Does my FlexPen need to be replaced? (pen was bad?)

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Dale 'n' Chip

Dale 'n' Chip

Member Since 2012
I notice in other quarters low dose kitties have their FlexPens cheerfully replaced every 7 to 34 days. They even tally countdowns to the new pen. :?

In looking back here in LevLand it appears most claim to use Levemir pens/cartridges to the last drop. What happens when a pen actually goes bad? What do the numbers look like? Has it ever happened that getting a new pen improved things?

I thought I read about a vial going bad after some period but I can't find it now. What do "those with more experience" suspect may be going on in Chip's case?

Do I need to run out and get a replacement FlexPen/vial (this FlexPen came directly from Venita, I don't see how it could be bad) or do I just need to speed up the increases until something starts to happen? The only reason I wonder is because of the sharp contrast to Chip's response to relatively low doses of Lantus (scroll up) only 3 weeks ago.
 
Re: Does my FlexPen need to be replaced?

dale, hold the pen up to bright light (sun light works best) and use a magnifying glass to check for crystals. in the beginning stages crystals are minute... even when viewed with a magnifier. my eyesight isn't the best so i use reading glasses and a hand held magnifying glass to check for crystals.

i was able to use my last lev pen for 97 days (til i had to hold it sideways to draw insulin out of it), but i've also had flexpens go bad (saw crystals) after 34 and 39 days.

as long as the insulin has not frozen, discolored, has remained clear, and free from crystals (floaties)... i continue using it and assume alex requires a dose increase. it's worked with her.

fwiw, just my thoughts...
 
Re: Does my FlexPen need to be replaced?

I never had a pen "go bad." Any time I had wonky numbers and a pen had less than 50U left and I opened a new one, the same problems continued. It was my dosing that was the issue, not the pen.

Lots of members have shipped pens across the country and Venita does it all the time for DCIN without issues. He maybe just needs more Levemir than Lantus. I would not bother to compare the two in this case, don't expect the same doses to work the same way. They are 2 different insulins, no matter how similarly they are treated on the board.
 
Re: Does my FlexPen need to be replaced?

Vicky & Gandalf (GA) & Murrlin said:
I never had a pen "go bad." Any time I had wonky numbers and a pen had less than 50U left and I opened a new one, the same problems continued. It was my dosing that was the issue, not the pen.
Click to expand...
Thanks Vicky that's what I suspected.

It's likely my dosing, or more precisely my impatience. I'm still liking Levemir as long as I can get his numbers down. It's significantly cheaper locally than Lantus, cheaper from Canada as well.

Venita is a real pro at shipping these things. She even takes into account the temperature forecast for the entire route. In this case it was over 100F nearly the whole trip. She shipped my earlier Solostar pen the same, and it was in perfect shape.

Ordering from Canada (now) would have likely seen the whole box baked pretty good for however long (the pony express?) was crossing the US. :smile:
 
Re: Does my FlexPen need to be replaced?

I think the propaganda in the box said something like 28 days or 42 days on a pen. That's assuming its sitting out. When refrigerated, it should last til it's used up, unless you're REALLY shooting low doses, and then I'm not qualified to answer. With a big-gulper, these pens empty WAY too soon!!!

I didn't see much difference in Grayson's numbers until I got up about the same dose as I had been on ProZinc. Then I finally started seeing some action. So, don't assume it's the age of the pens, it might be, as you suspect, the dose.
 
Re: Does my FlexPen need to be replaced?

Maybe it was the pen after all? Hard to tell for sure. :?

Looks about as suspiciously close as anything I've seen so far on a spreadsheet. 2.0U with the old pen reached per protocol vs 2.0U with the new pen?

Wonder if USPS x-rayed or irradiated the package? The pen is clear, no signs of trouble under high magnification and full sun.

The new pen came locally from Walgreens and is obviously good.
 
Altho' we use Lantus, it's truly not much different than Lev when it comes to going bad. I've used every pen until the last drop without seeing a change (he's wierd anyway...). Right now I'm on the last fourth of a VIAL and still seems to be doing the same as when we started it over 90 days ago. I keep mine wrapped in a washcloth standing in a tall cottage cheese container on top shelf of fridge.

I'm curious about the Lev answer too...just so I'll know....

HUGS!!!
 
I know when I first started with Lev I sold a pen to someone whose vet wasn't wanting to 'experiment' with Lev (new vet, loves Humulin, even though the cat had been on Lev for a while with another vet).

It finally pooped out and she had it for three months, dropped it a few times, and left it out of the fridge once or twice.

Her vet still insists on Humulin.
 
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