Novorapid pens

[nataliegage]

Hello everybody. I'm a new member of this forum but will have been an IDDiabetic for 60 years just before Christmas 2012. I was terrified yesterday as before going on a short pre-Christmas break I took a new, in date pen and made sure I had adequate insulin with me for my trip. On Thursday I took the first dose out of the new pen and yhe following day was due for a fasting blood sugar. After leaving the surgery, I did a BM test and it was 32 mmol/l. Alarm. I gave myself 16units of insulin to get me back to my best level which is 16 mmol/l (please dont be alarmed, I alsosuffer from hyperparathyrod and hypothyroidism, so am controlled on abnormal levels.

What concerned me was that the insulin appeared not to work. I gave more, as I had my breakfast out, only a bacon bap, but suspected the bap, thinking maybeit was a sweetened one. Because I was going on a short trip, I wasn't feeling ill, but knew I wasn't right. I kept on using the pen, then suddenly thought maybeit wasn't working, so began to panic as this was the only time in 60 years, travelling light I hadn't taken a spare. Last night was very disturbed and I was dreading asking my hubby to drive me home in case he thought I was making a fuss.

At 4.00 am the Out of Hours Service from Arrowe Park Hospital woke me up withthe recommendation I got myself to hospital. Hating hospitals and being suspicious that the pen was malfunctioning, I had taken it upon myself to give an extra 2 unitsof my Lantus insulin, which thankfully did bring my sugar down to 22 mmol/l. Still too high, but it was proof that the Lantus pen was working.

IMy hubby got me home, thankfully we were only an hour from home, I got out another Novarapid pen, injected myself and my BM has now gone down. Proof to me that one of the pens I had been prescribed had malfunctioned.

Have any of you had this experience. This is now the second time it has happened to me. The first time I mentioned it to the Pharmacist they took the pen, but this time my hubby has kept the pen, and the rest of the batch it came from. I really think these pens require analysis, but I want to get this done privately, because this could kill a new diabetic withoutmy own monitoring skills.

Any help or discussion would be most welcomed.

Natalie Gage

 

[elainechi]

actually this happened to my daughter novarapid disposal pen..........couldn.t get her sugars down at all.......had to get an emergency prescription for more as i tried 3 pens in the same box......took them to the pharmacy thinking they will need the batch number or send them back but know they just threw them away x

 

[nataliegage]

Thanks for that info Elaine. Pharmacist just made out it was me and that I was imagining the situation. Never heard anymore. I'm seriously thinking of divulging this to the media in the hope that it warns people before it kills them. I'd love it if you could tell your story too. The more evidence that this has been happening the more it will help the matter to be looked into and maybe they wont go for the cheapest drugs. Apparently the first batch I had were imported from France. I've added you as a friend, so lets see if we can help each other. I know it's terribly worrying when you have an insulin dependent child. Any help I can give you, I'd be happy to. You can email me on [email protected] and maybe after we can talk. Good luck. Your daughter needs you. xxx

 

[nataliegage]

Spoke to diabetic pal in America and her doctor also managed to covince her that she was imagining the pen she was using contained a fluid wich was not insulin. Not NovoRapid but made by the same company. I've tried to get my box tested, but it seems nobody wants to do this. Spoke to many analytical chemists. Can anybody advise one that will test my pen. It's still in the fridge but kept far apart from my other pens.

I dont want to see anybody killed by bad medication. Tried notifying the people who test drugs in the UK, but after filling in form, and trying to send it, their website cut me off.

My warning is - be verycareful if `suddenly' your sugar spikes and you havn't been ill. Get in touch with your GP right away and don't be fobbed off.


NattyG

 

[Vampix]

Thanks for sharing this, my son is on Novorapid and is newly diagnosed so i now know to watch out for this. I imagine it was very worrying and i think any suspected dodgy pen should be submitted to your diabetic professional if you see a consultant regularly.

If not, maybe contact the General Medical Council and ask for this to be investigated.

 

[Cobra3164]

Just to point out with the Novorapid pens if it is a combination of long and short acting insulin gently turn the pen about 20 times before injecting to mix the two otherwise it will seem to be ineffective.

All the best

Simon aka Cobra3164

 

[nataliegage]

Thank you for your replies - yes I've done all these things.

Today I received an email asking me to send the pen to - would you believe it Novo Nordisk, the manufacturers so they can analyse it. I've told them I'll happily have it analysed by a non-biased Lab in the UK, but certainly not by Novo Disk

Novo Nordisk (even if they found the specimen faulty) would never admit to this, it could cost them thousands or even millions. I just wonder how many normally adjusted T1s, living alone, and trusting their medication, have been found dead and what has been the reason hyperglaecemic coma. It's horrendous to know faulty pens are given to us. I think Novo Nordisk have rested on their laurels for too long and once they have a good customer base in every country, - they've just stopped checking the insulin they were putting in the pens.

Glad to see people are heeding my warnings. I want you all to be able to give insulin confident that you are actually injecting `insuln' into your body. We all work very hard keeping ourselve controlled, we don't need to take medication which could kill us!!!

 

[ticker7]

Thanks this is a really interesting post for me, as I may have had a similar problem.

From your post I am not sure if this was a bad batch of insulin that the pen was injecting or whether there was a mechanical problem with the pen i.e/ not delivering the indicated dose through the needle.

My Novo Rapid pen uses glass vials of insulin rapid, which I always keep refrigerated until I use the vial in my pen. I did notice a problem once when I reset the pen spindle causing it to mechanically lock preventing the initial little squirt of insulin through the needle.

I have recently discovered a problem with Novomix rapid which can only be explained by the 20 -30 units of Novomix Rapid not working regularly over the last 5 years which I find hard to believe. I know the pen works as I get occasional Hypos, and has worked very recently.

Another thought would be that you and I have been victim of either out of date or counterfeit substandard Novomix Rapid.

best wishes

 

[nataliegage]

Hi Ticker7

Thank you for your post. It was not a mechanical failure with the pen. I use prefilled pens which are dispensed intact whereas I only have to attach disposable needles. The problem was with the actual insulin solution contained in the pens. I spoke to my Diabetic Nurse and all I got, was ` we don't get many reports of this'. I told her `If wasn't an EXPERIENCED T! diabetic - who realising something was wrong AND took remedial action. She wouldn't have received a report from me either. as I'd have been found and pronounced dead and someone would have said `well she must have gone crazy with her food or had a severe infection'. My main concern is for all the poor people who NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO REPORT IT. I can never bring them back or know who they were, and I'm sure families will believe `they just gave up' and so many would have died alone. That's what happens when faulty pens are dispensed. Just bear this in mind and take care whenever you get a sudden abnormal insulin spike. Take no chances get to Hospital and tell them `it could be the pen'.

Thank you for taking notice and sending your experiences. I think this Forum is wonderful. I hope everybody has a healthy and happy Christmas, but pse watch what you drink, Alcohol and Insulin don't mix unless you increase you carb intake. Very very important. Love to you all. :clap: :thumbup:

 

[ticker7]

Your post and the revelation that I had been taking far more Novo Rapid that I should (without the accompanying hypos) got me thinking about the problem of drug counterfeiting specifically Insulin counterfeiting, Have you found out anything more?

Initial Google search doesn't show a lot but there is something about a real warning from the UK's MHRA on NovoFine needles whoch were counterfeit and failing to meet quality standards.

Link :http://www.mhra.gov.uk/NewsCentre/Pressreleases/CON041472

I found your comment very interesting "Spoke to diabetic pal in America and her doctor also managed to covince her that she was imagining the pen she was using contained a fluid wich was not insulin. Not NovoRapid but made by the same company". Is this a real probem, and is it widespread?

 

[ticker7]

After a quick early hours search on Google for Counterfeit medications, Counterfeit Insulin, Counterfeit NovoRapid, and Counterfeit Lantus:

Search Highlights:
My initial impression is that drug counterfeiting is a real problem and is being tackled by the EU, UK government's MHRA, and the USA FDA amongst others.

A warning from the EU and MHRA was issued for counterfeit NovoRapid Needles in 2009 as they did not meet the quality standards.

Insulin counterfeiting is a problem, how widespread isn't clear.

A Chinese company is identified as producing counterfeit NovaRapid Pens. You might think that the money is in NovaRapid substitute, so once they have produced counterfeit pens the counterfeit Insulin must follow into the market.

Lantus seems much more accessible than NovaRapid as an internet purchase, and thus Lantus may be more susceptible to counterfeiting.

My advice is if you live in the UK to contact the the UK's MHRA (who have 40+ people and seem equipped with an Investigation branch) and see if they can get the insulin analysed for you.

 

[kelvinclarke]

one thing i have noticed with the all in one pens for novarapid is that when i have taken the dose using the standard count of 10 to ensure the dose is given, that when i remove the pen from my abdomen the insulin still continues to come from the needle point, some times as much as 1.5 units.

I use a click star pen for my long lasting insulin and have never had any problems with it so have asked my nurse to prescribe me the insulin ampoules for use in a click star pen, hopefully that will rectify the situation.

 

[Thundercat]

I have been using Novopen for 26 years and have never had a problem. I used to use the disposable Lantus pens but after several problems (wrong dose, plunger not working, 1+ units of insulin escaping from pen after injecting ) I switched to reusable pen with glass phial and thankfully have not had any problems since

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[noblehead]

one thing i have noticed with the all in one pens for novarapid is that when i have taken the dose using the standard count of 10 to ensure the dose is given, that when i remove the pen from my abdomen the insulin still continues to come from the needle point, some times as much as 1.5 units.

I use a click star pen for my long lasting insulin and have never had any problems with it so have asked my nurse to prescribe me the insulin ampoules for use in a click star pen, hopefully that will rectify the situation.

Like Thundercat I've not had this problem. It's normal to see insulin at the tip of the needle when you withdraw the pen but 1.5 units seems a lot, I would suggest you change your Novopen and see if this resolves the problem.