I was just reading about them at:
http://www.bd.com/us/diabetes/hcp/main.aspx?cat=3067&id=32557
They are 32g x 4mm long. Thinner and half the length of the BD Ultra find short pen needles 31g 8mm length needles I’m using now.
I am very thin and have been using only my stomach area. With these shorter needles I should be able to use my thighs and arms without hitting muscle. When I hit muscle insulin is absorbed faster but might not last as long, not to mention the pain.
I’m going to ask my doctor/father about them, I’d like to try them…
Pick up a box and try em if you want 
No harm in it.
I’ve actually switched back to the longest needles. The short ones hurt like hell. I found my lantus was burning, tried injecting slowly which helped but I didn’t have the patience… Once I used and older, longer needle and discovered it didn’t hurt at all. I’m switching back! but I’m not overly thin so maybe it works for me because of that.
I used Lantus for a long time, I remember well the burning. I didn’t get burning all the time but sometimes it would burn so bad I cried. When I was using Lantus, it was with vial and syringe with longer needles. I switched to Levemir 5 years ago because it used the Flexpen. Lantus was not available in pens at the time.
I cried too 
and swore. But no more. Lantus now comes in a disposable pen.
Chisaki -
did you try the nano needles? i’m curious. i’m thin also and thought i might bruise less. right now i’m using the “short” 8mm. i think the nanos are 4 mm.
I tried the Nano needles…got free samples when I got a pen sample.
I found they hurt less than the 31G needles, however when I asked for a prescription for them , my CDE discouraged me as
she said some people had problems with getting the dose in. I didn’t see any problem…
hummm…that’s interesting HPNpilot. i take tiny doses so that could be tricky. i’m seeing my CDE this week, so I will ask. thanks for the info.
I have been using BD Nano pen needles for more than a year. Painless and no more blood drops on my T-shirt. I love them!!
My endo. doesn’t like to scribe them to adults. We have had heated discussions over this. Even with my 5.5 A1H he will not concede. I’m convinced he thinks he is a god.
My pharrmacist sells them to me anyway.
I have searched the web extensively and can find nothing about these tiny needles should only be used for children.
Does this sound familar to anyone?
No it sure dosen’t. They are approved for use in anyone although more heavily marketed toward the ultra thin and children. Sounds as if your Endo does indeed have a god complex.
I think the issue here is insulin dose. If you are dosing small amounts then there is plenty of “room” for the insulin to go. If you are injecting larger amounts the dose will build up in a smaller area and create pain and/or leaking. Everything I have ever seen from BD suggests you use different needle lengths based on the size of your insulin dose.
I did however see a study that indicated the shorter the length the better and more consistent the absorption of insulin is. Makes sense as you are assured to be well away from muscle…
I just talked to my CDE about this on friday. She said her peeps use them all the time and people really love them - adults and children. she did not give me any indication that there was any sort of dosing issue. although i did not ask that specific question. i have a few boxes of the “short” needles to get thru, then i’m going to ask my blood Dr. to prescribe me the nanos. totally excited about it!
See that is the thing. Even amongst people who are suppose to be educating (me included) there is some confusion about needle lengths and who uses what. Like I said above the most clear “guidelines” I have ever seen come from BD themselves and again they recommend different needle lengths based on dose of insulin.
hey mossDog - did you find those “guidelines” online?
They were educational materials that the BD rep dropped off with pen needle and syringe samples. We recently moved the clinic so I am not sure I have them but I can ask the rep for more if you are interested in specifics of their “guidelines”.
Actually, my understanding is that needles that are too short may not penetrate sufficiently through your skin and enable the insulin to be injected into the body fat. If you penetrate to just below the skin, the insulin can pool below the skin and absorb improperly. I tried the nano and eventually moved back to the 8mm needles in order to get proper penetration.
I suppose it depends on how thick your skin is....:-)
This is the problem. Everyone seems to have heard something different or has a different understanding.
I am also most comfortable using the 8 mm needles for whatever reason.
i am totally interested in what BD has to say about all this. i would appreciate it.
4mm 32G Nano has been tested with adults with BMI 20 to BMI 49.
4. Hirsch LJ, Gibney MA, Albanese J, et al. Comparative glycemic control, safety and patient ratings for a new 4 mm x 32G insulin pen needle in adults with diabetes. Curr Med Res Opin. 2010; 26 (6): 1531–1541.pdf-file: http://www.bd.com/resource.aspx?IDX=18066
(it is a pdf, the file has wrong )
Direct Google link
The important things with these Nano needles are not to pinch skin, and to insert in 90 degrees angle. I presume it is a difficult thing to learn to do, if one has injected with two-hands-technique in an angle for decades.
I am an adult with BMI 28 and I am a very happy camper. I inject into stomach (Apidra) and into upper buttocks (Lantus). It is so much easier to inject into buttocks with one hand, and I can use a larger area there (very useful over time).
I started my diabetes care with 5mm 31G, now I use only 4mm, 32G. I will never use anything longer or wider with my insulin pens regime. Never. If I switch to pumps, then I have to use bigger harpoons.
See it yourself, new injection technique, plenty of pictures, 2011 style:
http://www.bd.com/us/diabetes/page.aspx?cat=7002&id=32521
yes! yes! this is so great. thank you. my BMI is 20 with most of my junk in my trunk. the "no pinch" technique is why i thought the nano would be good. sounds much easier to bend around to shoot into the booty with a single hand.
thank you, JKD1, for the research links. This makes me feel safe to experiment.
You could always just go most, but not all the way, and use the mini 5mm 31 gauge.
There is a coupon/rebte for a free box of 100 nano needles so I probably will try them.
QUESTION: if anyone has used the nano, do you notice that the finer needles become blunted more easily. I am sure that no one has ever used a needle more than once, but if you were to accidentally forget to dispose of a needle and mistakenly use it say, a dozen times, would you notice a difference in the sharpness of the 31 vs 32 gauge?