NovoPen Junior problem

[lilituc]

I just started NovoLog a month ago. I have the NovoLog Junior pen (because it's the only one that's compatible with NovoLog and does half units) and also syringes. My endo insisted I get the pen because he said that it would be so much more convenient, discreet, comfortable. That has not been the case.

When I use syringes, I can barely feel it, and I'm very sensitive to pain. The pen, however, hurts even though the needles are the same gauge as my syringes. I use the pen exactly as recommended. There's pain when I inject, a burning sensation which continues for about 20 minutes after injection, and the push button requires a lot of force. That last part surprises me since this pen is for children. Half the time it doesn't give my full dose even if I leave it in for 20 seconds and push the button as hard as I can (ow)! Do you think the burning sensation is because there's already insulin on the pen due to priming? I can't think of anything else it could be.

The company just says that if I have a problem I need to go over it with my diabetes educator. I wanted to see if other people had had this experience, though. Is this normal for this pen? Are other pens better than this?

[Penny]

Hi Lili, I use the Novolog Flexpen. The only time I have pain at all with it, is when I inject it in a place that doesn't have enough fat. The best place for me is the underside of my upper arms. It does not dial up 1/2 units, though. I do have pain with my Lantus when I use syringes, but usually also when I hit the wrong place, and I quit using my thigh at all, as it does burn there.

[jen_slc]

I use the Novopen Jr for all my dosing because I need the half units. I have to admit, I do get a bad sting after injecting in my arms, usually I scream out a string of expletives and by the time I've finished the pain is gone. I don't think the burning sensation is due to insulin being on the pen needle - that would come off on the outside of your skin as you injected. I don't know where my stinging comes from either.

I don't find that my pen's push button requires a lot of force either. It's not an easy slippery push button but it's not a hard push either, at least in my experience. Did you just get a brand new one? Are you keeping it in the fridge? (Don't keep it in the fridge). How do you know you are not getting your full dose? Does it leak afterwards? Every once in a while I get a drop or two that leaks out even after holding it in for 10 seconds. I think this is just a characteristic of pens we have to deal with - some pens are worse than others in this respect, but I find the Novopen Jr to be better than others.

If you're using the Novopen Jr for the 1/2 unit increments, I think you are stuck with it. I'm not aware of any other pens that offer the half units, but somebody correct me if I am wrong!

[lilituc]

Thanks, Penny.

Jen, thanks! That is useful to know.

I have had the pen for about a month now, and I don't keep it in the fridge. I know I'm not getting the full dose because sometimes it drips afterwards, and also my blood sugar after eating. My blood sugar is fine when I'm using the syringes.

> I'm not aware of any other pens that offer the half units, but somebody correct me if I am wrong!

There are other pens that do half units, but Novo Nordisk will not make a NovoLog cartridge that fits them.

[Penny]

I fotgot to add that mine are disposable pens. Right now I am keeping my opened and unopened pens in the fridge, because my house is so hot. The box says to store under 86*, and I know my house is hotter than that sometimes.

[sofaraway]

i use the disposable flexpens and don't have many problems. i do quite often get a bit of insulin on my skin, which im not sure if is leaked out or was on the needle and got on my skin when i inserted it.

Right now I am keeping my opened and unopened pens in the fridge, because my house is so hot. The box says to store under 86*, and I know my house is hotter than that sometimes.

my nurse told me to do this aswell because of the weather, i have been getting it out a bit before injecting to warm it up a bit

[Mick]

I've been using the Novopen Jr. for many years now, after a year on disposible humalog pens. I switched mostly for the ability to do half-unit dosing--it IS the only half-unit pen available. I've never had the least bit of problem at all with this pen--and it's by now got probably close to 5,500 injections on it!! I find it reliable, painless, accurate and I love that I only throw away the small cartridge rather than a whole pen--It's more environmentally friendly. There is almost always a drop of insulin on the tip of the needle, after withdrawing it from the skin, with ANY pen, no matter how long you leave it in. That's not a dosing accuracy problem, but is part of how they work. I have never had stinging, I find the button to be very easy to press, and as far as injection pain form the needle, I have virtually no sensation whatsoever, no matter where I inject--and I'm a skinny little guy with not much pinchable fat! I guess you could say I'm in love with this pen! I like it for all the reasons your doc mentioned--convienience, discretion, portability, ease of use...

Michael
T1 since 1966

[BriOnH]

I've been using the Novopen Jr. for many years now, after a year on disposible humalog pens. I switched mostly for the ability to do half-unit dosing--it IS the only half-unit pen available. I've never had the least bit of problem at all with this pen--and it's by now got probably close to 5,500 injections on it!!

Michael
T1 since 1966

Michael, is that 5,500 injections with 5,500 different tips? :) I am so bad at changing the tips, I really must do it more.

As to the Jr., I have never tried it, but I really like the novopen 4 a lot. Another cool feature about it, is you know before you shoot up where it is going to stop, instead of during an injection.

[Mick]

Brian--that's MOSTLY different tips--I almost always do change out the needles for every injection, unless I'm on the road, eating strange foods or weird amounts, and have the feeling I might run out of tips--then I'll re-use. But normally I do change for every injection. For many years, with the big dart-sized needles we used to have decades ago, I would re-use every syringe for several days. The thin ones today seem to bend so easily, and since I have good insurance, I see no reral reason to re-use much. I DO tend to stick myself with the same lancet for a month at a time...

The only thing I DON'T like about the Novopen Jr. is that it will dial up a dose, but if you are near to the end of a cartridge, you may not get the whole dose. It'll just stop. The Humalog disposible pen won't dial up a dose larger than it will deliver. The Novopen Jr. will--and is that ever annoying! It does tell you how many units failed to inject, but then you have to crank the thing down, re-set it, fill it, prime it, and then start over with a NEW injection of the remainder of your dose. Because of this, I've learned to err on the side of caution and throw them away before they get to the bottom of the cartridge, therefore mostly avoiding this problem. But still, if i lose track and don't look at the window of the pen, I can still get into that situation on occasion. Like I said--not any major criticism, but an annoyance.

Michael
T1 since 1966

[lilituc]

I've been using the Novopen Jr. for many years now, after a year on disposible humalog pens. I switched mostly for the ability to do half-unit dosing--it IS the only half-unit pen available.

It is definitely the only pen that does half unit dosing for NovoLog, but there's also the BD MiniPen which does half unit dosing. It's just not compatible with NovoLog.

[lilituc]

There is almost always a drop of insulin on the tip of the needle, after withdrawing it from the skin, with ANY pen, no matter how long you leave it in. That's not a dosing accuracy problem, but is part of how they work.

That may be the case, but I am having a dosing problem. If I inject the same amount with a syringe, it's clear that it's the right amount of insulin. When I inject with the pen, my blood sugar is higher to the point where it seems like I'm 1/2 to 1 unit short. The dosing indicator reads zero and sometimes there isn't a drop left after injecting. I think this combined with the pain is enough to make me stop using it, but I hate to throw away insulin.

[BriOnH]

I really need to change my tips more. I have no excuse except convienience. The new #6 tips are pretty nice, compared to the 9's. It took me a bit to get used to them, but think it was more of a mental change issue than anything.


That may be the case, but I am having a dosing problem. If I inject the same amount with a syringe, it's clear that it's the right amount of insulin. When I inject with the pen, my blood sugar is higher to the point where it seems like I'm 1/2 to 1 unit short. The dosing indicator reads zero and sometimes there isn't a drop left after injecting. I think this combined with the pain is enough to make me stop using it, but I hate to throw away insulin.

What I did when I switched from my novopen 3 to the novopen 4, which I bought from Canada, was; Took a syringe, took out the plunger, dialed up 10 units of insulin in the novopen then squirted the novopen into the back of the syringe. After a bunch of flicking the syringe with my finger, it was dead on 10 units. Might want to try this test for accuracy.