Anyone use pen cartridges to fill their syringes or pump?

[Jacob'sDad]

I have heard that some people use insulin pen cartidges to fill syringes or their pump. I hear they do this because their is much less waste because their is far less insulin in a pen cartridge than in a bottle. Since pen cartridges are cheaper they save money. If the child is young, there is still enough insulin in a pen cartridge to last a month.

Anyone doing this or has heard of this?

[WestinsMom]

I have heard of it. I can say that I have only done it out of emergency when I didn't realize that I was out of vials. But I don't have a young one anymore either.

[Lindy]

Sure - we have used the cartridges to fill our pump. As far as waste - our situation is we have to fill our pump with a minimum of 80 units to activate the pump - we usually go for around 100 units. We NEVER use that much in 3 days - and I do not then try to extract the remaining insulin (but have heard of people who do). So either way - we have waste on our end.

[badshoe]

I don't worry about "wasting" insulin.

I have filled needles form pump reservoirs when I thought the set was bad and I was out of the house

[Schpoodle's Dad]

We have done it with all different types of insulin - Novorapid, Levemir, NPH, Lantus, and Humalog. No problem at all. Unlike using a vial though, you do not push air in first, just pull the insulin out. Sometimes it helps to push on the other end of the cartridge while you are drawing the insulin. The needle cover works well for that.

We still only use about 1/3 - 2/3 of the penfill before the month runs out. But compared to the rest of the supplies, the insulin is the least expensive part of the process for us.

[rtread]

I have been doing it for months. At first it was for shots, and now im doing it for the pump. I didn't know about it at first cause i thought i could blow the stopper, but i like it so much better then a vial! I get NO bubbles in the cartridges now, or very very few.

When we were just using them for our shot we wasted a lot less insulin this way.

rania

[Ashti]

Hi,

We also only use cartridges for our syringes. (A bit simpler since it does not involve injecting air, just draw it out, as someone has already mentioned.) We were taught that way from the beginning.

Ashti

[jules12]

Add us to the list of using pen vials. I like it too because if I would want to take additional insulin with me - it is much smaller to take. I am sure once he is done honeymooning we will go through a lot more insulin but the pen vials work for now. It was a little more awkward at first for us, but we soon got the hang of it.

[Dana]

We do it too. Both for the lantus and novolog. It saved a ton of wasted when Iris was first dxd. Now that her insulin needs have risen, there is less and less. It works out fine.

[D-Dad]

We do it. We fill up and replace the reservoir every 7 to 10 days. It takes about 2/3's of a cartridge to fill it up.