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Changing Needles

Adrian1981

Well-Known Member
Messages
49
Location
UK
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi everyone,

Can someone advise me on the frequency in which needles need to be changed on the novapens.

I currently use a cartridge a week and change the needle then. Thats approx 21 injections per needle.


Is this too little?


Many Thanks
Adrian
 
Hi,

my pens are novo but i dont change the cartridge as they are disposable,

but i was told to change the needle everytime i injected as if you re-use he same needle you risk it breaking off in your skin and as it is essentially a tube into where your insulin is held it can risk bacteria grwing and causing infection...

im not sure how different it is when you change the cartridge maybe someone who does can advise you better than i can, but on the chance i am correct i would try find this out as soon as possible?

srry if i am wrong but im just concerend from what i am used to doing

x
 
Ebony.
You are quite correct.

The recommendation is that you use needles once only. If you choose to use them more than once be aware of the actual dangers. You can google it or it is well documented here on this forum.

I can't believe you use them 21 times :shock:
 
I have to admit when I used a NovoPen I would only ever change the needle with a new cartridge. It is a complete miracle that in 20 years of doing so I never acquired anything unpleasant.

This thread attracted my attention simply because I have today emerged from my local hospital after having an abscess drained and excised yesterday. The abscess formed at a glucose sensor injection site, and I now have a couple of months worth of repacking and redressing a very gory hole in my thigh every other day. YUCK! :evil:

Change those needles is my advice!
 
in my local hospital they have a pic of a needle used just once and what happens to it! it's magnified like a million times but it has scared me so much I never, ever re-use :shock: ok, so I would only use once or twice but now it's a new one every time! Adrian, are you worried about getting prescriptions for more or something?
 
Although I am aware of the best practice, I have to say I am very bad at changing my daily. I tend to do it when they no longer go in easily

Generally speaking though I do try to change it a few times a week
 
I have to admit, I am quite bad too. I know we are meant to change the needles, but I spend a lot of time away from home, and don't want to take a load of needs with me - there is only three spaces for needles in my insulin case. So I end up changing them when it begins to hurt.

But I change them more than every 21 injections.
 
Just realised I haven't changed any needles nor lancets since before Christmas - and they're not hurting yet! I do change more often when less able to maintain hygiene and / or temperatures are higher eg when camping in the tropics or artic for weeks on end (not at campsites with showers, just a stream if we'e lucky). Never have a problem, amd it suits me not to use so many resources, both environmental (manufacture & disposal) and NHS costs. However, everyone should decide for themselves.
 
Before I had my pump, I used to change my needle mainly with each cartridge change, or if the needle became damaged when I tried to put the cover back on or if it hurt...

The diabetic clinic will say that they wouldn't advice you to use the needle more than 5 times before changing.. But whether you change with each injection or not, is personal preferance more than anything..

Lanets, I tend to change when either I remember or it hursts, so timing of this veries indeed..

At one time, you used to have to swab the area you wre injecting with surgical spirit first, but they realised that this was causing more problems with injections sites, than just injecting as long as the area is clean the only contamination on the skin would be your own bugs, and these aren't going to cause a problem for yourself...
 
I change the needle on my NovoPen everytime I inject, no sense in risking getting any infection!
 
:shock: I change every time even with a miss fire I find it scary that in this day and age that a heroin addict has better needle sense than seasoned diabetics
 
Must admit that I don't change my needle everyday! :shock:

I know this is stupid as I don't pay for prescriptions, and I am well aware of the risks etc, but as I rarely feel the needle going in, perhaps this may explain things.

The old style needles which fixed to the glass syringes were like nails, I hated the **** things, hurt like hell they did, and you couldn't use them repeatedly. The micro-fine needles we use today are fantastic needles, and as they come in different sizes, they are more comfortable to use.

I would advise anyone not to use there needles more than once, it is a bad practice to undertake and totally unneccesary. Its time I changed my ways and heed my own advice. :wink:

Nigel
 
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