do you ever re-use your cartridges??
i am sure i read somewhere on here, that some of you out there re-use your insulin cartridges with you pump. i, obviously use an Animas Ping, and was just wondering if it is possible to re-use the cartridges.
it was expressed to me that the cartridges begin to break down and the insulin would then become unsafe if you use them for longer than 3 days. is this true, or just a ploy by the companies to get us to spend more money?
it was expressed to me that the cartridges begin to break down and the insulin would then become unsafe if you use them for longer than 3 days. is this true, or just a ploy by the companies to get us to spend more money?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Zoe on -
I'm not sure in which circumstances someone would re-use a cartridge, since you need the needle and the little blue thing in order to withdraw insulin from a vial. (and I always toss them when I'm done changing my set).I'll be interested to hear other replies. What I do though is if the cartridge still has some insulin in it, I withdraw that insulin into the new cartridge.
I've heard too that they aren't good after 3 days, though you could be right about that being a ploy! Maybe someone can explain the science of that. I wish we could re-use sets since they cost a lot more! -
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Permalink Reply by Leilani on -
You can reuse cartridges . . . BUT it increases the risk of contamination and infection, can be very hard on the motor drive of the pump, can cause occlusions and alarms, and may contribute to uneven delivery of insulin . . . same goes for expired cartridges . . . as the lubricant is used up or dries out.
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Permalink Reply by Team Low-Tech on -
I routinely use cartridges exactly twice...as along as I can plop the used cartridge into the fridge along with the other cartridges I have preloaded. My theory is that the insulin is good for a month If refridgerated, so it ought to be good for a couple additional days if I can get the used cartridge into the fridge soon after I take it out of the pump. I keep a couple of syringes in the Tupperware along with a plunger or two and then mark the vial to be reused with a sharpie to assure I do not accidentally use them more than twice. I probably end up using 80% of my cartridges twice...and if the lubrication within the cartridge seal is any different, I cannot tell. The idea that the cartridge will breakdown after three days is ridiculous for several reasons...but starting with the fact that most other systems (Cozmo, Disetronic, etc, ) all had cartridges that could go well beyond three days and were of similar construction but larger capacity. I have had some issues with sets, but never cartridges yet.
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