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Needles Suitable For A Novopen 5

JurassicMark

Member
Messages
9
Location
Nottingham
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
The numbers on my old NovoPen were fading and becoming unreadable so decided to upgrade to the latest NovoPen. I had no problems with the needles I had at the time but I recently started a new pack of needles and while they work without any issues, the NovoPen lid doesn't quite fit snuggly. The lid clicks when closing but it soon springs open again when putting the pen in my drawer. It seems that the plastic needle cover on these new needles is slightly longer that the previous ones.

I don't usually pay much attention to the make of the needles I get but these are GlucoRx FinePoint 5mm. I've been using 5mm needles for some time and assume the chemist gives me whatever compatible 5mm needles they have in stock. I've been checking for alternate needles online but not sure how much choice of make I have as I don't know what's available on free prescription. Has anyone had a similar experience or can you tell me what type of 5mm needles you use for this pen?
 

Simple answer......... unscrew and remove the needle from the pen before replacing the cap........or get the Novo Fine needles.
 

Hi, do you mean the mauve inner needle cover for the 5mm screw ons....?

I believe these are a standard length regardless of needle size? Since the advent of the newer slightly shorter design Novopen covers, they do protrude a fraction too far. I tend to leave the needle bare with the cover in place...
 
You're supposed to not leave the needles on. Since I got moved to Braun needles which have no little cover on them, I even actually follow that advice now (didn't for the previous 20-odd years. Also not supposed to try and put the little covers on either, danger of pricking yourself. I reckoned after however many thousands of times doing it without getting it wrong, that danger didn't really apply..)
 
satindoll said:
Simple answer......... unscrew and remove the needle from the pen before replacing the cap........or get the Novo Fine needles.
Click to expand...

I've got into the bad habit of reusing my needles a few times before changing them. This has never caused me any problems but perhaps it's time to start doing things according to the instructions.
 

Some needles I've used in the past had a mauve inner needle cover but my current ones are white. I would have thought they would be a standard length but my current needles seem to have a slighly longer cover than the previous ones, hence my issue. It may be only 1mm difference but that's enough to prevent my pen lid fitting back on snuggly.

When you say "leave the needle bare", do you mean without the inner cover with just the pen lid to protect it?
 

I'm similar to how you were. I've got lazy and developed bad habits so perhaps it's time to start doing these things properly.
 

Hi again,

I've used the the ones in the past with the white inner cover too.. (Possibly 8mm?) The moave is on my 4mm. Not a problem on the much older Novopens. But by comparison, I think there is a 5mm shortening of the pen cover on the newer models? Which don't allow for the standard primary needle protection. Which I feel was put in place during production to safeguard staff on the line from possible impalement, (or protect from contamination?) before getting sealed into the outer clear protective packaging? (& boxed up of course..)

In my experience. The pen lid does an adequate job of protecting the fitted needle on the New style Novos..
& they've had some pretty rough "field tests" with me!
 

I stopped trying to refit the little covers years ago. Sometimes they just fell off? There was a danger of blunting the needle before first use, trying to line it back up..

Suffice to say,
There is a practicality to having a new needle pre-fitted to the pen, ready to go in a social function or work environment..
Always make sure you have a couple spare with the rest of the kit..
 


I have exactly the same problem. I used to used BD Micro-fine 5 mm needles for my Novopen but since my GP changed the needles to the GlucoRx alternative (presumably because they are cheaper - they are made in Korea), the cap no longer clicks on. As result, the cap comes off easily, and the needle often get bent as a result. So, despite what the manufacturers say, these GlucoRx needles are not "universal". I prefer to keep the small needle cap in place, as it gives extra protection and I feel the needle is less exposed to contamination. I've explained this problem to my GP, who has agreed to change my prescription back to the BD Micro-fine needles. The BD needles are a few £ more expensive, but that is nothing compared to the cost to the NHS of the blood glucose test strips that I used to use before I bought a Freestyle libre (and for which I pay the cost of sensors myself, so I'm still saving the NHS money overall).
 

Had those once but were switched back to bd microfine.
 
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