Needles vs Pens - which to use?

Treatment Insulin
1

I know the needles are by far cheaper for my copayment $25 vs $87.5. The Vials are also cheaper than the cartridges.
I was suprised to find out that people still used the needles. I bet cost is the factor.

Are they are other reasons to use the needles vs the pens?

Trying to decide which to ask for as I have to go off the pump due to insurance and cost reasons.

Thanks,

2

I prefer the needles but I got a new endo he likes for all to be on pens. The cost difference to me is only 0.25 per month so that is not an issue. If may need some items that can not be offered on this site you can join mine to see if anything is there as well.
http://brdiabetics.ning.com/

3

I use the pens and love them. They make eating out and traveling very easy. I am lucky that my co pay is $30.00 though.

4

For me cost is no issue as the cost to me is identical for needles or pens. However, I use needles/vials for a couple of reasons -

  1. There is no question of dosing or if the dose went into my body. As I understand it some pens have to be left in for several seconds for the full dose to be administered.
  2. I can pre-draw doses into syringes, thus eliminating the need for the vial when I go out.
  3. I can mix my insulin, thus eliminating one or two pokes a day (since I shoot up at least 4x/daily there are some days I only need 2 sticks)
  4. The look on some people’s faces when they see me whip out a syringe in public is priceless. Combined with my hair, piercings and tats they get completely freaked out!
    $62.50 is not a small amount of money to me. In your shoes I would probably go with needles over pens for the money issue alone. However I must agree with others that pens are more convenient, especially on the go, and coming off of a pump that convenience might be something you want.
    I’d look at it like this - is the convience of using a pen and dialing in doses rather than dealing with vials/needles worth $62.50 to you? If it is then the pens are the right way to go. If not then the needles are the better choice. In my opinion.
5

I’ve used both. Pens are super convenient.



Syringe needles tend to be a bit sharper and hurt a little less. I also got less duds (dull) in my boxes of syringes.



The box of pen tips tends to have more duds.



My preferred brand is BD. I used to use Novofine but found too many dull, blocked or barbed needles and got sick of the pain and the waste. I’ll stick with BD from now on.



By the way, Suftroml, you’re supposed to keep the needle in for at least 6 seconds, whether you use a syringe or a pen. If the dose is over 10 units you increase the time a bit. If its over 20 units you hold it in for 20 seconds. Both pens and syringes need time for the rubber plunger to reshape itself and the pressure to equalize so you get your full dose.



Insulin in vials is definitely cheaper, which is why I had to use it and may have to go back to using it.

6

I was worried about strange reactions to Lantus from June onward so I thought I was developing an immunity to it… my Internet research pointed out that others can have it happen after long time use, so I asked my endo if I could switch to a pump because repeated doses throughout a day of Humalog gave me no trouble. He said yes.

So in the first pump seminar I was amazed to learn that plastic degrades insulin, even after 3 days. I noticed later that with each of the Solostar cartridges there is a plastic plunger INSIDE the cartridge, and that as I used each disposable pen, my problem did get worse toward the end of the time using each cartridge. I use a 3ml pen for 2-3 weeks and that is under the 28 days warranty, but it acts better at the beginning of use and worse at the end. I kept it out of the fridge on the insistence of the manufacturer’s customer support who had said that changes in temperature degrade insulin.

When I start a new pen from the box stored in the fridge, the potency problem is better again. I’ve been through 6 of them. I’ve temporarily accepted the increasing need of more insulin as the pen was being used up simply because I don’t want to waste all my money and throw them out, but I won’t ever buy the Solostar again.

I have decided to buy, next time, the 3ml x5 plain glass cartridges of Lantus and just use them with a syringe.

7

Why not use them with the pen that’s made for them, the AutoPen?

You should be able to get one through your local diabetes clinic. Here’s a link, they’re made by Owen Mumford.
http://www.owenmumford.com/us/range/24/autopen.html

They make two that work with Lantus cartridges. One is for low dose injections and the other is for high dose injections. Talk to your diabetes nurse educator or your endo and make sure you tell them your usual dose so they give you the right one.

8





Pens for Lantus cartridges


9

I am much more likely to make a dosage mistake with syringes/vials. The clicks of the pen help me take the exact dosage. It is easy to see the dosage reading. If I pull up too much, I can just click back one or two. When my insurance co. substituted vials, I mixed them up and had a horrible reaction. My dr. appealed for pens.

My insurance won’t pay for test “wheels,” i.e., Breeze 2. As my hand shakes some, it is difficult to get the skinny little strip into the teeny tiny slot. It’s not so easy for me to get the little strip out of the little bottle. Anyone else have hand/eye/shakes difficulties?

10

Thanks,
I am sorry to hear you cannot get the wheels. I was happy to hear the UHC covers accu-chek aviva - but I do not think they will cover the drums that go in the multiclix lancing device. I know the aviva is recommended for people with arthritis by the arthritis foundations east-of-use commendation. I am not sure if it had to do with the strips or with the drums.

11

Well, I just found out that UHC has the syringes under Tier 2. I could not believe it. If it will cost the same for the pens as the needles, I choose to go with pens for convenience.

Thanks for all your help. I have made my choice.

12

At wal-mart the drums for the multi-clix are fairly inexpensive. By me it’s about $11 for 100+2 pack - at the corner pharmacy they are about $20. My insurance only covers the soft-clix lancets which I use at home, but when I’m on the go I take the multi-clix with me for convenience so I have to come out of pocket. Just an FYI. Also, I’d second the Aviva strips as being more arthritis friendly than most other meters - they are two to three times the width of the Up and Up and Freestyle strips and IMHO easier to test with when you have the shakes.

13

I started out with needles/vials when I was 14…35 year ago…that’s all there was back then, lol. When the pen came out
I felt freed. Just have to remember the pen and an extra vial for E. I, jokingly call it my “travelling pancreas”. It gives the flexiblity of shooting in the middle of the Safeway aisle if I need to or any public area without any attention at all. I shoot 6-8X per day, Humalog, then 1x at night in a separate pen for basal, so this is the way to go for me…at least til I decide on going the pump root but at $7000 plus monthly costs…I have to think about that longer.
Cost wise I’m fortunate where I live, the pen and insulin, strips are covered 100% here by my work insurance but not the pump and extras. :L)

14

I use BOTH…

After decades of vials/syringes a new doc switched my insulins from N & R to Lantus and Humalog.
One night, out of town, I took my bed-time Lantus…oops, took a half days worth humalog by mistake.

I knew my carb ratio and used it in reverse to counter the huge overdose of Humalog. I also called a friend across town and asked him to call me on my cell in 2 hrs. If I did not answer, he was to call 911 for me. I did fine, erred a bit on the high side and back to normal in another day or two.

When I got back home, at my next Dr. visit, I asked to TRY a pen for my humalog instead of vials/syringe. I LOVE my Humalog pens. Convenient and NO more taking the WRONG insulin since (knock on woody).

While I love the pen for my meal time insulin, do it anywhere, anytime, just lift my shirt at the table, I STAY with vials for my Lantus for safety,

Gomer …