• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Dangers of reusing needles?

TakeItAway88

TakeItAway88

Well-Known Member
Messages
74
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi there

Today I was quite short of micro-fine needles. Only realised today I was going to run out lol Luckily I was able to pick some up from the pharmacy.

Anyhow, because I was short of needles this meant I had to reuse one I had used earlier. I know this is not advisable but I had no other choice. Does this mean I will get an infection now? How will I know if I have an infection? The site where I injected is now a little sore and there's a mark so does this mean I have one
 
No you will not get an infection, you may have a little bump, this is because the needle blunts a little each time it is used, it is best practice to use a new needle and lancet every time but sometimes like today once is fine
 
Shar67 said:
No you will not get an infection, you may have a little bump, this is because the needle blunts a little each time it is used, it is best practice to use a new needle and lancet every time but sometimes like today once is fine
Click to expand...

You're supposed to change the lancet as well? I use mine around two or three times :/
 
Many of us don't change the needle every time. After twenty seven years of reuse I've never had an infection.
 
Oh, I'm always reusing needles and lancets because I'm lazy! I've never yet had a single problem. Not saying I advise it but don't panic just because you have to reuse a needle once. As shar67 said, it blunts a little each time so that's likely why it feels a bit sore and also because you're fearful of it being infected.
 
Agree, reusing needles is not a problem. I too have never had an infection or any other issue from reuse and quite often it's been one needle for the life of a pen. Usually only change when the pen is in use if needle bends, hits a blood vessel or starts hurting.

I do however treat lancets differently and have never normally reused - it's probably due to the thought of blood contamination.

They all state single use only because that means more £'s for Becton Dickinson and the others who make them.
 
This topic regularly comes up. The risk of infection, as long as the needle is removed from the pen and covered until re-used, is virtually nil. In theory the needle blunts a bit each time but I always use only one needle a day and find the last injection as easy and painless as the first. Saves the NHS a lot of money when added-up.
 
Just like smoking there are old men and women how smoked all their lives and never had so much as a cough, on the other hand there are plenty of people dying of smoking related cancer.
You make your own choices, but the hospital, GP and DN will tell you not to reuse.
 
I was told to change my lancet every second day - as long as I wash my hands before each test
 
I had a nasty infection in my tummy in April 2002, my mum had recently died and I was visiting her in hospital for weeks an weeks before that, I do think it took it's toll on me ( mentally and physically), but that's the only time. I had to have antibiotics in the end, and they worked well.
 
Back
Top