reusing syringes

[Eddy]

Thanks to those who have posted about positive (or lack of negative) experiences with syringe reuse!

I started reusing lancets early on, and now tend to use a given lancet until it's painful or ineffective -- typically about a week. However, I was worried about a dirty needle contaminating a vial of in$ulin, and had held off.

So far, so good. I'm maintaining separate syringes for Levemir and for bolus, and cleaning needles after use by pouring rubbing alcohol over them. When I have an empty vial, I'm going to refill it with 91% rubbing alcohol, label it clearly, and have a little "syringe cleaning kit".

Reusing syringes should chop another $50/mo off my "cost of living". Now, then, I just need to try those $0.30/ea test strips about which someone posted a few weeks back... bigger 0.7 microL blood sample required, but I can deal with that...

[morrisma]

Eddy,
I kept 2 syringes - a 50u for basal insulin and a 30u for bolus insulin. I also used the 30 for both sometimes without any obvious issue.

[Chappo]

I never used any of my syringes (when i was using them) and have never used a pen needle more than once (apart from a couple of occasions when i had no unused ones.)

However i guess it's a different situation for you; through the NDSS (which is run by Diabetes Australia and funded by the Federal Government) we obtain all of our pen needles and syringes completely free of charge. Yes, $0.00 for however many boxes you need. So i guess that is the main reason i use them strictly as 'single use'.

However many people i know overseas use them multiple times, sometimes one per week.

If it works which it obviously is for you, then no harm done

[Eddy]

If it works which it obviously is for you, then no harm done

So far, at least. I just started a few days ago, because there's only one way to find out...

[SueM]

Even though all meds are free at source for diabetics in the UK, I always reuse syringes. One disposable syring lasts me a week. Waste not want not is my attitude.

[Jan B]

I used to use syringes until they weren't sharp anymore, almost to the point of punishing myself. It's not that I couldn't afford to change more often, I just didn't see the point. I also never kept one syringe for Lantus and a different one for Humalog. I certainly wouldn't want to share a syringe with someone else though.