AUTOCOVER NEEDLE **PROBLEM**

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Debz229

Member
Messages
11
My partner has been using Autocover needles for the last 2 years as she doesn't like injecting herself and seeing the needle, she has been in hospital 3 times in the last 3 years with DKA which was very frightening for everyone.

Her diabetes has been badly controlled and her levels were always high (above 18) so we decided to change her injection site which helped for a short while but then her levels started to climb again, we then decided to change from using the Autocover needles to normal 5mm needles and ever since doing that her levels have dropped dramatically to the point of her having approx 4-5 hypos a day.

We have come to the conclusion that it must be the Autocover needles that have been causing the problem, my partner is only 78kgs and is currently on very high dosage 40 Novorapid and 60 Levemir, it has been almost 3 weeks since she stopped using the Autocover needles and her insuling intake is now being reduced.

We have come to the conclusion that it must be the Autocover needles, my partner my not have been admitted to hospital if this problem was recognised sooner.

I was wondering if anyone else has had problems with Autocover needles....? If so what problems have you experienced...?
 
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distressed

Newbie
Messages
2
I just saw your post from February 2011. I too have had a bad problem with this auto cover needle. For months my sugar has been going higher and higher and I've been taking more and more insulin. I've been waking up at 3 am to check my sugar and it's been over 300 at this time. I would take some fast acting insulin and go back to bed and wake up at 6 am and again check my blood. It sometimes went down a little. I've also been loosing a lot of weight, I've figured that it's because my body was consuming itself. I only used this needle with my Lantus insulin in the morning and bedtime. While speaking with my niece she said it sounds like your long acting insulin isn't working, have you taken any new medications lately ? My answer was no but when I got off the phone I thought of the needle I had started to use a few months ago. I went back to my BD pen needle that night and when I woke up at 3 am my sugar was good and it also stayed in range during the day. I've been doing a lot better ever since I stopped using that needle. I'm sorry you had to be hospitalized and I'm happy I found the problem before I wound up there also. I hope your feeling well and this auto cover needle should be banned !
 
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Debz229

Member
Messages
11
Thankfully my partner has now changed back to using 5mm needles, she went from having high blood sugars readings of 20+ or off the scale to having hypo's whilst asleep and waking up in hot sweats etc. The diabetic nurse has dramicall yreduced the level of insulin and now 'FINALLY' her diabetes is much better controlled.
We contacted the suppliers fro the Autocover needles and sent some used needles back for testing and they sent a report back saying that there was a blockage in the needles..? They failed to explain what the blockage was and how it was caused so we are now trying to find a solicitor as it seems there is a fault with these needles.
There is no other logical explanation and I am just thankful that my partner is still here to tell the tale - 3 years of sheer hell and being admitted to hospital all because of these needles, my advice is to steer clear of them.

I am glad you were able to work out what the problem was before it got too serious - I just hope that no one has been serious injured from using these needles.

I will keep you updated as to what happens with the solicitor

Kind regards
 
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distressed

Newbie
Messages
2
Your story was VERY scary. I never write into these posts but felt compelled to answer yours because of the seriousness of this situation. How could all of these needles have a blockage - I'm in the U.S. My friend spoke with an Endocronologist she works with and this doctor said the problem could have been that the needle is too short and the insulin was going under the skin instead of the blood. I have cut my Lantus insulin by more than half since changing back to my old needles and my sugar is fine. Again I'd like to say THESE NEEDLES SHOULD BE TAKEN OFF THE MARKET, they are dangerous and life threatening. I'm glad your partner is feeling much better and thank you for your well wishes.
 
phoenix

phoenix

Expert
Messages
5,671
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Don't know if you have already looked but there are a number of adverse reports on the US FDA data base (there are for everything so that isn't unusual). Most have been reported by the manufacturers representative MS HJOE and they include reports from problems reported outside the US . Very few have been reported direct to the FDA.
The most recent sounds very like your (Debz) report though in the case there was no device returned so no means to evaluate it.

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/c ... &pn=10&sc=

Have you reported the problems to the UK MHRA ?

http://www.mhra.gov.uk/Safetyinformatio ... /index.htm
 
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Debz229

Member
Messages
11
On the link the most recent 03/07/2012 is indeed from me, I have just read the report and I am shocked that tehy have said the product was not returned - we in fact sent an number of the needles back to the company and we have a report back from them saying that there is a blockage in the needles but did not say what the blockage was or how it was caused, luckily we have kept the sharps boxes with lots of the used needles. we intend to take this further and we will be advising the appropriate authorities.

Any other information you can pass on would be a great help

Debz x
 
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