1 unit accuracy problems

Type 1 here for 12 years on mdi. Finding it hard to get an accurate small dose of one unit. I prime with one unit, then immediately inject one unit of humalog for a bolus, then I hold the needle in the site for a whole minute. It still drips from the syringe when I pull it out. Seems like different amounts each time. so I figure I received a little one or a big one. Easy to get different amounts. Is anyone having better luck with those reusable pins that also give half unit doses? Any tricks to get a more accurate dose would be appreciated. I also take 22 units of Basaglar (balin dose long acting 24ish hr) at night around 9 pm.

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60 years old here, not sure how the 19 was added to my name. Good weight control about 172lb.

I use a digital pen that delivers in 0.1 increments. That is the only way I have ever been able to fine tune my BG on MDI.

I copied this from Children with Diabetes site. Hopefully this can help you.

The most common cause for a small drop of insulin to leak back out of a site is continuing to pinch or hold up the skin after pulling the needle out (this squeezes some insulin back out). Other things associated with more frequent leaking of insulin from the injection site are the use of short needles and injecting in the arms or legs. It may be helpful to release the pinch after injecting and then count to 10 before pulling the needle out. This gives more time for the insulin to get into the fat layer, especially if you use an insulin pen or take a larger dose. You may also find less leaking by injecting in the abdomen or using regular length needles.

The platform that TuDiabetes runs on requires that each person have a unique name, it automatically numbers duplicate names. You are apparently the 19th person to join using the name Mark

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Thanks for the link. Going to look into it. Do you get different type of vial to attach then the usual humolog pen? I don’t see a choice for shipping to the US?

That’s good info, I would add, to keep your finger on the plunger as you pull out.

What size syringe do you use? The smaller the better.
It’s been a long time since I’ve used syringes but they should come in 100 units, 50 units, and 30 units. If you can find smaller, then try that.

A second method is a little tougher. When I was first diagnosed I was still making insulin and I was very sensitive to it.

I used to draw up 99 units of saline, the injectable kind, and put 1 unit of insulin in that, then I could micro dose and it would absorb more evenly.

You need to also mix it well before you use it.

I was taking .1 units at a time so I would inject 10 of the solution.
It was much easier for me to manage back in the first year.
I kept the syringe in my fridge until it was used.

It seems like a lot of work, but the pharmacy sells it and it might help you.

You wouldn’t need to dilute as much, so maybe 10 units of insulin and90 of saline. So injecting10 gives

I have been using the humolog quick pen (disposable), it only has 1 unit incriments. I used to use syringes(.3cc) I think and would inject about 12 units novalin every 12 hours. I now use Basaglar for long acting balin. But the bolus is usually only 1 unit in that Humolog quick pen that has only 1 unit increments and easy to get between .5 and 1 unit depending on how long I hold it in, amount left in pen? and possibly even site changes. Usually do the bolus in stomach area.

Thanks, I just though it was confusing people about my age(60). The leakage is not the injection site. It is what drips from the needle after injecting. small droplets yes but 1 unit is not a lot more than what flows out of the needle after pulling it out and I wait a whole minute when most instructions say 10 seconds is enough

I too am left with a little droplet after pulling the needle out. I don’t think it’s unusual at all.

If many of your shots are as small as one unit, you would be a prime candidate for diluted insulin.

The primary users of diluted insulin are young children who need very small doses. But I recall there being several high-insulin-sensitivity adults here who use diluted insulin in pumps or with syringes.

In your post you mention using 22 units of basal insulin each day which is in the range of normal and not particularly high insulin sensitivity. So maybe there is some bolts/basal trade off optimization to be done.

This is a review article about the advantages and techniques of diluted insulin: Challenges in Delivering Smaller Doses of Insulin - PMC

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That fancy Pendiq is not available in a certain 3rd world nation - the USA ;<)). The best are some that allow .5 units. I want to thank you for posting about the Pendiq in another post. It’s a very interesting bit of tech.

@mark19 I am currently using Humalog syringe and vial. I am going to have my doctor next week prescribe Humalog Junior Kwikpen. This pen allows for .5u doses. I have drawn a lot of medications up in syringes for livestock. Humalog seems to be sort of viscous, much more so than Lantus. It is prone to forming a bubble in the syringe, and no I don’t shake the vial.

BTW - what needle length are you using?

Thankyou for the link, I see how only one unit has a pressure problem getting started pushing into the skin and after a few units there is better flow. Several units can push open the tight skin door so to speak, so diluted would work well. Wish I could get that European pen though, I could dial in say 1.2 units and always pull out after ten seconds. I may give the InPen a try as it is probably all that is available in the Us.

I do live in the US and have been using Pendiq pens for the past few decades. Yes, they are not approved by the FDA, and yes they have to be ordered by mail from Germany and take about 3 weeks to arrive to the US by DHL, but I have coached others on this forum who have been as thrilled with Pendiq as I have been. They take standard BD needles. If you are ever interested, just send me a PM and I will walk you through a simple ordering process using PayPal for payment.

The detachable pen needles for the Kwik pen are 32g x 5/32" or .23mm x 4mm. Sometimes I think the guage is not big enough as sometimes I have to throw one out if it doesn’t prime (too thin and sometimes defective?)

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Started taking my basil (Basaglar) at night working on staying between 80 and 100 over night. Daytime exercise seems to keep me only needing 1 unit most of the time. I eat very carefully, little starch as possible. 1 unit for breakfast then 20 minute swim. Usually 1 unit in the evening. If I eat high carb I would take 2 units go a little high then need to eat again in 2.5 to 3 hours, not too good at a clean 4 hours with high carb and 2 or more units.

I have relatively little experience with insulin pens, but I seem to remember the pens I used specifying a 2-unit prime. Does Lilly specify a 1-unit prime for Humalog pens? I’m not sure if that would make any difference to you and I think looking into diluting your insulin would be useful in your case.

I have been using 8mm/31g needle syringes. I don’t know but 4mm seems really short to me.

Not sure why except to not go into muscle? Found some info on the dripping from the needle problem. In a test many needles connected to pens do this. There is a procedure to help by removing air bubbles. Idea is they are too easy to compress leading to delay and inaccuracy. Going to try to bleed my pen as follows: dial in 21 units(wow that is a lot) depress plunger with NO needle attached. Look for bulge in the rubber, then slowly attach needle(only part way at first) due to the inside needle needing to be right at the edge of the rubber instead of in a bit from the internal needle. Of course holing the pen so the bubble is up.

It worked to get rid of the bubbles,( at least 95%) I will try next time with 6 units twice as 21 seemed excessive with a stream of upward flying insulin. Hoping to only do this at start of new pen, but will be on the lookout for bubbles. I’ll let all know after my nest injection if the pen bleedout is less.

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Found it, you are correct it suggests a two unit prime. Most of the problem I believe was the big bubble. Now that it is purged I am going to try it with one unit and two unit purges. One unit purges always produced droplets but I am going to study it further. Just seems like such a waste to purge two then shoot one.