CommunityInjection Technique

When using pens - Does anyone else have a drip or two after waiting 10 secs?

19 replies12 peopleJul 13, 2026☆ Follow
Summary

Why do some injection pens leave a drop or two at the needle tip after a 10-second hold following a subcutaneous shot?

Users report occasional drips from both manual and automatic pens even after the recommended hold time. Several note that extending the hold to 15-20 seconds eliminates the issue for them, while others observe it more with finer needles, larger volumes, or specific cartridges. Venting cartridges during filling is mentioned as standard practice but does not always prevent the drip. Most treat a single drop as harmless and continue using the pens.

What this discussion establishesWhere people disagree

Whether reusing syringes is acceptable for travel versus always using fresh ones each time.

Nothing here is advice.

19 replies · 12 people
CopperMeadow58archiveopening postJul 13

We have used these pens for quite a while across a couple of versions. Lately I have seen one or sometimes two or three drops come out after finishing a shot. I do the injection at about a 45-degree angle, count to ten, then pull the needle out. This never used to happen before, so I wonder if others see it and what might be causing it.

BrightSignal40archiveJul 13

Pens are not my preference because they can still have pressure behind the dose that your tissue is holding back. They work better straight in rather than angled. The fine needles can also bend easily and block inside. I stick with regular syringes where I can watch the plunger move and know exactly what is going in. I draw up a full milliliter, use it until empty, and swap the needle if needed, keeping different compounds separate.

GreyCompass76archiveJul 13

I hardly ever see anything after the needle comes out, though I do sometimes get a drop when I first attach a fresh tip. Three drops after one shot feels like quite a bit. Have you checked whether your pens are actually delivering the correct units each time?

NorthWillow72archiveJul 13
↳ replying to @BrightSignal40

It sounds like the same syringe is being used for several doses. That exposes it to bacteria and means it is no longer sterile once stored. If that is what is happening, it would be safer to use a fresh one each time even if it costs a little more.

AmberLantern34archiveJul 13

I get the same single drop after every shot with my automatic pen. It does not bother me much.

BlueAlder28archiveJul 13
↳ replying to @CopperMeadow58 (opening post)

I follow the same steps but start with a skin pinch that I release during the count. My pens are a different version. I still get a small drop on the needle tip afterward, but it stays there and does not fall or multiply. Maybe the pinch and release changes something. With my coordination I worry I will eventually stick my own thumb doing that.

GreyCompass76archiveJul 13
↳ replying to @AmberLantern34

It is strange because I use four of the same automatic pens and only one of them leaves a drop. It happens to be the one with the blue liquid, so maybe the contents play a role or I simply notice it more because of the color.

AmberLantern34archiveJul 13
↳ replying to @GreyCompass76

I see it with the blue copper peptide as well.

NorthWillow72archiveJul 13

Did you vent the cartridge when filling it? Without venting, pressure can build up inside a three-milliliter cartridge and push the plunger or even crack the holder. Venting lets the air escape so the pen works properly and doses stay accurate.

BrightSignal40archiveJul 13
↳ replying to @NorthWillow72

I agree fresh needles are better, but for travel and work I keep a practical routine. I clean the needle before and after every use, use a sturdier needle that does not dull as fast, and store the whole syringe in a clean case in the fridge. I still wipe the skin each time. The cheap fixed-needle syringes do not work well for my method.

AmberLantern34archiveJul 13
↳ replying to @NorthWillow72

I vent every cartridge I load, yet I still get a drop after each shot whether the liquid is blue or clear.

LevelAlder29archiveJul 13

All my manual pens leave a drop stuck to the needle after withdrawal. The automatic version shows the drop only about half the time.

PatientFenwick91archiveJul 13

This thread is a relief. I thought something was wrong with me because my manual and automatic pens always end with a tiny drop and it bothers my need for order. I vent my cartridges too.

CopperMeadow58archiveJul 13
↳ replying to @BrightSignal40

I also keep a few regular syringes on hand because pens are handy but not perfect. This dripping only started recently even though my technique has stayed the same. I use 45 degrees mainly for visibility reasons. The carts are vented. I will try holding for twenty seconds tonight and see if that changes anything.

PatientMeadow19archiveJul 14

I see the same thing with both the automatic and the other pens. Pens are simpler for travel and for shots I do more often, while the weekly ones I still do with a regular syringe. Whatever is easiest and works for the situation.

AmberSignal47archiveJul 15

My growth-hormone pen does this about half the time and it is annoying. Glad to see others noticing it too.

CopperMeadow58archiveJul 15

I split recent shots between 45 and 90 degrees and added fifteen extra seconds of hold time. No more drips at either angle. For short needles and anyone over roughly ten percent body fat, straight in is usually fine and avoids muscle. I only used the angle because of eyesight and low body-fat spots.

QuietKettle84archiveJul 22

I notice the drop more with the finer thirty-two-gauge needles, especially when the dose is over twenty units. The smaller needle empties slower and can create more back pressure, so for bigger doses I switch to a thirty-one-gauge or even thirty-gauge.

CopperMeadow58archiveJul 22

I tried forty units through a thirty-one-gauge five-millimeter needle and held it for twenty seconds. No drip afterward. The finer needle plus injection resistance can slow delivery, so a longer hold helps. Straight in is the normal angle, though an angle works if someone is very lean. The body can handle up to one and a half milliliters under the skin, though that is not usually recommended.

SharpThistle89archiveJul 23

I use a thirty-one-gauge eight-millimeter needle and it almost never happens. Only once in about fifty shots, usually if I pull out too soon or the dose is large, and then it is just one or two drops.

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