Re: Needle re-use

[Guest guest]

When I was injecting insulin, I didn't reuse syringes. To me, and YMMV,

injecting with a syringe isn't like re-using a lancet. The syringe goes into me

much more deeply, and therefore there are more contamination issues at work.

Plus, once you've used a syringe, there will be some insulin left in it and

perhaps some contaminant from my own body, and by pushing that syringe back into

the insulin bottle, I'm putting all that back in too when I inject the air

into the bottle. Not worth the risk of infection or degrading the insulin, for

me.

Plus, as they're made to be used only once, and I'm very sensitve to syringe

pain, I don't want to do anything to make that pain increase. I had pain with

injections even with new syringes.

The reason I reuse lancets has nothing to do with money and everything to do

with laziness. It adds a minute or so to the test, but just seems a hassle

to unscrew the lancet device, take the old lancet out, put the new one in,

rescrew the top on, then do the test. So much quicker and easier to just reuse

it

for a while.

The syringes I used were BG ultra fine, and they came 100 to a box and cost

me about $22. That was over three months' worth of syringes, not that high a

price to pay.

I also didn't reuse pen needles for the same reasons. Those were covered by

insurance for a $20 co-pay at, for me based on my prescription, 200 per month,

though I rarely used that many. Again, I didn't feel like I would be saving

all that much by reusing to make it worthwhile given what I see are the risks.

YMMV, of course.

Stacey

[Guest guest]

When I was injecting insulin, I didn't reuse syringes. To me, and YMMV,

injecting with a syringe isn't like re-using a lancet. The syringe goes into me

much more deeply, and therefore there are more contamination issues at work.

Plus, once you've used a syringe, there will be some insulin left in it and

perhaps some contaminant from my own body, and by pushing that syringe back into

the insulin bottle, I'm putting all that back in too when I inject the air

into the bottle. Not worth the risk of infection or degrading the insulin, for

me.

Plus, as they're made to be used only once, and I'm very sensitve to syringe

pain, I don't want to do anything to make that pain increase. I had pain with

injections even with new syringes.

The reason I reuse lancets has nothing to do with money and everything to do

with laziness. It adds a minute or so to the test, but just seems a hassle

to unscrew the lancet device, take the old lancet out, put the new one in,

rescrew the top on, then do the test. So much quicker and easier to just reuse

it

for a while.

The syringes I used were BG ultra fine, and they came 100 to a box and cost

me about $22. That was over three months' worth of syringes, not that high a

price to pay.

I also didn't reuse pen needles for the same reasons. Those were covered by

insurance for a $20 co-pay at, for me based on my prescription, 200 per month,

though I rarely used that many. Again, I didn't feel like I would be saving

all that much by reusing to make it worthwhile given what I see are the risks.

YMMV, of course.

Stacey

[Guest guest]

When I was injecting insulin, I didn't reuse syringes. To me, and YMMV,

injecting with a syringe isn't like re-using a lancet. The syringe goes into me

much more deeply, and therefore there are more contamination issues at work.

Plus, once you've used a syringe, there will be some insulin left in it and

perhaps some contaminant from my own body, and by pushing that syringe back into

the insulin bottle, I'm putting all that back in too when I inject the air

into the bottle. Not worth the risk of infection or degrading the insulin, for

me.

Plus, as they're made to be used only once, and I'm very sensitve to syringe

pain, I don't want to do anything to make that pain increase. I had pain with

injections even with new syringes.

The reason I reuse lancets has nothing to do with money and everything to do

with laziness. It adds a minute or so to the test, but just seems a hassle

to unscrew the lancet device, take the old lancet out, put the new one in,

rescrew the top on, then do the test. So much quicker and easier to just reuse

it

for a while.

The syringes I used were BG ultra fine, and they came 100 to a box and cost

me about $22. That was over three months' worth of syringes, not that high a

price to pay.

I also didn't reuse pen needles for the same reasons. Those were covered by

insurance for a $20 co-pay at, for me based on my prescription, 200 per month,

though I rarely used that many. Again, I didn't feel like I would be saving

all that much by reusing to make it worthwhile given what I see are the risks.

YMMV, of course.

Stacey

[Guest guest]

Hi,

It's Ivana. My insurance went up to l040.00 a month with a 5,000

deductible. Totally unaffordable to me so I don't have any. I, unfortunately,

am

considered uninsurable. I will be 65 in October and will get Medicare then...

I , of course, wash my hands very well prior to testing and have been using

the same needle for over 2 month so far.....

I am not considering using my syringe more than once.

[Guest guest]

Hi,

It's Ivana. My insurance went up to l040.00 a month with a 5,000

deductible. Totally unaffordable to me so I don't have any. I, unfortunately,

am

considered uninsurable. I will be 65 in October and will get Medicare then...

I , of course, wash my hands very well prior to testing and have been using

the same needle for over 2 month so far.....

I am not considering using my syringe more than once.

[Guest guest]

Hi,

It's Ivana. My insurance went up to l040.00 a month with a 5,000

deductible. Totally unaffordable to me so I don't have any. I, unfortunately,

am

considered uninsurable. I will be 65 in October and will get Medicare then...

I , of course, wash my hands very well prior to testing and have been using

the same needle for over 2 month so far.....

I am not considering using my syringe more than once.

[Guest guest]

I re-use my lancets and don't change them for weeks at a time with no

problem and I test 10-12 times a day. I also re-use insulin syringes

but change it when it stops being easy to inject. That seems to be about

3-4 times maximum.

Vicki

Needle re-use

>

> I know we are told to use our lancet needles only once, but I use them

> until

> they get dull, and several of you here have said the same thing.

>

> What about insulin syringes? I take two hits of insulin a day, and

> have

> recently started using the needle twice, for both injections. I am

> careful

> about replacing the cap on the needle and I just can't see the harm in

> this.

> The company (BD) tells me Only Once should this needle be used. What

> say

> you? Anyone else here use twice?

>

> Jo in MN

>

> Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and

> your dog

> would go in.

> Mark Twain 1835-1910

>

[Guest guest]

I re-use my lancets and don't change them for weeks at a time with no

problem and I test 10-12 times a day. I also re-use insulin syringes

but change it when it stops being easy to inject. That seems to be about

3-4 times maximum.

Vicki

Needle re-use

>

> I know we are told to use our lancet needles only once, but I use them

> until

> they get dull, and several of you here have said the same thing.

>

> What about insulin syringes? I take two hits of insulin a day, and

> have

> recently started using the needle twice, for both injections. I am

> careful

> about replacing the cap on the needle and I just can't see the harm in

> this.

> The company (BD) tells me Only Once should this needle be used. What

> say

> you? Anyone else here use twice?

>

> Jo in MN

>

> Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and

> your dog

> would go in.

> Mark Twain 1835-1910

>

[Guest guest]

I re-use my lancets and don't change them for weeks at a time with no

problem and I test 10-12 times a day. I also re-use insulin syringes

but change it when it stops being easy to inject. That seems to be about

3-4 times maximum.

Vicki

Needle re-use

>

> I know we are told to use our lancet needles only once, but I use them

> until

> they get dull, and several of you here have said the same thing.

>

> What about insulin syringes? I take two hits of insulin a day, and

> have

> recently started using the needle twice, for both injections. I am

> careful

> about replacing the cap on the needle and I just can't see the harm in

> this.

> The company (BD) tells me Only Once should this needle be used. What

> say

> you? Anyone else here use twice?

>

> Jo in MN

>

> Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and

> your dog

> would go in.

> Mark Twain 1835-1910

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the info, Vicki. While we are talking, my Doc says that Medicare

will not pay for more than 4 pokes a day, which, to me, doesn't seem near

enough.

When you say you test 10-12 times a day, I want to ask if your insurance

pays for this, or if you bear the cost yourself. At almost a dollar a

poke(85cents each), I really couldn't afford to pay for all those extras,

but would like to be able to test more frequently.

Please, anyone else respond, as well. I am going to see my Doc tomorrow and

would like to " have it out " with him!

Jo in MN

Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog

would go in.

Mark Twain 1835-1910

Re: Needle re-use

>

> I re-use my lancets and don't change them for weeks at a time with no

> problem and I test 10-12 times a day. I also re-use insulin syringes

> but change it when it stops being easy to inject. That seems to be about

> 3-4 times maximum.

> Vicki

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the info, Vicki. While we are talking, my Doc says that Medicare

will not pay for more than 4 pokes a day, which, to me, doesn't seem near

enough.

When you say you test 10-12 times a day, I want to ask if your insurance

pays for this, or if you bear the cost yourself. At almost a dollar a

poke(85cents each), I really couldn't afford to pay for all those extras,

but would like to be able to test more frequently.

Please, anyone else respond, as well. I am going to see my Doc tomorrow and

would like to " have it out " with him!

Jo in MN

Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog

would go in.

Mark Twain 1835-1910

Re: Needle re-use

>

> I re-use my lancets and don't change them for weeks at a time with no

> problem and I test 10-12 times a day. I also re-use insulin syringes

> but change it when it stops being easy to inject. That seems to be about

> 3-4 times maximum.

> Vicki

[Guest guest]

I have excellent insurance (I work for a hospital system) that pays for

90% of my strips cost. In 7 years they've never complained about the

number of strips I need.

I'm retiring in a few years and I doubt that I'll be able to find

coverage that good and I'm resigning myself to having to pay for 90% of

the strips myself. I've tried cutting back on testing but as a type 1,

my BGs are so volatile that I find I really NEED to test the amount that

I do. If I don't, BGs get out of control pretty fast. And since I base

my Humalog dose on amounts of carbs at each meal I need to test both

before and after meals anyway.

You could explain to your doctor that you need to find out how different

foods affect your BGs and the only way you can do this is test before

meals and 1 and 2 hours after. Maybe he'd go for it as a " temporary "

measure. For some reason, this concept doesn't seem to occur to doctors,

but it's worth a try, doncha think?

Vicki

..

Re: Needle re-use

>

>

>>

>> I re-use my lancets and don't change them for weeks at a time with no

>> problem and I test 10-12 times a day. I also re-use insulin

>> syringes

>> but change it when it stops being easy to inject. That seems to be

>> about

>> 3-4 times maximum.

>> Vicki

>

[Guest guest]

I have excellent insurance (I work for a hospital system) that pays for

90% of my strips cost. In 7 years they've never complained about the

number of strips I need.

I'm retiring in a few years and I doubt that I'll be able to find

coverage that good and I'm resigning myself to having to pay for 90% of

the strips myself. I've tried cutting back on testing but as a type 1,

my BGs are so volatile that I find I really NEED to test the amount that

I do. If I don't, BGs get out of control pretty fast. And since I base

my Humalog dose on amounts of carbs at each meal I need to test both

before and after meals anyway.

You could explain to your doctor that you need to find out how different

foods affect your BGs and the only way you can do this is test before

meals and 1 and 2 hours after. Maybe he'd go for it as a " temporary "

measure. For some reason, this concept doesn't seem to occur to doctors,

but it's worth a try, doncha think?

Vicki

..

Re: Needle re-use

>

>

>>

>> I re-use my lancets and don't change them for weeks at a time with no

>> problem and I test 10-12 times a day. I also re-use insulin

>> syringes

>> but change it when it stops being easy to inject. That seems to be

>> about

>> 3-4 times maximum.

>> Vicki

>

[Guest guest]

I have excellent insurance (I work for a hospital system) that pays for

90% of my strips cost. In 7 years they've never complained about the

number of strips I need.

I'm retiring in a few years and I doubt that I'll be able to find

coverage that good and I'm resigning myself to having to pay for 90% of

the strips myself. I've tried cutting back on testing but as a type 1,

my BGs are so volatile that I find I really NEED to test the amount that

I do. If I don't, BGs get out of control pretty fast. And since I base

my Humalog dose on amounts of carbs at each meal I need to test both

before and after meals anyway.

You could explain to your doctor that you need to find out how different

foods affect your BGs and the only way you can do this is test before

meals and 1 and 2 hours after. Maybe he'd go for it as a " temporary "

measure. For some reason, this concept doesn't seem to occur to doctors,

but it's worth a try, doncha think?

Vicki

..

Re: Needle re-use

>

>

>>

>> I re-use my lancets and don't change them for weeks at a time with no

>> problem and I test 10-12 times a day. I also re-use insulin

>> syringes

>> but change it when it stops being easy to inject. That seems to be

>> about

>> 3-4 times maximum.

>> Vicki

>

[Guest guest]

Unless it is changed, Medicare will cover whatever your doctor prescribes. I

have

Medicare and a supplemental so I don't pay anything but I only have 3 times a

day

written up by the doctor.

ml

[Guest guest]

Well, I reuse the Lantus syringe twice before disposing of it. That way

I minimize the risk of contaminating the Lantus vial. I could probably

use it a number of times more. If I were using Lantus in a pen, I would

consider using the pen needle more times.

However, I put a fresh needle on my Humalog pen and reuse that one

needle until the pen is empty with no problems. And the needle still

appears sharp.

> I know we are told to use our lancet needles only once, but I use them

> until

> they get dull, and several of you here have said the same thing.

>

> What about insulin syringes? I take two hits of insulin a day, and

> have

> recently started using the needle twice, for both injections. I am

> careful

> about replacing the cap on the needle and I just can't see the harm in

> this.

> The company (BD) tells me Only Once should this needle be used. What

> say

> you? Anyone else here use twice?

>

=+=+=+=+=+=+=

Maurer

Type II diabetic since 4/87

(diet, exercise, & meds)

Insulin dependent Type II since 9/04

(diet, exercise, Lantus, Humalog, & Metformin XR)

=+=+=+=+=+=+=

[Guest guest]

Your doctor just has to write some simple justification for the number

of strips; such as " needs to test before and after each meal and at

bedtime " .

> Unless it is changed, Medicare will cover whatever your doctor

> prescribes. I have

> Medicare and a supplemental so I don't pay anything but I only have 3

> times a day

> written up by the doctor.

>

=+=+=+=+=+=+=

Maurer

Type II diabetic since 4/87

(diet, exercise, & meds)

Insulin dependent Type II since 9/04

(diet, exercise, Lantus, Humalog, & Metformin XR)

=+=+=+=+=+=+=

[Guest guest]

Your doctor just has to write some simple justification for the number

of strips; such as " needs to test before and after each meal and at

bedtime " .

> Unless it is changed, Medicare will cover whatever your doctor

> prescribes. I have

> Medicare and a supplemental so I don't pay anything but I only have 3

> times a day

> written up by the doctor.

>

=+=+=+=+=+=+=

Maurer

Type II diabetic since 4/87

(diet, exercise, & meds)

Insulin dependent Type II since 9/04

(diet, exercise, Lantus, Humalog, & Metformin XR)

=+=+=+=+=+=+=

[Guest guest]

Your doctor just has to write some simple justification for the number

of strips; such as " needs to test before and after each meal and at

bedtime " .

> Unless it is changed, Medicare will cover whatever your doctor

> prescribes. I have

> Medicare and a supplemental so I don't pay anything but I only have 3

> times a day

> written up by the doctor.

>

=+=+=+=+=+=+=

Maurer

Type II diabetic since 4/87

(diet, exercise, & meds)

Insulin dependent Type II since 9/04

(diet, exercise, Lantus, Humalog, & Metformin XR)

=+=+=+=+=+=+=

[Guest guest]

I reuse a syringe until the first time it's difficult to get the needle

into the vial. At that point it's too dull to stick into me, so I

change it. I have a different syringe for each type of insulin, just

keep the current syringe and the vial in the box together.

I get a box of 100 syringes at Walgreen for $15.99.

CarolR

[Guest guest]

I reuse a syringe until the first time it's difficult to get the needle

into the vial. At that point it's too dull to stick into me, so I

change it. I have a different syringe for each type of insulin, just

keep the current syringe and the vial in the box together.

I get a box of 100 syringes at Walgreen for $15.99.

CarolR

[Guest guest]

I reuse a syringe until the first time it's difficult to get the needle

into the vial. At that point it's too dull to stick into me, so I

change it. I have a different syringe for each type of insulin, just

keep the current syringe and the vial in the box together.

I get a box of 100 syringes at Walgreen for $15.99.

CarolR

[Guest guest]

Yep I do know for sure what the doc perscribes is what Medicare will cover

(depending on

ins. 80 or 100%) I do believe my supplemental pays 20%.

ml

vicki abbott wrote:

>

> Lou said that Medicare will pay for however many strips your doctor

> says you need. So your doc saying that Medicare will only pay for 4 a

> day is apparently not true. I sort of doubt it myself because (just

> remembered this) when I was discussing this with my own doctor

> recently with regard to my future with Medicare and supplements after I

> retire, he said, " just tell me how many you need when the time comes and

> I'll write for that amount. " (I love my doctor!)

> Vicki

>

> --

[Guest guest]

Yep I do know for sure what the doc perscribes is what Medicare will cover

(depending on

ins. 80 or 100%) I do believe my supplemental pays 20%.

ml

vicki abbott wrote:

>

> Lou said that Medicare will pay for however many strips your doctor

> says you need. So your doc saying that Medicare will only pay for 4 a

> day is apparently not true. I sort of doubt it myself because (just

> remembered this) when I was discussing this with my own doctor

> recently with regard to my future with Medicare and supplements after I

> retire, he said, " just tell me how many you need when the time comes and

> I'll write for that amount. " (I love my doctor!)

> Vicki

>

> --

[Guest guest]

Yep I do know for sure what the doc perscribes is what Medicare will cover

(depending on

ins. 80 or 100%) I do believe my supplemental pays 20%.

ml

vicki abbott wrote:

>

> Lou said that Medicare will pay for however many strips your doctor

> says you need. So your doc saying that Medicare will only pay for 4 a

> day is apparently not true. I sort of doubt it myself because (just

> remembered this) when I was discussing this with my own doctor

> recently with regard to my future with Medicare and supplements after I

> retire, he said, " just tell me how many you need when the time comes and

> I'll write for that amount. " (I love my doctor!)

> Vicki

>

> --