I don't think I like this PEP pen

One person thinks pens are overrated and only useful for daily non-GLP compounds that they consider low value. So the solution is apparently to buy more pens.

That would be perfect. Just spend more money on the issue.

I wanted one until I actually tried it.

I have to ask. How many pens do you have?

I ran into the same issue. You think it worked but then it drips or sprays when you lift the pen. They seemed fine the first time but weakened after reloading. The idea is nice when it works, but maybe a higher-quality version would be better.

I also have a large supply of 31-gauge syringes, so there's that.

Those are rookie numbers.

I keep seeing the automatic version mentioned but I'm not sure exactly what it is. You have a point about filtering straight into the cartridge. Today I moved some from a partial vial into a cartridge because I wanted to try the pen again.

I put mine in a sharps container and send the box back with prepaid postage. They send a new one in a few days and I fill it again. If I were just throwing them away I would worry more about waste.

I'm with you, for small daily doses I like the pens.

I respectfully but strongly disagree. Pens are far superior to syringes.

An automatic injector might help you. They cost more than the basic manual ones but after inserting the needle you only need to hold the middle button with one hand.

The main difference is that one style lets you see the tip and insert it like a regular syringe while the other hides the tip and you press it against the skin to insert. There are other small differences but I'm not an expert. For tips I've tried 5 mm 31 g, 4 mm 31 g, and 4 mm 32 g on pens and notice little difference even though I'm sensitive to needles. For non-pen shots I use 31 g 6 mm and those feel sharper. I think that's partly psychological because they look more like traditional needles. I'm currently using 4 mm 32 g on my pens and have no issues. I prefer the shortest possible because I don't have much fat left. Shorter ones may not be ideal for larger volumes but all my pen doses are under 20 units so it hasn't mattered.

Care to explain? I like the idea of a pen but don't want to deal with finding a model that stays consistent.

The second style only hides the tip if the cap is on. You still remove the cap to attach the needle. For tips I much prefer one particular brand because they go in with almost no feeling and come out cleanly. The brand I used before pulls the skin and hurts going in.

The other small difference is that the first style is slimmer. There is also a third version with a larger cap that fully covers the needle for travel. You attach a fresh tip then cap it, though I don't like leaving a tip attached.

The biggest advantage for me besides ease is never using a dull tip. You don't poke into a vial so the tip stays sharp and slides in with no force. You reconstitute, transfer to the cartridge, then just attach a tip, dial the dose, and inject. I do not like the second style at all. It feels cheaply made and flimsy. If you want more details feel free to message me.

Ease during travel, avoiding dull tips, and reducing plastic waste are the main reasons I'm considering pens. I don't see any advantage of the second style over the first for my needs since seeing the tip doesn't matter to me. Thanks for the input. I'll also think more about tip length because some of my doses are larger than 20 units.

Go with 6 mm as a middle choice. It should be fine. If you want more information feel free to message me.

Agreed, I'm not saying anyone is wrong for preferring one method. I just find pens easier. My opinion of course. Maybe you should try a larger gauge.

Unfortunately biohazard waste is incinerated, not recycled, as far as I know. I take mine to a local pharmacy. Half the time they say they haven't had a pickup in weeks and can't take more. I like the convenience of my daily generic pen and look forward to the simplicity for my other daily compounds so far.

It's good these avoid the dump entirely. Others cut the tip off and toss theirs with regular waste so they reach it. Among everything I use only one seems like it might work better in an injector. I like mixing up a new container instead of leaving the substance in one for over a month. I'm beginning another compound that breaks down after roughly that long too. That's just how I like to handle it.

The stuff holds up inside the little bottle for just the same stretch of time as inside the injector. The needle simply loses its sharpness from having to go through the stopper at the start, and that's the sole distinction.

Not when I'm taking five milligrams daily from a ten-milligram vial. The only one that sits is the one I mentioned.

You're not missing much. They are bulky and hard to push if you have smaller hands because of the size. I switched back because I'm only using a few compounds now and none require pushing more than about thirty units. The older style feels smooth, solid, and predictable. I didn't want to become a pen expert, I just wanted three pens plus a spare and to stop thinking about it. But if there was one that was just as cheap and reliable but half the size I would have gotten that.

An alternative to the ten-second wait uses two hands and is easier with a syringe. It involves a specific technique to prevent leakage.

One contact is dropping more of the automatic style tomorrow morning.

I'm not a fan of dull tips or pens. I don't like the insulin tips for that reason. So I use a one-cc luer-lock syringe, draw with a larger gauge, then swap to a finer one for the injection. In case anyone else is interested in a third option.

I really don't have any expertise on the subject of pens at all. Therefore when one obtains a fine point, is that item exchanged before every single shot? I sure wish that were the case.

Yes, it's a small screw-on piece with a tip on both ends. You screw it onto the pen, the bottom tip pierces the cartridge, you dial the units, the top tip goes into you, then you push the plunger. After the shot you unscrew it and drop it in the sharps container. A box of those tips is inexpensive and the whole process is more convenient than regular syringes.

What lengths?

Right now everything comes from the same company for me. With twenty-five gauge I switch between the full inch and five-eighths inch lengths depending on which one is handy in my kit. The thirty gauge versions are always the half-inch hypodermics. That looks like the only length they produce in that gauge. They suit my purposes fine. I buy the needles by the box of one hundred. Syringes also come in boxes of one hundred.

Type 2, insulin-using diabetic for twenty years. I never heard of this. Great info.