Syringes and BG needle. Questions ?

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kellykramer

kellykramer

Member Since 2013
I use the same syringe about 6 times.
What do others do and am I taking a risk of contaminating things?
What if I wiped the syringe with alcohol after each use?
Also how often do you change the BG poker? I usually do every 3 or 4 days ish.
 
Kelly --

You should really use a new syringe for every injection. Aside from contamination issues, the metal in the needle degrades very quickly. You may be causing your kitty considerable discomfort. This is a photo of a needle that has been used:
35557d1088522377-rubbing-alcohol-clean-1-time-used-needle-needle2.jpg
 
kellykramer said:
I use the same syringe about 6 times.
What do others do and am I taking a risk of contaminating things?
Click to expand...

Hi Kelly,
All my syringes are clearly marked as single-use so I just never considered reusing them. I've read that the needles dull very quickly (as you can see from Sienne's pictures) and can cause the kitty much pain. To me, the risk of causing my kitty Zeke to get an infection or endure any additional pain, or perhaps contaminating the insulin is just not worth it. To me, why risk an infection and a potential unnecessary costly vet bill. I would not reuse the syringes and I would plead with you to please consider discontinuing that practice.

kellykramer said:
Also how often do you change the BG poker? I usually do every 3 or 4 days ish.
Click to expand...
The lancets can also become dull quickly, causing pain, and you also run the risk of infection. I only use mine once. When I first started testing Zeke, I did use the lancets maybe three times (as I had read someone else did this) but I found that all it took was one painful poke and then Zeke would not let me test him for hours. He was like, "That hurt and if you hurt me I'm gonna hurt you!" - (hiss, hiss, hiss, growl, growl, growl, snap, snap, snap). This was something I didn't want to deal with especially if he was low and I really needed to test him often. I felt really awful when I realized that if he was getting angry at poke time it was because I had hurt him. I wouldn't reuse the lancets either but if you're going to I would say no more than three times (times, not days).

The wellbeing of our sugarbabies are 100% dependent on the decisions we make and actions we take. Kelly, I hope you will not hesitate to post any questions you have or seek any type of help you need from the FDMB. We're here to support you and wish you the best in helping Oliver with his diabetes.
 
Hey Kelly,
Don't take chances! As diabetes supplies go, syringes and lancets are very reasonable in price. It's not worth it to try to re-use either of them. A box of 100 Terumo syringes at American Diabetes Wholesale is only about $13.
http://www.americandiabeteswholesal...ro-insulin-syringe_5891.htm?source=SiteSearch

You can buy lancets at ADW also, or pick them up in a pharmacy for about $9. for a box of 100.

Please don't put your kitty at risk for infection!

Ella & Rusty

p.s. If you are very low on cash, you can see if these supplies have been donated for the "home testing kits" of the FDMB (click on the box at the top of the screen).
 
Kelly

To add to what Laura said! the lancets also have a bevel like the syringes except without the hole. So you dull it as well. Syringes should lancets should only be used once.

There is additional info on this post I wrote on Testing and Shooting Tips.
 
Ok yes I realize this but both the vet and Pharmacist said most use both several times???
I will change and only do a syringe a time.
Thanks all
 
Geez, Kelly, that makes no sense. I don't doubt they may have said it but it would be the first time I'd heard of a pharmacist giving that information. By any chance were they referring to the needle tips for the Lantus pens? We don't use the needle tips because the pens don't dispense insulin in the smaller increments that we use (e.g., in 0.25u increments). Instead, we use disposable syringes. Frankly, I can't imagine a pharmacist telling you that an insulin syringe can be used multiple times especially when the manufacturers indicated the syringes should be used only once.
 
Yep the Walmart pharmacist who sold me the syringes said since its a cat I could use them several times.
This may explain why he meows when it get duller :( My vet said too save money I could re use them as well.
I wont and order from the sight mentioned above.
I do not get the insulin pens I got the $190 bottle from walmart so use it out of there. Will look into the purchase of the pens maybe , is it any cheaper?
Thanks
 
the pens come in packs of 5 pens that each hold 300ml (units) of insulin. To buy the box of pens, you have to spend more up front (like $250ish, but i haven't bought in a long time), but they last longer because you're only "opening" one pen at a time. The vial holds 1000 units or mls. i'm not sure the cost per unit is much different, but using a pen it will never get too old or lose potency before you use it up.

the other thing i'd be concerned about with reusing the syringes is that once you've poked it in Oliver, it's going to have bacteria on it. then when it gets put back into the insulin for another dose, that bacteria is going to enter the insulin. I'm surprised you haven't already had problems with it being contaminated or losing potency. Have you watched the video i did on the "how to take care of your insulin" sticky? punkin stars in it. ;-) :lol: or at least he makes himself heard. take a peek at that and see if you're doing everything you can to protect your insulin investment. also, drawing insulin from a pen is slightly different than from a vial. The whole sticky has good info on it. the video is about halfway down the page.

http://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=151

these are really inexpensive syringes that are good quality and work well, if you need an idea for something less expensive. http://www.americandiabeteswholesale.com/product/terumo-thinpro-insulin-syringe_5891_112.htm
 
Insulin costs have gone up considerably in the past year. A five-pack of pens will cost roughly $350 here in the United States. However, there is a discount card you can sign up for on the website of the makers of the Lantus Solostar pen. You have to fill out the form as if you are your cat and you're 18 years old. You only have to pay $25 for each pen with this discount card and it's good for six pens, though you have to find a pharmacy that will sell one pen at a time...and this can be difficult. Here in Las Vegas, I found only one pharmacy that would sell one pen at a time and that is at a K-Mart. Only one K-Mart in town will sell me one pen, though...none of the others. Each pharmacy will have their own rules. If one Target pharmacy says no, you'll have to call ALL the Target pharmacies in your town to see if any will sell just one pen. Ditto for CVS, Walgreens, etc. Like Julie said, each pen holds 300 units and you'll be able to use every drop versus having to probably throw away half a vial because it will lose it's potency. I use about one pen every two months. I don't know of anyone who can get more than six months out of a vial. The one time I bought a vial, I only got three months out of it and that was with treating it like gold. Therefore, doing the math, you get a year's worth of insulin with six pens at a cost of $150 versus a year's worth of insulin with three or four vials (having to throw away at least half each time) at a cost of $570-760 (3-4 vials at $190 a piece). The cost savings is substantial. If you can't find a pharmacy to sell you one pen at a time, the discount card will give you $100 off a box of five pens so your cost for ten months (five pens) will be approximately $250....still quite a substantial savings. Hope this helps!!
 
Why would a vial lose its potency? OMG I can afford that. How do you know when this happens? Got the insulin Nov. 23rd 2013.
Why would it be an issue to buy one tube? Yes it may be getting contaminated. How do you know? You wont. Oliver isnt getting better very fast, now I am worried about this.
UGH
 
Watched the video.... wow very good and informative. Thanks I was doing a few things wrong.
Also ordered the syringes and will change each day.
Thanks
 
Kelly, if the numbers start to go up for no apparent reason, we begin to look at the age of the vial. If it's been properly cared for in the refrigerator (not the door), is still clear with no floaties, all we can go by is the effectiveness

My last vial was perfectly fine for a full 6 months...and I even accidentally froze it once..but that doesn't mean yours will last that long (and please don't freeze it..lol)

As for the pens, different pharmacies have different policies. MOST do not want to break up a box of 5 pens, so if you want to try to buy them one at a time, you have to just call around until you find someplace that will break open a box. The Lantus Savings Card program can reduce the cost of a pen down to $25, BUT there have been problems lately with the pharmacies requiring a registration number that vets can't get so it's kind of a crap shoot if you're going to be able to find BOTH a pharmacy willing to sell just one, and also accept the Savings Card

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!
 
I have over half a vial left so like 3 plus months. It was $192 dollars so I hope that it is good and will continue to be as i do not want to buy another before I have too.
 
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