[Diabetes-talk] Insulin pens

[Diane]

Thanks so much!
Do you have to change the needle, or can you use it for all of the insulin 
that is in the pen?
Di
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
To: "Diabetes Talk for the Blind" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, January 18, 2009 10:56 PM
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Insulin pens


> Diane:
>
> I can give you a generic answer but to be truly helpful, it might be
> nice to know what aspects of insulin pens and pen use you are wondering
> about.
>
> In general, insulin pens look like and are about the size of an
> old-fashioned fountain pen. You take the cap half off and the exposed
> end has threads upon which you screw an insulin pen needle assembly. You
> then tug on this assembly a bit and the needle cap comes off, leaving
> only a slim plastic cylinder covering the needle. You pull this off
> exposing the needle.
>
> On the other end of the pen is a dial which you turn to set the dose.
> Usually, there's one click per unit of insulin although some pens click
> in half-units and some in two-unit steps.
>
> To give yourself a shot, manufacturers tell you to dial in 2 units and
> then push the plunger (usually part of the dial apparatus) and insulin
> will squirt into the air. This is to get rid of air in the needle.
> However, if one is giving oneself a dose over 5 units, it is possible to
> dispense with the air shot even though manufacturers don't recommend it
> (yet some engineers working for manufacturers will say this also).
>
> You then dial up the dose, pinch up your skin, insert the needle and
> push down the plunger just as you do with a syringe. You then put the
> larger needle cap on, unscrew the needle, put the pen cap back on and
> voila, it looks like a fountain pen again.
>
> Pens come in two flavors -- disposable and refillable. The refillable
> pens have cartridges which you put in the pens and use until the insulin
> in the cartridge has been used, whereupon you throw the used cartridges
> away and insert new full ones. The exact mechanism of cartridge
> insertion depends upon which pen you're using.
>
> Disposable pens are pre-filled; you use them until all the insulin is
> gone and throw them away.
>
> Pens can have rapid-acting, intermediate-acting and long-acting or basal
> insulins; exactly what insulins are available in what pens can be
> garnered from the manufacturer. I'm pretty certain that Novo Nordisk's
> Novolog comes in both disposable pens and cartridges for the NovoPen
> III; one can get a Novolin 70/30 mix for the NovoPen III "Penfill"
> cartridges also.
>
> Lilly has Humalog in disposable pens and Sonophie Aventis has lantus
> available in a cartridge pen (the OptiClik) and in a disposable (the
> SoloStar).
>
> In the beginning, I think many Americans were worried that insulin pens
> might be inaccurate; in truth, they are *very* accurate and are
> extremely convenient to use. Diabetics in Europe have been using them
> for years; they're just now really catching on over here in the States.
>
> That's a general overview. I highly recommend pens. I own a Count-a-dose
> so could use syringes if I had to but I'm quite content with pens.
>
> Let me know what I haven't answered.
>
> HTH!
>
> Mike
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Diane" <dianefilipe at peoplepc.com>
> To: "Diabetes Talk for the Blind" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, January 18, 2009 5:33 PM
> Subject: [Diabetes-talk] Insulin pens
>
>
> I know we have discussed this subject many times, but often you don't
> pay attention until it begins to impact your life.  My Dad is looking
> into the pens, and I was just wondering what y'all can tell me about
> them.
> Thank you!
> Diane
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