Changing needles on your pen

How often do you change the needle on your pens?

Every time!!! (i.e. five times a day)

not enough… sometimes only once a day. i get lazy.

I usually wait untill they are so dull I need a hammer to drive them in. OK maybe not that long but sometimes I change only once a week or so.

Do you need to change every time you inject? If so, why?

Everytime - with some exceptions

If I’m taking my fast acting and long acting at the same time, I do the long acting first, then reuse the needle. Its going into different injection sites anyway

I have also been known to be lazy in the same day, but I don’t like to reuse over multiple days.
My prescription is only for 100 needles per month. If I did the required 4 per day, I’d only make it for 25 days
So I have to reuse a little bit.
Too much reusing and the needle gets a bit bent. That one hurts!

Usually once a day. I’ll change it first thing in the morning… sometimes. Occasionally I get on a binge and actually change it every time but that only lasts a day or two. :slight_smile:

You can change them?

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In a related question, who else injects through their shirt, and is that a bad thing?

It is not recommended to shoot through shirts or jeans, because the needles can get dull or even bend. I try to avoid it, unless I’m in public and I want to be discreet.

You should always change every time!! Using the same needle can cause bruising and possible absorption problems with insulin. Once a needle becomes dull, your no longer piercing the skin, you are actually punching a whole through with jagged microscopic edges. Lastly, once a needle is used, it now has blood pathogens out side the needle. Pathogens are disease causing bacteria. You would never use the bathroom and not wash your hands would you?? well… You get my drift. It’s never been safe to reuse. However people do it anyway.

The only thing you can get away with is lancets, because the piercing is short and quick, your not leaving it in your body for a few seconds; even then, the duller the lancet, the more it will hurt. It will also cause callus to form on your fingers.

I tried once and bent the needle. Never did it again because I hate wasting insulin. It is too expensive

I change it after two injections. Enough to be frugal and not get the needle dull.

Everytime I give an injection.

Every time for me.

Amen brotha… LOL

I try to change them after three times.

I inject with a fresh needle everytime.

Because I inject at least 8 times a day (Lantus 2x, Novolog 3x, Symlin 3x), I get a prescription for 300 needles per month. Luckily, my insurance covers 100% of the cost of all of my testing supplies, lancets and needles.

Lord have mercy! LOL… God bless you… Personally, I would have gotten a pump. But then again, 40 years ago none of use would have had that option…

I would absolutely LOVE to get a pump and stop this insanity. If you calculate it, that’s 2,920 injections in a year! However, I have more hoops to jump through before my insurance company will consider a pump for me. Hopefully, that wish will come true some day.

Normally ichange my pen needle when the insuin ctradge is finished
i had neve any problem or infection
It seems to be necessery according tothe commints and replies here