Supply of needles etc.

[sleepster]

I'm a pumper these days but would reuse needles until they hurt when I was on MDI. When I was at school I used to inject through my tights and would rarely change the needle on that pen (only used at school as it had to stay in the nurses office)
I think now I would change the needle more often but probably not after every injection. I would advise others to change theirs after every injection though, I don't want to encourage naughty habits.

 

[searley]

I have found in the past that long acting insulin seems to congeal and block the needle preventing re-use. I was re-using needles for rapid acting insulin until I got this infection, but not anymore.

Humalog tends todo this to me but only if I don’t use the pen for a couple of days… dial in a couple of units and press the button hard normally pops out..

Despite what I say above about could you should you…. Pre pump.. I tended to use 1 needle per pen.. sometimes the needle was so blunt you could hear it tear through the skin.. in 9 years on mdi I’m still on my 4th box of needles :-(

 

[chrisbug]

I was diagnosed 22 years ago and I'm pretty sure I had to pay for the needles, after about a year they became available on the NHS.
I am rubbish (lazy) at changing my needles, I used to be a one cartridge, 1 needle man, unless I bent the needle, then I'd treat myself to a new one.
I've just had a meeting with my nurse who pointed out that needles are designed to be used once, and when looked under a microscope after one use they have a rough texture that will damage the skin on insertion and drag the skin it out on removal, the smooth finish (lubricant?) goes. Possibly contributing to lipohypertrophy.
I do change my needles more often these days.

 

[Seacrow]

I don't think it can be common to inject insulin 50 times a day but hopefully Seacrow will confirm for us, I wonder if they meant 5? x

No, 50+. Severe insulin resistance and a funny reaction to most insulin meant a maximum of 30 units per jab, making about 20 jabs per meal. Throw in a couple of correction shots and you get severe lipohypertrophy. My stomach was solid with lumps. At the time my consultant said I was definitely in the top 1% of insulin dosages.

 

[KK123]

No, 50+. Severe insulin resistance and a funny reaction to most insulin meant a maximum of 30 units per jab, making about 20 jabs per meal. Throw in a couple of correction shots and you get severe lipohypertrophy. My stomach was solid with lumps. At the time my consultant said I was definitely in the top 1% of insulin dosages.

Thank you for replying, another example of how complicated diabetes can be and how different we all are.

 

[jaywak]

Listening to all this I have to count my blessings that I have been so lucky , 46 yrs of doing this and never had a problem .

 

[Struma]

One needle one injection.
I do believe this also reduces risk of lipohypertrophy.
There are photos of a multiple use needle going the rounds every now and then. They're not too good.

 

[Lisa69free]

I'm on my 3rd box of needles and only came home from being diagnosed on the 12th of last month. On the subject of needles... Do I just go to my local chemist to swap sharp box?

 

[searley]

I'm on my 3rd box of needles and only came home from being diagnosed on the 12th of last month. On the subject of needles... Do I just go to my local chemist to swap sharp box?

you care team should advise. in our area we call the local council and they come collect and swap it

 

[Fenn]

Around 5 weeks ago, immediately after injecting my long acting insulin in my leg, I managed to inadvertantly prick my right thumb with the freshly used needle. This was around 7pm and by bedtime my thumb was throbbing and painful. I had a course of oral antibiotics that had no effect and I was admitted to hospital for intravenous antibiotics and still my thumb worsened.

Just over a week after the initial injury - the consultant decided to make an incision and drain the pus and I have been in bandages since with 1 doctor telling me he thought it would take 18 months to heal. On the consent form I had to acknowledge that I might lose my right thumb.

I have found in the past that long acting insulin seems to congeal and block the needle preventing re-use. I was re-using needles for rapid acting insulin until I got this infection, but not anymore.

Yikes! That’s not nice sorry mate.

I used my novo pen to prick finger for COVID test last week, there was a single use little needle thing but messed it up first try and wouldn’t work twice, bloody hurt, made me appreciate finger prick pens, won’t be doing that again.

 

[jaywak]

I was diagnosed 22 years ago and I'm pretty sure I had to pay for the needles, after about a year they became available on the NHS.
I am rubbish (lazy) at changing my needles, I used to be a one cartridge, 1 needle man, unless I bent the needle, then I'd treat myself to a new one.
I've just had a meeting with my nurse who pointed out that needles are designed to be used once, and when looked under a microscope after one use they have a rough texture that will damage the skin on insertion and drag the skin it out on removal, the smooth finish (lubricant?) goes. Possibly contributing to lipohypertrophy.
I do change my needles more often these days.

I was diagnosed 46 years ago at 16 and never payed for a prescription in my life , Good old NHS !

 

[jaywak]

How ever long are the needles you are using if you can bend them ? I remember in the old days when we had to use a proper syringe with needles that were I believe 16 mm long so it was possible to bend them but now they are so short ( I use 5 mm ) I would say it was almost impossible to bend them and I personally can not even feel them even after several uses .

 

[jaywak]

Just been informed by my chemist that there is a supply problem with single-use needles for insulin injection.
I still have about 2 weeks supply but my question is do we really need to make them single use?
Long-term diabetic friends laughed at me using needles as single use, but I was just going by clinic advice.
Can I use one needle for the life of a pen for example (about 2 weeks)?

Thats what I do !

 

[jaywak]

I'm on my 3rd box of needles and only came home from being diagnosed on the 12th of last month. On the subject of needles... Do I just go to my local chemist to swap sharp box?

I do take mine to my local chemist and ask them to dispose of it for me , Blimey 3 boxes in 6 weeks ! that would probably last me 18 months !

 

[Hertfordshiremum]

I'm on my 3rd box of needles and only came home from being diagnosed on the 12th of last month. On the subject of needles... Do I just go to my local chemist to swap sharp box?

Phone the local council, waste and refuse dept. I bruise terribly despite using one needle per injection. My nurse is posting me a prescription for a different kind to see if this will help.