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Reliability of disposable pens

G

gavin86

Well-Known Member
Messages
194
Type of diabetes
Type 1
So just took my dinner insulin. (10u novorapid)
I'm not worried, as I've been feeling hungrier than usual today, but....

I dialled up 10u and swear I heard 12 clicks as I pushed it in!

How have people found the reliability of the plastic disposable pens?
In this case, it's not a freshly opened one - have used about half of it so far.

Would people recommend switching to refillable?
I initially was put off by the size being a bit bigger, but now that I realise I carry a bag of stuff with me, that doesn't really matter.
 
I have never had a problem it's Humalog I use. Did you check the dial?
 
Definitely dialled up 10.. however I didn't watch the numbers tick down as I injected it... usually I go by the sound, counting.

This was novorapid. Not sure if any of the pens vary between brands - my lantus pens seem identical in terms of mechanical/functional components.
 
How is your BG now? O of it has given two extra units I imagine it would show up by now? If it was me and o was in doubt I'd ditch that particular pen just to put mind at rest. Good luck
 
@gavin86 , as you use Novorapid why don't you ask for a NovoPen Echo, the pen uses cartridges and is robustly built, it also has the added advantage of dialling up in half units and has a built-in memory function, this is a great feature for times when you can't remember if you've injected or what the dose was.
 
I use novopen 4 for novorapid, and lantus pen. I have not had this problem. Defective pen?
 
I've found sometimes the disposable pens click a little more than the selected units but it's sometimes the movement of your finger/thumb that readjusts it or it just randomly clicks more however it still objects the selected units no more no less
 
Have noticed it a couple times now. I couldn't really say whether it has effected my doses, due to being newly diagnosed and bgl ranging all over the place anyway

Think it may just be the way the mechanism works.
 
I was never tempted by disposable pens as I am keen to reduce waste (you should see how much of my pump set change I recycle). They may be smaller but surely it is better for the environment (and cheaper overall) to use refillable pens.
 
I tried a disposable pen once, I didn't get on with it, I love my refillable one for my NovaRapid, and as stated above it will tell you how much your last injection was and approximately when taken.
 
I questioned my disposable but gotnthe echo refillable and loved it. Especially the memory function. I'm now using the refillable for humalog but miss the memory function.
1/2 unit sound s like a blip and one sounds much clicker.
I wish lantus came in refillable. Not sure why but I don't trust disposables as much now that I have refillables
 
Lantus does come in refillable, I've been using it for a couple of years. I too startd to suspect the reliability of disposable pens; I'd never really understood why they were prescribed and like helensaramay I recycle everything and have a real issue with waste. I can't remember the exact figures now but when I asked my DNS about changing to refillable she discovered that the disposables cost something like 10 times as much - another very good reason to switch if we want to keep the NHS!
 
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