How do you get the rest of insulin out

Diabetes Technology Insulin Pumps
1

If you are to put 175 units in a pod and only have 100 units left do you waste a pod or the insulin or mix new and old insulin?

2

I'd mix it. I usually get two vials per my insurance at each trip to the pharmacy to fill my prescription, so the insulin is close in actual age, even though the vial in use has been out at room temperature and the other one has been in the refrigerator. Heck, I even pull insulin out of the pods if there is any left over and put it back in the insulin vial.

3

Mix it. You might want to inject some air into the *new* vial before drawing the last insulin out of the old one though, to avoid mixing old insulin into the new vial.

John Bowler

4

me too, I just mix them. Sometimes I'll pull the old out first to see how much I have, then insert back into the old vial then pull the additional needed from the new and top off with the old. That way you don't actually blend the old into the new vial. You just have the two mixed for that pod only. ( I think that's how I do it)

5

I mix it, at least for a few bottles. I try to use a fresh untouched bottle every few or so to keep it as new as possible. I also have used normal syringes to pull new insulin in some cases to put into the pods. It would be nice if Insulet would provide extra syringes, but haven't asked them either.

6

So I have syringes left over from MDI & I use those to back out what’s left in the pod. & yes I mix.

7

I second this.

8

Samantha...how do you back it out? My husband stuck a syringe needle into the pod loading port, drew back on the plunger and nothing came out. Thanks!

9

If the pod had been deployed as yours was and you have problems than I would guess an occlusion in which case all you would do is straighten the cannula. Have never had insulin I could not remove.

10

Thanks Michael. Are you on the new pod? My husband is. When you suspect an occlusion and straightening the cannula as the fix, I am assuming you are suggesting that the occlusion is in the cannula? So do you withdraw leftover pod insulin from the cannula? Or do you mean that an occlusion in the cannula might prevent insulin withdrawal from the loading port? Sorry for so many questions. Any advice is much appreciated!