Syringe Suction into Lantus Pen??

[Margaret and Pearl (GA)]

Hi!

Pearl and I are newbies (she was diagnosed/hospitalized on 12/21 and came home on Christmas). So, I've been monitoring her and dosing her insulin since Christmas Day.

I've learned a lot, and know about making sure to only withdraw the insulin from the Lantus pen into the syringe, and then I remove the syringe. I do NOT push anything back into the pen.

So today something weird happened. I watched the video about how to properly withdraw insulin from the pen. The lady in the video showed that, before inserting syringe into pen, she moved the plunger up and down a few times to spread the lubricant out into the syringe more evenly and to make it easier to move the plunger. So I did that.

And, then I inserted the syringe into the pen and drew up as usual. And then the syringe automatically started to go BACK into the pen!! Like there was some weird pressure difference and it was being sucked back into the pen. I caught it after it had only moved 1 unit. Is this even possible or did I imagine it?

And, if it IS possible and the syringe insulin went back into the pen (by 1 unit) is my pen now contaminated and needs to be thrown out?

THANK YOU for your help!
Margaret and Pearl (15 yo Siamese)

 

[Roberta and Chloe]

Hi!

Pearl and I are newbies (she was diagnosed/hospitalized on 12/21 and came home on Christmas). So, I've been monitoring her and dosing her insulin since Christmas Day.

I've learned a lot, and know about making sure to only withdraw the insulin from the Lantus pen into the syringe, and then I remove the syringe. I do NOT push anything back into the pen.

So today something weird happened. I watched the video about how to properly withdraw insulin from the pen. The lady in the video showed that, before inserting syringe into pen, she moved the plunger up and down a few times to spread the lubricant out into the syringe more evenly and to make it easier to move the plunger. So I did that.

And, then I inserted the syringe into the pen and drew up as usual. And then the syringe automatically started to go BACK into the pen!! Like there was some weird pressure difference and it was being sucked back into the pen. I caught it after it had only moved 1 unit. Is this even possible or did I imagine it?

And, if it IS possible and the syringe insulin went back into the pen (by 1 unit) is my pen now contaminated and needs to be thrown out?

THANK YOU for your help!
Margaret and Pearl (15 yo Siamese)

Yes, that happened to me all the time when I first started using the pens. Then I started priming the syringe and that seemed to help a bit, but mainly, now I draw up a few more units than I need, quickly remove the syringe, tap it a few times to get the air out, and then measure the dose. A couple times, all I pulled up was air and I had to go back, holding the pen vertically so the big bubble goes to the top and then draw. I always squirt a little back out to make sure there's insulin in the syringe. I hope this helps.

 

[Roberta and Chloe]

is my pen now contaminated and needs to be thrown out?

I had that happen so many times in the beginning, that I decided to consider it a 'learning pen' and started a new one. I would like to know how long the insulin is good for after starting a pen. I think my vet said one month but I've been using it for about 3 months now. Maybe that's why Chloe's numbers are going up. I'll start my own thread about that.

 

[Red & Rover (GA)]

And, if it IS possible and the syringe insulin went back into the pen (by 1 unit) is my pen now contaminated and needs to be thrown out?

It should be fine. Just might lose its efficacy a wee bit earlier.