? Lantus Solostar pen - air in the insulin chamber??

SnowKat

SnowKat

Member Since 2020
Hi everyone! I had cat sitters administering insulin to Edward last week, and I just noticed that my Lantus Solostar pen now has a big AIR BUBBLE in the insulin chamber (this is my first pen). I am guessing that someone may have injected air into the pen (??) despite my repeated warnings never to inject anything back into the pen. Also, Edward's #s have been higher than expected yesterday. Is this normal? Do I need to throw this pen away? I've only used about 1/10th of the insulin :(
 
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I eventually get an air bubble around the black plunger in the pen- seems like once I can see the plunger, the air shows....if that makes sense. I have no reason as of yet to think it's affecting my insulin. I tend to only switch pens once my PM numbers seem out of pattern on a previously good dose.
 
I have used a pen and now using a vial and as they empty, they do get pretty large air bubbles. i haven't found the insulin going bad on account of the air.
 
Sienne and Gabby (GA) said:
If the air bubble is at the stopper end of the pen, or if you can tap the pen to get the bubble there, you can use a syringe to draw off the air.

@Bandit's Mom - you do not want air in the pens. They use an entirely different mechanism than a vial.
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I've used a pen previously and now using a vial. I get air in both as the amount of insulin reduces. Even though I don't inject air in.

P.S. Not sure if I'm supposed to start a new condo or can respond to you in this one!
 
Bandit's Mom said:
I have used a pen and now using a vial and as they empty, they do get pretty large air bubbles. i haven't found the insulin going bad on account of the air.
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I'm glad to see other people have experienced the same thing I'm experiencing with my Solostar pen. I recently got a pen that all of a sudden developed an air bubble and the air bubble has gotten pretty big so pharmacist told me to call Sanofi. Sanofi told me that I shouldn't be using a syringe to draw the insulin out, but I've been doing this for a long time without air bubble problem. They didn't answer my question as to whether or not the insulin is spoiled because of the air in the pen. I don't know whether to continue using it or discard and use vial instead which is way more expensive
 
Brodie's mom said:
I'm glad to see other people have experienced the same thing I'm experiencing with my Solostar pen. I recently got a pen that all of a sudden developed an air bubble and the air bubble has gotten pretty big so pharmacist told me to call Sanofi. Sanofi told me that I shouldn't be using a syringe to draw the insulin out, but I've been doing this for a long time without air bubble problem. They didn't answer my question as to whether or not the insulin is spoiled because of the air in the pen. I don't know whether to continue using it or discard and use vial instead which is way more expensive
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I used a pen till the last drop - took me 2 months to finish it - without the insulin getting spoilt
I am using a vial now and that too has air where there used to be insulin.

ETA: Sorry, i meant pen cartridge, not vial.
 
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Cat Dickerson gave a really good description to someone about a week ago over in the facebook group about resolving the 'air in insulin pen issue."

Remember, no rolling or mixing needed with lantus. It's not a suspension insulin. Nothing to mix.

"Its really hard to hurt Lantus, the pens are designed for people to carry in a pocket or purse..its a very stable insulin..If the bubble gets big enough that its in your way, just flip the pen the other way and siphon off the air with a syringe."

"I wish I could suck them out!! They’re always at the other end where I cannot reach them, unfortunately. I never get “big” air bubbles in the syringe though...I will get tiny ones here and there but I would flick the syringe and they would go away."

"My pens always have air bubbles in them from me priming the syringe to get a clean draw, when it gets big enough or my pen is getting close to the end, I just use a syringe and suck it out."

"A couple of air bubbles doesn't hurt the insulin at all. With vials you want to shoot air into them which is the same amount as you are about to draw out to keep them pressurized, but with the pens you don't want to do that because it has a back stopper that slides down..if you shoot air in like you would a vial you can blow that back stopper out, that is the only reason we tell you not to shoot air into them."

"That's why you flip it so the stopper is up, air is lighter than insulin so they will rise to the stopper end. If they don't just tap the pen with your fingers and it should get the bubble unstuck from the side of the pen and lets it float to the top."

Buried in Crystal Kelsey's post from 2/6/20
 
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