? Syringe advise - have run out and need to find new ones today??

[TanyaG]

Hi all,

Wondering if you could please give me some advise. We have been administering Lantus to Tinka for the past 5 months since her diagnosis with Monoject 3/10mL Insulin Syringes and the size is 29 G x 1/2" (0.33 mm x 1.3 cm). However we were running low so DH went to buy some more from the vets and they out of stock. Have ordered in but wont be here till next week. Have tried the other pharmacies and they don't carry these. We have a small pack of BD insulin syringes which are also 3/10 mL capacity and they also have the half units writeen ont them, but I think they are a lot shorter in length at 6mm. The gauge is 31G. Im not sure what all this means in comparison to the ones we usually use. I'm assuming it means they the same capacity but a lot shorter and a little thicker needle? Are they suitable? If not please could you share what other types of syringes are suitable so I can find some at the pharmacy today before it closes as I don't have any others. Thank-you!!

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

The BD syringes are fine to use. 29G or 31G refer to the gauge of the needle. The higher the number, the thinner the needle. I typically used a syringe with a 30 or 31 gauge needle. You want syringes that are 3/10 mL. As long as the syringes are 100U, you should be fine. There is information on syringes in this sticky note on syringe and insulin handling. Walmart's Relion syringes are fine; Target may also have syringes. The hard part may be finding syringes with half unit markings at places other than Walmart. I realize the locations may not be helpful since your in Canada. I would call some of the usual places where syringes can be purchased and see if they have U100 3/10 mL syringes with half unit increments.

 

[Bronx's dad (GA)]

I have used 8mm (5/16") 31ga with no problem. 6mm is pretty short (about 1/4") but as long as you get under the skin layer they should be fine

 

[Dyana]

I used to buy syringes from WalMart. A lot of WalMart pharmacists don't know they have syringes with half unit marks, but they do. I don't know about your state but here in New Jersey you need a prescription to buy syringes.

 

[TanyaG]

The BD syringes are fine to use. 29G or 31G refer to the gauge of the needle. The higher the number, the thinner the needle. I typically used a syringe with a 30 or 31 gauge needle. You want syringes that are 3/10 mL. As long as the syringes are 100U, you should be fine. There is information on syringes in this sticky note on syringe and insulin handling. Walmart's Relion syringes are fine; Target may also have syringes. The hard part may be finding syringes with half unit markings at places other than Walmart. I realize the locations may not be helpful since your in Canada. I would call some of the usual places where syringes can be purchased and see if they have U100 3/10 mL syringes with half unit increments.

Thanks so much for this info. So the spare pack of 10 that I have here, the BD syringes that I've not yet used, they say they are U100 3/10 mL syringes with half unit increments so thats good. The guage at 31 sounds suitable then too. My only concern is the length of the needles is 6mm, I'm just wondering if thats too short?

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

The length of the needle is a matter of personal preference. I used a short needle. Others like longer needles. I think it's a matter of what you're used to. I tended to give fur shots with longer needles.

 

[TanyaG]

I have used 8mm (5/16") 31ga with no problem. 6mm is pretty short (about 1/4") but as long as you get under the skin layer they should be fine

Thank you thats good to know you use to use 8mm I guess we'll just have to try and see if the 6mm works. I'm assuming we'll know as if her BG goes up then it wasn't further enough in. Would be helpful to know if anyone else has had success with 6mm. Thanks again!

 

[TanyaG]

The length of the needle is a matter of personal preference. I used a short needle. Others like longer needles. I think it's a matter of what you're used to. I tended to give fur shots with longer needles.

Thats is interesting to know. Have you ever used 6mm with success then?

 

[MJW]

I use BD syringes with half unit markings. I've found they sometimes shift the printed scale up and down the tube between batches. Measure your units by relative movement down the scale markings, not necessarily by the value on the scale at the top of the plunger.

 

[Nicole Z]

I got a box of 100 short ones at Walgreens for around $20

 

[TanyaG]

I use BD syringes with half unit markings. I've found they sometimes shift the printed scale up and down the tube between batches. Measure your units by relative movement down the scale markings, not necessarily by the value on the scale at the top of the plunger.

Thank you for the info. Not sure what you mean though in how to measure if the printed scale is inaccurate? Out of interest did you use the 6mm BD syringes too? Thank you!

 

[TanyaG]

I got a box of 100 short ones at Walgreens for around $20

Thank you What length is the needle on the short ones that you use? Wondering if anyone has used a 6mm syringe?

 

[Bronx's dad (GA)]

The Walmart Relion Insulin Syringes are:
Capacity - 3/10 ml Doses up to 30 units.
Gauge - 31 G
Length - 8mm (5/16")
1/2 unit markings

I am not a fan of these, plunger action is a little rough and not so easy to adjust small increments. But many here do use them.

 

[MJW]

Thank you for the info. Not sure what you mean though in how to measure if the printed scale is inaccurate? Out of interest did you use the 6mm BD syringes too? Thank you!

My BD syringes have 8mm (5/16") needles. BD Ultra-Fine needle.
When I push the plunger to the top of the syringe, usually the bottom of the plunger seal sits on the 0 marking. Sometimes it sits below the 0 line, because the whole scale is printed higher on the cylinder. Sometimes the scale is slightly crooked (tilted). [By "plunger seal", I mean the 0.5u thick black seal at the top of the plunger piece.]

 

[Wendy&Neko]

I have used both the 6mm and 8mm BD Ultrafine II syringes. I prefer the 8mm, but Neko had long hair and that little extra length seemed to help.

There definitely are differences in the markings on the syringe from syringe to syringe - I noticed up to 1/3 unit differences. Which is I switched to using digital calipers to measure the dose, especially when we got to the smaller doses.

As for prices, here I found Safeway (of all places, but owned by Sobey's) the cheapest. Canadian Superstore and Costco had the next best prices. It's really hard to get anything other than the BD's in Canada, though I did find a mon n pop pharmacy that said they'd try to get the Monojects in. I someone who did that, but went back to the BD's because of the thinner needle.