Using a pen

General
1

I have just started using a NovoPen Jr. for my son, and even though he is getting a tiny dose and I leave it in for a long count of 5, there is always a drop of insulin on the end of the needle after I pull it out.  Is this normal?

TIA

Jennifer

2

I always get a drop left on both my Lantus and Humalog pens, something to do with the pressure when you pull it out I was told...

3

Thanks for the info!  I didn't know if I was doing something wrong!

4

[quote user="Jennifer Page"]there is always a drop of insulin on the end of the needle after I pull it out.  Is this normal?[/quote]

 

I'm on the Nova Jr. and Levimere and yes its pretty normal in our household. The thing I still can't figure out is that every once and a while I do what my family calls "spring a leak" basically after I take the pen out insulin squirts back out. Its only like 1 or 2 units so I don't really worry about it but I wonder if it is normal also. Maybe it has something to do with the pressure as well.

 

5

I always get a drop on the tip of the needle on my Novolog Flexpens too.  I've tried every maneuver while it's still injected to get every single drop in, but it seems unavoidable.

Sometimes I'll take a unit extra if I'm worried about it coming back out.  I doubt it's really a problem unless your son is only taking 1-2 units a time with a really high sensitivity to insulin and thus precision is crucial, in which case a pump is going to be your best friend.

6

I used the NovoPen 4 (for both NovoRapid and Levemir) for years.  I always had a drop of insulin on the needle tip after insertion.  I don't think it's a problem.

I would often have insulin come back out when I would inject in my arms (my abdomen was always fine).  In my case, this 'leakage' was definitely the cause of some higher than expected blood glucose readings.

Sidenote: I've been on the pump for a week and am loving the increased dosing precision!

7

I use the Novolog Flexpen and the Lantus Solostar pens I almost always have a drop of insulin on my pen and I usually count about 10 seconds holding the needle in. I've only had one experience where insulin seeped back out of my skin and that was with my Lantus and I didn't really notice a difference in my blood sugars or anything.

8

When I was on the pen that used to happen to me as well, and would drive me crazy because I would count really slow so it wouldn't happen but it always did!