particular favourite with the Autopen, the numbers rubbing off so you have to count the clicks to know how much you're dosing. I don't really like disposable pens either and would never use them where I can use a Novopen, but in all other circumstances I think it's six of one, half a dozen of the other.

There is one major advantage to a disposable pen though. Unless you happen to have a spare one nearby, if you lose or break a reuseable pen, you're screwed until you can convince a GP to see you/phone you, issue a prescription and then find a chemist that has it in stock. At least with a disposable one you've probably got another in the fridge.

 

[Northerner]

There is one major advantage to a disposable pen though. Unless you happen to have a spare one nearby, if you lose or break a reuseable pen, you're screwed until you can convince a GP to see you/phone you, issue a prescription and then find a chemist that has it in stock. At least with a disposable one you've probably got another in the fridge.

Which is why everyone who does use reusable ones should always have reliable spare handy! 😱 🙂