I have recently switched from Lantus to Tresiba. I used to use the ClikStar reusable pen for Lantus. In Canada Tresiba is only available in disposable FlexTouch pens. I’m finding the new pen difficult to use in the sense that the spring load is so tight that with the slightest press it injects 12 units in one go. I’m used to being able to inject at my own pace and I’d do 1 unit per second or so.
I admit I’ve had no obvious issues like bruising, it just doesn’t seem right to have what must be a very forceful jet of 12 units go in instantly. Am I concerned for nothing?
If you aren’t experiencing any adverse side effects from the quick injection then I wouldn’t worry about it. If you are getting some pain or something then you could consider withdrawing the insulin from the pen with a regular insulin syringe and injecting that way. Just make sure you use a needle that is the same units per ml as what is in the pen. I too preferred being able to inject at my own pace but the benefits of Tresiba over Lantus were worth it to me.
I use a digital pen but not ClikStar. If you ever get pain from injecting 12 units at a fast rate, you can eliminate pain by setting a digital pen to say 6 units and inject 2 times or even 3 units you inject 4 times. I have been using digital pens for over a decade now and absolutely love them and would never want to go back to pre-filled pens for Humalog or Lantus/Levemir
I inject 11 units units of Tresiba with a Flextouch pen and have never had a problem with it. I always count fairly slowly to 10 or 11 before releasing the button and withdrawing the needle. I find that if I do this when injecting even just 1 unit the 1 unit will actually work.
Thanks for all the helpful replies. I find it amusing that the “non-extending dose button” as they call it, is listed as one of the 5 features of FlexTouch. I also really wish I could use Tresiba with a reusable pen, but I suspect it’s not offered to make sure users don’t put U200 penfills into a U100 pen.
You can extract a cartridge with insulin from a disposable pen and use it in any Novo Nordisk reusable pen. It will not fit into Lili’s reusable pen though, since there is a small variation in cartridge size. Disposable pen consists of two parts where the part with insulin cartridge is inserted into the part with dialing mechanism. I use a small screw driver to pry the plastic up and around the connection seam until I can pull the parts apart. The plastic is soft, it will not brake and it stretches, so it is not very difficult.
I actually like the Tresiba FlexTouch pen better than other pens.
The Tresiba pen really does feel different than the other pens. It does not feel “mushy” in quite the same way that a Humalog pen does. I think in some other pens there is more springiness between the button and the plunger.
I don’t think it does “all the units at once”. My understanding, is that as you press down on the button, it steadily delivers the units click-click-click, and there’s a louder than usual “click” when you are done with the dose.
This you-are-done click, I think is particularly helpful to me when I’m giving the insulin into my rear end and I can’t actually see the pen.
