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Special insulin pens

LucySW

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,959
Location
Denmark
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Hello guys. Qu from a novice. I use NovoRapid in a Flexpen made by NovoNordisk. It comes all in one and doesn't do half doses.

Now half doses would be very useful, and I gather that some of you get special pens - Echo, Sanofi JuniorStar - into which you can transfer your insulin cartridge.

Are my FlexPens like this? They are standard Danish health service issue (I am living in Dk at the mo for various unlikely reasons). I will ask my team, but I'm not seeing them for a month.

All enlightenment welcomed - Lucy
 
You'd need to get you Novorapid prescribed in 3 ml cartridges for use in the non-disposable Novopens (like the Echo)

Edit to add: they won't fit in non-Novopen pens as the screw fitting is part of the Novorapid cartridge rather than part of the pen.
 
robert72 said:
You'd need to get you Novorapid prescribed in 3 ml cartridges for use in the non-disposable Novopens (like the Echo)

Edit to add: they won't fit in non-Novopen pens as the screw fitting is part of the Novorapid cartridge rather than part of the pen.
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Thank you Rob. It seems I want the NovoPen Echo or the NovoPen Demi. But do you get prescribed cartridges, then?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi Lucy, the Echo is the one that we have available on prescription in the UK for half-u doses. The 3ml cartridges are prescribed to us, yes.
 
LucySW said:
Thank you Rob. It seems I want the NovoPen Echo or the NovoPen Demi. But do you get prescribed cartridges, then?
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Yes we can get Flexpens or cartridges on prescription. I believe the Flexpens and cartridges are roughly the same price, so I can't see you'd be refused on cost grounds. The only extra would be the Echo. I bought my first echo from Amazon (too impatient) but got my second one on prescription.
 
I've got my Echo now and it's lovely! Feels heavy and well made and its so nice to look at the memory at he end.

Lucy aged seven.
 
LucySW said:
I've got my Echo now and it's lovely! Feels heavy and well made and its so nice to look at the memory at he end.

Lucy aged seven.
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Yes, I was so pleased that mine was a lovely bright red colour! All my other pens had been miserable colours. Amazing the little things that make a big difference once you've come to terms with life as a Type 1!

Smidge
 
I think brightly coloured insulin pens just draw attention to a diabetic using them. They also should be smaller like they were years ago and come with the ability to accept 1.5ml cartridge instead of the large 3ml. I bland dark grey colourwould fit in with what anyone was wearing clothes wise and people could inject a bit more discreetly wherever they may be without others looking at the bright colour pen and wondering what it was being used for.
 
I'm all for bringing a little colour in to our lives, and de medicalising kit I realise that obviously it * is* a medical need, but why must equipment need to be in battleship grey or beige type colours? My view only, by the way

I'm kinda with the trend for hearing aids being available in colours for adults as well as children who want them, as it normalises a condition that sadly many are awkward about reveiling When in public, my priority is the injection, not what others think. That's not to say I brandish the pen and announce it to the world, I do take others into consideration but would not compromise the effectiveness of that injection.


I have to say that mostly the reactions of others have been positive, curiosity being the most frequent, and it often ends in a discussion about diabetes and lifestyle dealing with it on a daily basis that there is genuine interest in

All the above from the lass who owns a red and blue Echo, carries them in a Frog Prince pen roll, with either a frog shaped meter case or a pink and white spotted one Sublety is not my strong point, I guess, but I'm old enough not to give a hoot

Signy
 
Me too - old enough not to give a hoot. I love gadgets, and pretty gadgets are better. My Ketonix is in an in-your-face royal blue, so subtle it ain't. (Actually, as admitted before, I don't really know what to use my K. for - except it cheers me up when it shows I'm ketoned to the gills.) Just ordered a second, blue Echo for the other insulin. Hey ho! If I have to be diabetic, at least I can be frivolous about it.

Wish I could get together with some of you lot. Where do you all live? I am in the wild and windy northlands of Jutland, above Germany.

Sniffly, Lucy
 
LOL, I agree ! I find it a form of empowerment to make the whole shebang a statement as its part of who I am. I am a Diabadass, and proud

It would be great to meet up at some point, there are some really gutsy people on here who I have immense respect for We are in the same latitude, you and I, I also live in a very wild and windy spot, (very!) rural English / Scottish Borders , very much North of the Wall

Signy
 
Ha ha. The only negative comments I've had was a guy in a pub in rural Leicestershire who objected to the beeps and whirrs my meter makes when I was testing at a table just before Sunday lunch some years ago. I hadn't been on insulin long and was venturing out to eat with my partner in a 'safe' environment for the first time. I was so embarrassed. He was in a crowd of about 10 people. He had his back to us and was going on about people using mobile phones while they're eating. I said loudly 'Yes, mobiles can be annoying, but the sounds you can hear are my diabetes blood tester. I'm about to inject insulin as I do before every meal, so anyone who doesn't like injections should look away now.' Silence and embarrassed faces all round. 'There, I've finished. You can continue your conversations now.'

My partner clapped and most of the pub joined in.

I was actually very embarrassed but I'll never allow anyone to put me down like that again.

Bring on the red pens!

Smidge
 
I was among the first trial group for Novo back in early 80ties, testing the world's first insulin pen.
Think the first we got were made in the fancy titanium steel version.
http://www.us.schott.com/magazine/images/sol111_10_novo_nordisk_01.jpg
Beautifully slim, elegant and extremely rigid/solid despite its slim design. Looked like any classy designer pen.
Still have it in my collection of memorables, and never had a pen since then that got even close to same level of sturdiness and precision. Yeah, talk about first love never dies.
 
Yep - I had one of those. Recently sent it to @ConradJ for his collection of old equipment.
 
I dropped my favourite novo pen and had to ask for a replacement, gone my happy orange and green delight and now a boring blue monster, wah
 
satindoll said:
I dropped my favourite novo pen and had to ask for a replacement, gone my happy orange and green delight and now a boring blue monster, wah
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I can send you some Barbie / Frozen / Big Hero 6 stickers (from my daughter's collection!) if you want
 

Yes, they were indeed very classy - nothing like them since (including in the pump range).

And thanks to @robert72 for his very generous donation - I'm still building up the collection (still needing an original Autolet and Urine test kit folks!) but hope to be putting images and videos online this year in a way that connects people to the technology and history of diabetes management.
 
ConradJ said:
I can send you some Barbie / Frozen / Big Hero 6 stickers (from my daughter's collection!) if you want
Click to expand...

You have given me and Idea, my granddaughter has a lot of stickers here, peppa pig etc will have a rummage through and see what I can find, actually I think my old pens were from the childrens range which are so much nicer that the adult range, mmmmmm, think I will look on the novo site and see what I can find. Thanks.
 
They have quite a big collection:

Life as a grownup diabetic does not need to be boring.
 
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