[Chappo]

Just wanted to know how many pump users actually re-use ther cartridges/reservoirs.

[Gordonm]

I do. I reuse them. I fill then 1 more refill then away they go.

[poodlebone]

I don't. I have a 300 unit reservoir and that lasts me 10-12 days. I do not change it every 3 days when I change the cannula. I don't see any need to reuse them since I get 10-12 days out of it the first time. Also, I have a massive stockpile of them and have to remember to tell Minimed not to send me any for the next few years.

[Chappo]

Originally Posted by poodlebone

I don't. I have a 300 unit reservoir and that lasts me 10-12 days. I do not change it every 3 days when I change the cannula. I don't see any need to reuse them since I get 10-12 days out of it the first time. Also, I have a massive stockpile of them and have to remember to tell Minimed not to send me any for the next few years.

Wow, i have just increased my total daily dose by around 25%. I'm now around 50 units a day, so my reservoir lasts me 4 days or so.

[Gary_W]

I get all of the supplies paid for and the folks that trained me told me to change the whole lot every 3 days; when I do a set change, the cartridge with any insulin still left gets thrown.

Please don't think badly of me... I've only been doing it a couple of months and I'll probably start bending the rules in a slightly less wasteful direction quite soon. In my defense, I don't completely fill the 200u cartridge on the Animas as my TDD tends to be around 30u, 35u max. For this reason, I only put in around 140u (which allows for priming and a bit of extra if I pig out / catch cold ) I was told to completely fill the cartridge no matter what, which would mean me chucking away an extra 60u of insulin every 3 days. Which is not good.... So I'm bending the advice already.

Gary

[notme]

Nope....never do.

[Funnygrl]

I've never done it, but would have no qualms over doing it in an emergency situation.

[lugnut48]

I do it all the time. I also (and I know, shame on me), re-use the infusion set once. I've never had a problem with either.

[Doug]

it takes me 6 days to use 300 units so yes I fill it once and use it for 2 infusion sets - I have also once in a great while refilled a cartridge - if I for some reason needed to - for example if I didnt have enough left to last for the next infusion set - or if I was traveling and running low on supplies

[poodlebone]

Originally Posted by Chappo

Wow, i have just increased my total daily dose by around 25%. I'm now around 50 units a day, so my reservoir lasts me 4 days or so.

I just got my new pump this month. I thought about going with the smaller model (Minimed makes the same pumps in two sizes - one with a 300 unit reservoir and one with a 176? unit) to force me to change everything out more often, but laziness won out and I chose the bigger 722 pump.

I actually do sort of reuse reservoirs. I'll often fill 3 reservoirs at once when I open a new vial of insulin, leaving around 100 units in the bottle. I'll rewind my pump and add those remaining units to my current reservoir, then prime it and reattach. I am not going to deal with putting 100 units from vial A and 200 units from vial B together to fill a reservoir!

[Lizzy]

I never reuse them. I get all my supplies free so I change everything every 3 days. And Gary, I don't fill my cartridge all the way either. I can't see wasting the insulin.

[Subby]

Never. They are just part of the cost and I wouldn't consider the risk of another "link in the chain" possibly compromised, as worth the savings. In an emergency... a real one like being lost in a forest with everything else but reservoirs... well, of course.

I also slightly underfill my reservoir for the same reason as Gary and Lizzy. Then again I take 80 - 110u a day so my 3ml usually does 3 days neatly enough.

[SueM]

Yes I reuse mine as 25 cartridges cost £65 I am self funding at the moment, but was told last Friday that I can have funding from the good old NHS So fingers x'd this will be sorted within the next few months.

[JungleJim]

I always use my cartridges at least twice.....never had a problem.

[Blue Knight]

Started reusing my and trash it with every other site change.