byetta -- do you squirt a shot before using a new pen?

[georgepds]

I'm now on byetta, and today was the first day I attached a needle to a new cartridge pen.

My question is a simple one.. do you squirt a shot in the open air with a new pen just to make sure it is working correctly?

--G

[princesslinda]

Yes. If you don't "prime" the pen, you may not get a full/accurate dose.

[Hammer]

The instructions tell you to load the pen, then push the plunger to remove the air. If you don't see any liquid on the tip of the needle, then do it a second time. Usually the second time is enough. You only do this when you first start the new pen. You don't do it every time you take a shot.

The reason you remove the air is to make sure you get the correct dose, since if there was air mixed in with your dose, you wouldn't have gotten the full dose. If you inject air into your skin, it won't hurt anything, it's only when you inject air into a vein that you have problems. We inject Byetta into the skin.

[pdxdennisj]

I "prime" the pen per instructions and then inject. I have never had a problem. I don't recall ever seeing a drop of Byetta on the needle after the prime. BTW, there are two "extra" shot in the pen after it stops working. I insert an insulin needle in the stopper and withdraw 3 units from the Byetta pen and inject (I'm pretty sure I calculated this correctly).