Ok- if you all don’t think I’m completely daft already, you will after this one.
I am taking 80 units of Lantus twice a day. So I’m filling my syringe, and I drop it with the cap off. So the needle is now bent, no way I’m using that. But I can’t get it straight again and I can’t get the insulin out of the syringe!!! I pulled the plunger out of the end, but the insulin is defying gravity!!! It won’t come out. Am I doomed to have it in there forever? The other needles I have won’t reach in to suck out the insulin and I can’t get it to come out by shaking it, and even if I could- it would be in my hand, not back in the bottle. Am I completely daft, or has this happened to someone before? Please, lie to me if you must. Feeling not so smart tonight.
It’s not like I even really need to salvage it, I have plenty but 80 units is a lot to just waste! I just can’t let that go!
Well, that just plain s*cks. I am seriously clumsy. I’ve dropped my Byetta pens before, I refuse to tell you how many times, it is embarrassing. I will say I’ve never totally destroyed a pen. Stuff happens. Conservatively, you should just throw it out. The next best alternative would be to use an recent empty lantus vial, prime the bent syringe and then push the lantus into the empty vial. Then use a new syringe to pull out whatever you can get, probably somewhat less than 80 units.
Remember, the biggest concern is sterility. Having the needle on the floor is not sterile and exposing insulin to outside air is not sterile. Stuff happens.
Yep, there’s a vacuum. I’ve dropped syringes many times. Wouldn’t use it even if the needle wasn’t bent. Throw it out. Not good for insulin to be exposed to air for very long anyway.