What to do about small remains in pens?

[Vicsetter]

I didn't have a very good day - BG wise yesterday and think it may have something to do with using multiple injections to use up the tail end of my levemir pens. When your pens get down to 15 units or thereabouts do you just chuck them? I normally inject 50 units in the morning so yesterday saw me use up three pens and then sat at about 8.4 all day.

 

[Caroline]

Although not ideal (especially if you're used to tight control) 8.4 is not too high.

Can't make any suggestions for odd units at the end of pens thoe.

 

[Northerner]

I ditch my cartridges generally when they no longer contain enough for my next meal (usually less than 5 units for me). I can see your dilemma though as 15 units does sound like quite a lot to throw away. I suppose if you were to calculate it, it probably wouldn't amount to a huge expense over a year, and if it gives you better control to do single injections then the cost is worth it in my opinion.

 

[lauraw1983]

There's little arrow markers or lines on cartridges and the disposable pens where you are meant to stop using the insulin at. I never knew until I did DAFNE and they showed us. I sometimes go a bit beyond it but do then start using a new one....

So I wouldn't worry too much tbh...

 

[bennyg70]

Im glad I reread this post, for one moment I thoguht it said something very ... very different!!

 

[mcdonagh47]

I didn't have a very good day - BG wise yesterday and think it may have something to do with using multiple injections to use up the tail end of my levemir pens. When your pens get down to 15 units or thereabouts do you just chuck them? I normally inject 50 units in the morning so yesterday saw me use up three pens and then sat at about 8.4 all day.

I never seem to get significant remains in Novorapid pens, But often the Levemir pen is left with 18 or 20 units in it. I inject 40 units at 11.30 each night so if there are only 18 or 20 left I use that up and inject the second half in the morning from a new pen left out of the fridge overnight.

 

[novorapidboi26]

I, like other just ditch the pen if its not got enough for the nest meal, if its only a few units short of dose I would use it right till the end.....

I feel better if it works out like this, but sometimes it doesn't.......

 

[Vicsetter]

I'm convinced, my 8.4 this morning turned to 5.6 before lunch with an injection of 60 before breakfast, so quite a lot better than yesterday. Maybe the 3 injections get used up quicker, I don't know but I won't be doing it again.

I regard 8.4 as higher than target for a fasting blood in the morning and aim to get below 7. It 5.8 now just before my evening injections so I'm back to normal.

 

[Vicsetter]

Im glad I reread this post, for one moment I thoguht it said something very ... very different!!

Freudian slip? (always though that was something a cross dresser would wear (whatever one of those is🙄))

 

[Northerner]

I'm convinced, my 8.4 this morning turned to 5.6 before lunch with an injection of 60 before breakfast, so quite a lot better than yesterday. Maybe the 3 injections get used up quicker, I don't know but I won't be doing it again.

I regard 8.4 as higher than target for a fasting blood in the morning and aim to get below 7. It 5.8 now just before my evening injections so I'm back to normal.

Glad to hear you're back on track Vic 🙂 I've often wondered about what happens if you have more than one injection, since the insulin will be absorbing at the same sort of rate from each site.

 

[Vicsetter]

Glad to hear you're back on track Vic 🙂 I've often wondered about what happens if you have more than one injection, since the insulin will be absorbing at the same sort of rate from each site.

Looks like it.

 

[trophywench]

Well that would make it last less long, because instead of eg 0.6u per kilo which should make the whole caboodle last 18-ish hours, 0.2u per kg would only last 10-ish hours. The 'times three' doesn't make it last longer.

 

[Vicsetter]

Well that would make it last less long, because instead of eg 0.6u per kilo which should make the whole caboodle last 18-ish hours, 0.2u per kg would only last 10-ish hours. The 'times three' doesn't make it last longer.

a) Levemir doesn't last anything like 18 hours with me.
b) Injecting 3 lots of 18 units (instead of 1 injection of 54) seemed to be used up and not cover my breakfast, so thats precisely the result I was saying, it gets used a lot quicker.

 

[Monkey]

I'm surprised I'm the exception - I use everything available in a pen or cartridge, even if it means having 4u from one pen and the remaining 40 odd from a new one. Can't see any point wasting it, and if it's all being done at the same time then no noticeable difference here.