Lantus Solostar pen

[cat and sweet max]

Will be using the Lantus Solostar pen soon. Any tips? I use BD 31 ga shorts w/half unit markings. They haven't been working so well for the last few cartridges. I got lots of bubbles (lot more than usual). Anyways I hope they will work for the new Solostar.

Missing Furry Murray :cry:

Cat, Sweet Max, and gang

 

[Hillary & Maui (GA)]

I have the pens, but haven't used them. My understanding is that you use the syringe the same as you would with a vial.

Regarding bubbles, I know others have "tricks" that may help with that. Sorry, I don't, I didn't notice bubbles in my syringes, doesn't mean they weren't there, I just didn't notice them.

I think the key is consistency of dose, even with bubbles, make sure you shoot the same amount each time.

hope this helps.

 

[Sherri & Stash (GA)]

We have the bubble issue, and here's what I found to help combat that...

1) Prior to inserting into the Lantus cartridge, slide the syringe plunger up and down several times to spread the lubrication that is inside the syringe

2) Insert the needle into the Lantus cartrige, then SLOWLY pull the plunger back. I've found by drawing slowly I get fewer bubbles

3) Draw a bit more Lantus into the syringe than you really need. Remove the needle from the Lantus cartridge and pull the plunger back a bit more to pull in air. Tap the syringe barrell gently to move bubbles to the needle opening.

4) Depress the plunger to remove the air and the extra insulin

REMEMBER!! Never, ever, never, ever, never inject extra Lantus back into the cartridge. (Did I say "never"?)

 

[Steve & Jock]

I've used a pen before, and it took me months to figure out why Jock's blood sugar was varying so wildly.

The problem is, the pen is designed for humans, who have doses around 10 or 20 units. If it's off by a half-unit, that's not a problem.

But with a cat, a 1 unit dose, plus or minus a half-unit, isn't precise enough.

Even the half-unit marked pens, which I used for a while, were quite imprecise down in the very low-dose range. The zero line wasn't really zero.

So if your cat's dose is 2 or more units, a pen might suit you fine. If you're still not sure about the optimal dose, or you think it might be less than 2 units, I would suggest using a half-unit syringe only. And whatever you do, while you're experimenting with dosage, *don't* switch randomly between pen and syringe. You'll get very inconsistent results.