Trying to use Solostar pen

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kmoses

Member Since 2011
Hi All,

I am trying to use a Solostar Lantus pen for kitty's injection for the first time. I have watched a few U-tube films on how to do this and it looks easy enough. However, my pen doesn't look like the ones in the U-Tube clips. When you take the cap off, instead of a flat rubber tip there is a round rubbery "ba'll" stuck on the tip. I see no way to get the point of a syringe in the tip. What do you do with that? Is it usable?

Thanks, Kathy and Krismas
 
It just looks like a ball it is really the end of the rubble "stopper" that you insert the syringe needle into to draw out the insulin.

Are yuo trying to us the pen needle?
 
Well I just wrecked the pen. Tried to put the syringe needle into the "ball" it burst and all the insulin came out. Think I'm done with this.
 
Oh no! Well, there are several people in your area with diabetic kitties - maybe they can spare a pen for you and show you where to poke. I'll send a PM to Patti - she works at Madigan and lives further south.
 
It sounds like it might be a defective pen?? Maybe you can take it back to the pharmacy or contact the manufacture for a refund?
 
Talked to manufacturer ofthis am. They are sending replacement pen. Seems what happened was that abnormal pressure built up inside the pen, and the tan elastic inner membrane had extruded through the hole in the gray plastic end cap. Normally the needle that goes with the pen goes through in the gray part and pierces the tan inner membrane. In my case that tan membrane was forming a bubble on the end cap like a water balloon. And like a water balloon, when the steel sharp tip of me needle punctured it, it exploded and all the Lantus flooded out.

What was sad is the pharmacy had not a clue - when I called them to ask about this tan bubble, they told me that it was normal and they were made that way and I was supposed to put the needle in the bubble-sheesh!

I think I will be able to use a normal pen ok. I don't know how that pen developed so much inner pressure. It was like that when I took the cap off. I found more stories on the Net about exploding pens so I guess it does happen. The tip now just has the gray cap with a hole in it. Beware the tan bubble lol! Thanks for your concern and help.

The important thing is that kitties amps this morning was lower than it has been for a month and i think it was due to the new insulin i managed to salvage from the wrecked pen. May mean the vial i got new in June was bad and might have been causing her high numbers. And that's another story...
thAnks, Kathy
th
 
Sounds like there was a mishandling of the pen. Either in manufacturing, shipping or storing of it. If you have other pens from this same box, check them closely to see if they look the same as the exploded one or not.

If not, then you should be able to stick your syringe in without issue.

HEre is a link to photos of what it should look like....viewtopic.php?p=873
 
thanks for the link, the other pens look like the pics and I am not having any problems with the next one. The defective pen is being replaced by the manufacturer. Hopefully no more bubbles! Thanks, Kathy
 
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