Question about drawing your dose into syringe, hard to title

This has happened to me a few times and I've just started over because I didn't know what to do so I'm going to ask you guys what you think.

I always pump the syringe a few times to make it slide really smooth before I draw.
Today I was drawing up a dose for 1.75u and I drew to about 2.25u or somewhere around there, then I tapped out the air bubbles, drew it back and then pushed it forward. I was almost to the 1.75u mark (going really, really slowly) and for some reason it just skipped forward and passed it up, even though I prepped it to be smooth.
So my question is since I've already put that syringe into the Lantus SoloSTAR Pen should I just toss it and start over or is it okay to put it back into the pen and draw up just a little bit more?

Thanks,
Erika

 

There's no reason you can't pull out a little bit more

What we don't want to do is push insulin back into the pen....but removing more is OK

 

Ditto to Chris' response. It's happened to me pretty frequently, depending on which brand of syringes I am using. Walmart's Relion syringes are the worst for sticking then "jumping" like that, I think; I have wasted a lot of insulin using them!

 

Yep, hated those Relion syringes from Walmart. Was so hard to adjust a small amount.

 

I'm relieved I'm not alone in my opinion of them, lol.

 

That's the kind that I use. I love the half marks and their prices are great but man do they skip. Seems like a few of you feel that way. Did you guys find another brand of syringes with half marks or even quarter marks at a good price?

 

I've been using Monojects. They don't stick but it's virtually impossible to get all the bubbles out of them. Again, lots of wasted insulin! When this box is gone I will be looking for another brand.

ETA: ADWdiabetes.com has at lot of syringes to choose from, you might want to check them out.

 

The Sure Comfort's moved very well... but the markings are wildly inconsistent =( (i measure with digital calipers, so I noticed it). I currently use Monojects as well.. dont have a ton of isses with bubbles, but they skip for me. Ive gotten better at the control of it. The more you use a specific brand, the easier it gets too.

 

I like these: https://www.adwdiabetes.com//produc...-5-16-with-half-unit-markings-100bx_16367.htm

 

I use CarePoint ones too, just U-40 because of Prozinc. Maybe 1 per bag will be a little "stickier" but otherwise they've been working just as good as the kit I first got.

 

Too bad that you can't see a picture of these things before you buy them. And does anyone happen to know if the 5/16 is that much longer than the 8mm or is that the regular long needle? I've only ever used short needle, I'm going to try to see if I can find that one in 8mm.

I understand about the inconsistent lines on the syringe, everyone now and then I get one of the Relion ones that is just really ridiculous. Once I had 5 syringes in one bag that were all totally different.

 

5/16 inch is 7.9375mm. Close enough
I did have 1 or 2 that the plunger wasn't level with the lines. I probably could've just taken it all the way out and tried to line it up but I didn't .

 

Well this is what I found, I guess this helps to clear things up. Stupid metric system
https://www.defender.com/pdf/metric-conversion_6-18-14.pdf

 

has anyone tried BD brand? I like their other stuff. I was browsing that site and found some syringes, they are a bit more expensive but they might be worth it. I'm so tempted to get a box.
https://www.adwdiabetes.com/product/bd-ultra-fine-insulin-syringes_6941_178.htm

 

All syringes seem to have one problem or another....I've never had a problem with the Relion's sticking, but I always pull the plunger in/out several times before I put the syringe into the pen to pull out the insulin so I spread the lubricant around really good first.

 

Yes, I do, too, I don't know why I have such a problem with them sticking. The Monojects don't stick at all, but the bubbles make me crazy!

 

Well then I guess you're going to have to "pick your poison".....LOL

Sticky syringes or bubbles??

 

Here is another one I remember one member liked since they said it was really good at not getting air bubbles, only 60 in the box though: https://www.adwdiabetes.com/product/ulticare-u-100-vetrx-half-unit-insulin-syringes_5739.htm

 

I have used those, as well. I can't remember having any specific issues with them so maybe I will try them again, next time!

 

I personally do not like the BD brand. I got some, and realized they have a strange "lip" near the zero line, and it made it hard for me to measure with the calipers.

Others here use them a lot and seem to really like them.

Choosing a needle is definitely like "picking your poison."

 

That's the ones I'm using. They have that initial stickiness you're talking about, but once you prime it's fine after that. I haven't had any bubble issues... yet.

 

I've noticed I get air bubbles in my BD brand syringe when drawing from the lantus pen. Is there a way to avoid this or is it just what is in the needle before putting it in the cartridge? It drives me nuts.
Also what is the reason behind not putting any extra back into cartridge? Just a contamination thing? I already drew up a tiny fraction past 8 units and just leveled it out before pulling the needle out. It was like a "fat" 8 units to a normal 8. Should I be worried about my pen being compromised? At 16 units a day (for now) it's only going to last about 18 days right?

 

The Lantus pens shouldn't have air added back in because of its design (and contamination). The plunger inside the pen moves as you draw out of it, unlike a traditonal vial. (Vials get the air so a vacuum isnt created.)

 

I didn't have any bubbles the time I evened it out so as far as I know, no air went in. I draw a fat 8 (more if there's a big bubble) to compensate for the air, pull it out of the pen then tap and squeeze out the air.

 

You could accidentally put air in the pen if the syringe isn't at 0 when you insert it into the pen and then push the plunger all the way in before drawing insulin. Most syringes are not at 0 when you take them out of the package, just make sure to have that plunger fully seated before inserting.

 

Like the opposite of Prozinc

 

To get the least bubbles, draw very slowly then leave the needle in the vial/pen for a few seconds - many times it levels out.

 

I do this too, that's what I meant by pumping it or prepping it and I still have problems with it.

 

I bookmarked them to give them a "shot", pun intended lol

 

The air bubbles actually don't bother me, I have my own method of dealing with them so I might just give all of these brands a try by buying a box of each and seeing which one I like best.

 

The insides of the syringes have a thin coating of silicone or some type of lubricant to help the plunger glide smoothly. When you inject any overage back into the vial/pen it gets contaminated with the silicone/lubricant.

 

Thanks, Lyresa. I will have to try that!

 

My 1st vet told me to always pull more and inject some back into the pen. So glad I found this board early on to learn I was doing it wrong.

 

I understand the reasoning behind not pushing anything back into the pen, but I've read a few things that say when drawing from a vial you can draw up extra, tap bubbles, and push back into the vial.

http://www.bd.com/us/diabetes/page.aspx?cat=7001&id=7264

https://www.diabeteseducator.org/do...pdf/general/Insulin_Injection_How_To_AADE.pdf (page 4 on this one)

There are a few youtube videos that show this as well.

 

Any hints you'd like to share? Those darn bubbles drive me crazy!!!

 

This worked perfectly this morning! I pushed on the plunger before putting the needle in the pen and pulled it very slow. Zero bubbles!
Thank you for the tip!!

 

Yes you can push back into the vial because it works differently than the pen, there is air inside of the vial but there is no air inside of the pen. It's still not a good idea to inject it back in simply because of the lubricant that is inside of the syringe, some of that can always get back into the vial but that's up to you to decide.

 

WONDERFUL!!!! Yep those bubbles are really irritating!

 

Hopefully it will work well for you too!

 

This morning's draw was not entirely bubble-free, but it was better, so I think Yes, it did help!

 

Pens and vials work differently, so are handled differently; however, you should not re-inject any insulin back into either of them. You should not push anything, air or insulin, back into the insulin pens. You do need to inject some air into the vial before drawing up your dose, but never inject insulin back into the vial, for the same reason of contamination from the lubricant.

 

Maybe I should make a video on it, actually I probably will. I push the plunger down as hard as I can and hold it there while I put the needle into the pen and then I let go. I draw back about a half of a unit more than I need. While holding the syringe needle facing toward the sky, I tap the sides of the syringe a few times to get the bubbles to rise toward the needle and all of this should sound familiar. Where I learned to get all of the bubbles out is that at this point, I draw the syringe back a good bit, say if I was drawing to 2u then I would draw back to 4u with just air at the top and then slowly push that one big air bubble out and pay close attention when it gets to the top making sure that all of the air goes out evenly and then I push the plunger to my dose marker. If the air doesn't go out evenly then just draw it back a little and then push forward again and it should be fine. Getting used to this might take a few tries. Using this method is the fastest and most effective way that I've found to get all of the air out, I don't struggle with air bubbles anymore at all. I also use magnifying reading glasses when I do this because my eyes are shitty and I hold the syringe up to a light and that helps a lot.

 

oh maybe that's what I was thinking about the vials because some people push air into them, I never did that. I know that I've read that we're supposed to push air into the vials but I just never did, I also never pushed insulin back in. Sorry that I got it confused.

 

Lol, it happens to all of us!

 

Tonight there were a lot of tiny little bubbles on the surface of the plunger that wouldn't come off. I got all of the others off and I would normally measure a 1.75u at 1.5 and then just past it where I could see some light coming through but since those bubbles were there I measured up to the bottom of the 2.0 line, I think that will make up for it. I hate it when those bubbles happen but it's not very often that I have to deal with that.

 

Practice makes a man perfect.....

 

I know I am late to discussion, but I did a search to find info on this problem, and this thread came up. The comment above sounds a lot like what I experience with both the Carepoint Vet 1/2U syringes and the 1U ones my vet gave me from VetOne. I don't think they are air bubbles. I think it is the coating from the syringe. After moving the plunger a couple of times to avoid the dreaded "stick" I think some of the coating comes off onto the top of the plunger and around the top rubber ring, sometimes oozing under the top ring. Tapping does nothing to dislodge it. Has anyone experienced this phenomenon? It sounds like all syringe brands have this coating. Do some have less than others? I am desperate to find one that works better.

 

One member said they liked these the best since she was having air bubble issues in all other syringes, only 60/box though: https://www.adwdiabetes.com/product/5739/ulticare-u-100-vetrx-half-unit-insulin-syringes

 

Yes, I saw that recommendation, and I certainly will try them. But I'm still wondering if anyone has noticed the type of problem I have been having with the coating.

 

I hoard Monojects, pharmacists think I'm nuts. The way they feel in your hand is so different. I find them in tiny pharmacies under some dusty shelf because BD has taken over in Canada. Bad for our country!

 

I am a monoject fan too. Have only had a few syringes where the 0 line was off and minimal issues with the bubbles. The monojects with 30 gauge needles caused me the most bubbles. I went to the 31 gauge and don't have any bubbles.

 

I was given those horse's-behind size Caninsulin syringes and just cringed. Then I found some 1/3cc 31 gauge Mono's and made Nigel a happy cat. Don't think they make that size or gauge any more, just look at them the wrong way and they bend. Almost like a prenatal hospital syringe.

 

I have tried both 31 gauge (CarePoint Vet) and 29 gauge (VetOne) and with both I had the coating problem. Maybe I'm hallucinating and these are actually bubbles, but I have never seen bubbles cling to the top of and slide under the rubber plunger.

 

I don't think you are hallucinating at all. I just think that each brand has it's own problems and since these syringes are mass produced, there will be errors in all. I have a box of BD's, Uti Care, Sure Comfort, Care Points, and my current box of Monojects in my cabinet. I have tried all of them and for me, the ones that work the best for me are the Monojects 31 gauge .3ml with 5/16" needles.

 

You might be onto something with that theory there. I just recently purchased a box of BD brand, they are the short needle with half marks. I love how crisp and clear the marks are on the syringes and they are ultra consistent as well. The syringes are smooth, I have very little issue with air bubbles and I really love them BUT they are really expensive, about 20.00 a box. I just wanted to try them out to see but I never expected to like them as much as I do

 

Since you said that, I'm going to order some Monojects next because I liked the BD brand so much, maybe I'll like the Monoject even more

 

I will have to try the Monojects, here is the link if anybody else is interested: https://www.adwdiabetes.com/product/2552/monoject-ultra-comfort-insulin-syringes

 

Thanks for all the suggestions. For now, I'm going to try NOT to prime the syringe at all. Tonight I was able to pull my 1U of insulin w/out any bubbles by avoiding that step. I took my time and pulled very, very slowly, careful to avoid the stick or skip. Takes a bit more concentration, but it's worth it not to have any excess lubricant in the syringe.

 

A gazillion at one time made from one plastic tube 5 miles long! If the heat or humidity is off everything changes. One long tube... like hot dogs! I used to work at the moo-works so I know all about "Quality" control.

 

I once had a syringe with 2 needles and didn't realize until after I drew 30u. No way I was gonna waste 30u, so I got needle nose pliers and bent one needle, cut it off and gave my boy his Levemir lol.

 

Call 1-800 whatever, "Your call is important to us, please continue to" CLICK!

 

omg, I don't think that I could do it. It took me forever and a day to stop rolling the bottle of Lantus because I was taught that I was supposed to do it that way and then when I learned that there was nothing to mix I felt like I was missing something so sometimes I would just have to hold the bottle in my hands and just stand there and tell myself "you don't have to roll this stupid bottle, stop it" lol. I have OCD, it's not severe I don't think, I don't have rituals but I'm super anal about certain things and I HAVE to have certain things done a certain way haha... I honestly laugh at myself about it because it's better than getting mad. My boyfriend gets frustrated but has learned when it's time to just let me have my way. Now that I've veered way out of the way of the topic, I was trying to say that I don't think that I could just do it without pumping it about 30 times first, it's honestly my LEAST favorite part of the entire process but I've tried to just stop at maybe 5 but I can't lol. Is there anyone else like me?

 

WHOA, 30 UNITS! Did you just give him a few units and use the syringe a few times?

 

We ALL are OCD. We don't "have it" like it's infectious, we just are. It is way more healthy to laugh about it. Pumping 30 times A-Okay, just don't count to 30. Is there anyone else? Do you have a globe or atlas in the house?

 

Thank you for the link, I'm ordering a box right now

 

Oh that was a good laugh, I don't count to 30 but sometimes I'll do things like the pumping and then I'll have to do it just a few more times to make it feel "even" or something, I'm sure that you probably know what I'm talking about. It's only with stuff like that though, not with other things like hand washing, locking the door or turning lights on or off. Only little stupid things like clicking a pen or something like that. I don't have a globe or atlas but I DO have Google Earth which is a pretty good substitute lol.

OH NO, I just thought of a movie quote to mash up "we ALL have a mental illness of some kind down here on the FD forums"

That was from the movie IT where the clown says "They ALL float down here"

 

I've read that you know it's bad when you start tapping on things. My sister has a coffee table where the magazines are displayed "just so". I know the Queen's staff use rulers to lay out table settings but that's for Heads of State. I once moved something at her cottage, told her about it and then hung up. Getting worse? There was a show on A&E about OCD. Woman is germaphobic, poop has germs, she eats, "Oh no, germs inside me!" Goes on TV (who does this?) and tells Earth about her daily, possibly hourly enemas. Clicking a pen, ha! When I was a kid camping and your hot dog fell off the stick you blew the dirt off. "It's not dirt, it's Earth". Now children are fragile, spare me!

 

Oh yeah when I was kid I was the same way, I would eat food off of the floor but then again my mom kept a pretty clean home. I might have eaten something I dropped on the ground depending on what it was, if the hot dog was just from the stick then sure but if it had come from the bun and had mustard and ketchup on it then no way unless I could take a napkin and wipe if off. Thinking about dirt sticking to the mustard and ketchup just made me cringe for real, I'm a damn crybaby I guess.

I think that I saw the same show about OCD that you did. There was this girl that had it so bad that she was scrubbing her backdoor raw, I'm guessing that is the enema one that you're talking about right? I remember thinking that show was just downright overboard, all of those showers per day and that damage, enough is enough. I don't even shower daily, or even every other day for that matter. Showering everyday is horrible for our skin, it dries it out and the water is nearly toxic from the chemicals. Then the crap that we put on to our skin like the chemical loaded lotions and creams is like we are begging for cancer so I opt out, I stopped showering 3 years ago HAHA, I'm kidding. I couldn't resist myself, but seriously I skip 2 days before I shower unless I work out or I've done something to need a shower and then I make an exception. I started doing that when my dermatologist told me about it, she diagnosed me with eczema and said that I was showering too much. It was back when I worked in a nightclub and showered every night when I came home, I was damaging my skin and never thought that trying to be clean was the reason I was getting worse. Lesson learned, I stopped wasting my time and I got a lot healthier for it. For anyone wondering, sink baths on the days in between and it's really not gross either.

 

Liquid shampoo was invented in 1927. Do we think people were so stupid they walked around since the Renaissance thinking "I feel gross, wish there was something I could do". Warm water does miracles, that's been around for a long time. I'll be 60 next week, the TV says I should use "A touch of grey". Then I'll have a 20 year old girlfriend in my band who can play the tambourine.

 

I wish that was the case, he was up to 36u every 12hrs at one point. Now we're at 20u and so happy my levemir pen is lasting a week now!

 

Thank you very much, sincerely. I don't use Lantus. Some cats at my vet are on 12 units of Caninsulin. When I go past 6 I wonder if I know what I'm doing. I do, it's just a long story. Did I say thank you?

 

I use these - no bubbles and very smooth.

 

There was a previous comment about mass production. I asked someone once how you could make a profit shipping hard drives from a factory in China to Best Buy. If a shipping container is 8X8X30 feet that's 3,317,760 cubic inches. A hard drive in a box is 16 cubic inches. At that time the container would have cost $3,000 to ship so it's just 1.45 pennies per drive to ship. Obviously excluding trucking, handling etc. When I said quality control is affected because syringes start with a cheap plastic tube a mile long I was not joking. And here we are with our cats lives literally in our hands hoping someone flipped the right switch the day they were made. Creepy?

 

You crack me up before I can finish reading what you've typed lol. I have dry shampoo that I'll use every now and then like if I'm so sick that I just CAN'T wash my hair but I still need to be seen in public but omg it makes me feel so much worse in the end because later on when I do wash my hair, my sh!t is all falling out and I'm wondering if it's because of the chemicals or because I went 1 too many days without washing. Oh yeah, it's probably because I have female pattern baldness, I keep forgetting about that until I go to dye my hair blue again and then I see a new bald spot and realize I'm only 40

 

OMG isn't Levemir and Lantus dosing the same?
At any rate I feel SO bad for you and your baby, that's a crazy dose. I hope that it can come down.

 

Thanks, me too! We are down from 36u, had radiation treatments to zap the tumor early this month that is causing his insulin needs. Levemir does work like Lantus, but it onsets a little later in the cycle and it doesn't sting like Lantus (once we hit 6u, I could see Bronx flinch from the Lantus shot, no more flinching with Levemir).

 

I got my box of Monjects and I'm addicted. I LOVE how there is NO air space at the bottom of the plunger. Well, I just love everything about them. I put my other syringes up in a closet to use when I run out or emergencies but I think I'm sold on the Monojects forever now.

 

I just rec'd my first box of the Monojects today and can't believe the difference between them and the Carepoint Vet syringes I was using. The markings are so much thinner that you can be assured you are actually pulling the correct dosage (especially for small and incremental doses). The plunger moves easily without the lubricant coming off into the barrel/insulin. I, too, am hooked! Thanks to all who recommended them.

 

That's just great, the secret's out and now I can't hoard them anymore! My vet's partner was just so inflexible, "No, these are the OFFICIAL Caninsulin syringes!" Is that like the mattress tag police thing?

 

If you twist a little it helps with the skip forward. I have the same issue and just held the syringe and twisted gently why easing the plunger forward. Didn't read all the responses, but hope I didn't repeat.