? Grrrr...question about bubbles in syringes..

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Jeanne & Dottie

Jeanne & Dottie

Member Since 2016
:facepalm:I'm having major trouble with pesky bubbles in Dottie's syringes.

They're always in EXACTLY the same place..:banghead:at the bottom of the barrel resting on the plunger. I've tried tapping the syringe..juggling the insulin bottle after rolling it gently. I might add that my right hand is almost useless..I can't hold onto the insulin bottle very tightly. I do everything over a quadruple-folded towel in case I drop syringe and bottle.

I never see bubbles in the bottle, because I roll Very Gently. It looks like the bubbles might be created when I push the plunger to add air to the bottle before withdrawing the insulin.

Exactly how fragile is this insulin...I see all sorts of "don't jar the molecules" warnings..but doesn't 'flicking' the syringe barrel do damage too? How about the insulin shooting through these skinny needle tips.

I know I shouldn't re-enter the insulin bottle to try to get bubbles out of the syringe..and I haven't. But that pesky little bubble is still in there. Part of the problem might be that in ALL my syringes, the plunger doesn't seem 'level'..so there's always a spot where the bubble wedges.

Any suggestions? I REALLY want to whack the offending syringe, but if I do that:blackeye: I break up the molecules. Is there a trick to this?
 
Jeanne & Dottie said:
Any suggestions? I REALLY want to whack the offending syringe, but if I do that:blackeye: I break up the molecules. Is there a trick to this?
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Whack away!! It's not as fragile as that!

One thing I've noticed has helped me lately is to draw the insulin into the syringe FAST...seems to "break loose" those bubbles that seem to "stick" to the plunger
 
Those bubbles are actually from the vacuum/surface tension on the edge of the new syringe. Try drawing air in and out a couple times to break the surface tension on the plastic before putting the syringe in the vial and drawing up the insulin.
 
Chris & China said:
Whack away!! It's not as fragile as that!

One thing I've noticed has helped me lately is to draw the insulin into the syringe FAST...seems to "break loose" those bubbles that seem to "stick" to the plunger
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I've noticed that, too, that's how I draw up insulin. It really does seem to work.
 
I don't know if it helps at all, but here's what I do:

1) With a fresh syringe, I start by moving the plunger up and down several times to lube the barrel.
2) I then push the plunger all the way back to the top of the barrel and hold it there by keeping my thumb pressed firmly against the plunger top. You should feel the rubber plunger compress a bit. I believe this expels the maximum amount of air and and prevents (as best possible) bubbles from forming when you draw in the insulin.
3) While maintaining that pressure, I insert the needle into the insulin container
4) Then I release & draw the insulin
5) Once I pull the needle out, I point it up, give the barrel several good, solid thwacks with my middle finger to dislodge those clingy bubbles
6) Then I draw back on the plunger to pull more air into the syringe so those tiny bubbles all coalesce into the large air pocket at the top of the syringe barrel
7) Then I push back on the plunger to expel it and stop once i get some liquid coming out of the tip
 
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Gotcha!:cat:All points well taken. I do lube the barrel, but I would let up on the plunger before inserting it into the insulin bottle. That makes sense because in letting go after the extreme pressure, there would be a tiny drop of air that gets back in. That is probably the culpurit! I'll make sure to withdraw the insulin fast as well. THANKEE!:bighug: And yes I'll whack it good, too!
 
Are you using ProZinc? I thought ProZinc insulin drawn into the syringe could be put back into the bottle. A video on ProZinc's website even shows this practice. http://www.prozinc.us/home_treatment.html

IIRC it is Lantus that can't be put back in. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.
 
I use a compounded form of ProZinc and it's not as stable. So I'd rather not inject back into the bottle. The insulin bottle I have is 500 units, and will go out of date two months after I open it. Dottie only needs 1.5 units BID. So wasting a few units and keeping my insulin stable is more important.
 
Gotcha, I don't use compounded but I have heard that it does decrease the stability. You got me worried because I re-inject my ProZinc all the time! lol
 
Hubby likes to root through the fridge when hungry, and I mean:banghead: R O O T. Things get banged around. He's not terribly coordinated, and gets distracted easily...so he's more like the sitcom Tool-Time's Tim Taylor. To prevent him from rattling Dottie's drug, I told him the insulin was so fragile that he should consider it to be as volatile as nitroglycerin. I also told him if he shook up the insulin:arghh: I would become as volatile as nitroglycerin.

I haven't heard any banging since I told him that. He's trying very hard.

I know I have to teach him how to test and give injections, because there's always the risk that I might have to go into hospital, but I really dread letting him handle that bottle of insulin, much less do ear pokes and needle-sticks. He means well..but YIKES! :facepalm: If I were Dottie I'd make a beeline for under the bed.
 
:woot: nitroglycerin :woot: I can just picture him digging in the fridge only to pop his head out and make that weird "huh?" sound Tim Taylor makes.

Some people wrap their insulin vials in saran wrap so it less likely to break if dropped, have you tried that?

I definitely had anxiety over teaching my hubby to test and give shots. I was more worried because he was worried about it rather than "Tim Taylor syndrome". IIRC we started with shots then added ear poking. For injections he did better with diagrams than learning by example. For ear pokes I made him watch a bunch of YouTube videos before demonstrating. I found the videos helpful and calming when I started poking and I hoped it would have the same effect on him. He is pretty good with the ear pokes now but he still struggles with injections from time to time. He mainly has issues with fur shots and not being able to pierce the skin with the needle. :facepalm: I have no idea why he has such trouble getting the syringe needle through the skin, I never have that problem.
 
No! Never heard about the saran! Brilliant! I have seen little insulated jackets rather like the ones used on soda pop cans, but never saran wrap.

I think that if a cat's fur is thick, and someone isn't forceful enough, sometimes the needle will stall over a hair. The odds are against it, but it happens. Dottie's undercoat is so thick that I finally shaved small spots on her flank, in a checkerboard pattern. She has little loose skin, and grabbing a larger area that has been 'sueded' is difficult, I need hair to hang onto..so I have a few tiny spots that I alternate, so she looks a bit moth-eaten. I just pretend that she's right in style with fur like some rappers' hair cuts, where the designs are cut into the hair :rolleyes:

My hubby is ADHD, and he has trouble focusing. I worry that he'll rush filling the syringe, and get the dosage wrong, because he'll become distracted. Teaching someone in the rest of our family is out..they're all skittish...and I do need someone who will step in, in a pinch. He's willing, just not good at focusing. I will try using diagrams for him. He might be less self conscious if I'm not hovering.
 
Jeanne & Dottie said:
He's willing, just not good at focusing. I will try using diagrams for him. He might be less self conscious if I'm not hovering.
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I found it helpful to watch my hubby do the shots and answer questions he had then discuss technique. It might not be ideal for a few shots but I feel like it helped reduce the frustration level in both of us. My vet had me practice giving shots in the office using saline IIRC, maybe you could do something similar for your hubby? That way he has the opportunity to learn how to give shots without either of you worrying about messing up the actual insulin injection. If you do decide to teach using practice non-insulin injections I would urge you discuss it with your vet or a more knowledgable forum member first.

As far as getting the dosage right some people have filled syringes with colored liquid to use as a guide for filling the syringe. This way the person filling in for the primary caregiver can compare the dose they filled to the example dose to reduce the chance of administering an incorrect dose. If it were me I might also request that he take a picture of the filled syringe as a record so you can troubleshoot any possible dosing discrepancies after the fact.
 
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