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

Supply of needles etc.

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.
 
urbanracer said:
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.
Click to expand...


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 :-(
 
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.
 
KK123 said:
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
Click to expand...
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.
 
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 .
 
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.
 
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?
 
Lisa69free said:
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?
Click to expand...
you care team should advise. in our area we call the local council and they come collect and swap it
 
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.
 
I was diagnosed 46 years ago at 16 and never payed for a prescription in my life , Good old NHS !
 
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 .
 
Thats what I do !
 
Lisa69free said:
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?
Click to expand...
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 !
 
Lisa69free said:
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?
Click to expand...
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.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…