Pulling lots of air from a Lantus pen

[Dyana]

This last Lantus pen I have been using is not normal, and I keep getting lots of air in the syringe each time.
He's a high dose cat, but when I pull the insulin into the syringe I notice that the pen sucks the insulin back up from the syringe (and I know you are not supposed to push the extra insulin back into the pen, but it keeps doing it by itself). An example tonight was I pulled out 15 units to get to his 13 unit dose and when I take the syringe out of the pen to push out any bubbles the syringe goes all the way up to 3 units of insulin left and the rest was all air. I pulled to 15 units again, and took the syringe out of the pen and went to push the air out and it went to 5 units of insulin and the rest all air. Eventually, I pulled out and got he 13 units I needed. Why is this pen being funky, and what am I doing wrong?

 

[Red & Rover (GA)]

This last Lantus pen I have been using is not normal, and I keep getting lots of air in the syringe each time.
He's a high dose cat, but when I pull the insulin into the syringe I notice that the pen sucks the insulin back up from the syringe (and I know you are not supposed to push the extra insulin back into the pen, but it keeps doing it by itself). An example tonight was I pulled out 15 units to get to his 13 unit dose and when I take the syringe out of the pen to push out any bubbles the syringe goes all the way up to 3 units of insulin left and the rest was all air. I pulled to 15 units again, and took the syringe out of the pen and went to push the air out and it went to 5 units of insulin and the rest all air. Eventually, I pulled out and got he 13 units I needed. Why is this pen being funky, and what am I doing wrong?

Try standing the bottle upright. Insert an empty syringe. The positive pressure in the vial should push the plunger up. When this has happened, pull the syringe out of the vial being careful to keep the plunger up.

 

[Dyana]

Thanks. I don't understand. It's a pen. Hold it upright and put an empty syringe in the top and see if the plunger moves?
I've had air getting in the syringe when the pen is empty, but this one is 1/2 full still.
I'm sorry. Thanks for answering. It's late, I'm not at my most thoughtful late and night, I just woke up, and just had some excitement getting an escaped indoor cat back in the house.

 

[Red & Rover (GA)]

Thanks. I don't understand. It's a pen. Hold it upright and put an empty syringe in the top and see if the plunger moves?

yes

 

[Dyana]

Try standing the bottle upright. Insert an empty syringe. The positive pressure in the vial should push the plunger up. When this has happened, pull the syringe out of the vial being careful to keep the plunger up.

Let me know if I am understanding. If the top of the pen is facing the ceiling, and I have the plunger at zero and I insert the needle into the pen and the plunger will move up, meaning there will then be more than zero (air) in the syringe?

 

[Red & Rover (GA)]

Let me know if I am understanding. If the top of the pen is facing the ceiling, and I have the plunger at zero and I insert the needle into the pen and the plunger will move up, meaning there will then be more than zero (air) in the syringe?

yes. that is what worked for me.