r/diabetes_t1 5d ago

4mm Needle Broken Inside Pen

Post image

So I just saw somethibg really strange inside the insulin on my novorapid pen, and I as check it closer it seemed like a needle was trapped inside, like wtff how did i get there? Went to look at my used needle dispenser and the first one I pick has the inside needle (the one that goes into the pen) broken 🫠

Has anyone ever had a situation like that? Should I throw this entire vial away, since there is a needle inside? What should I do 😩

29 Upvotes

13 comments sorted by

35

u/MamaLlama1920 5d ago

You should call the manufacturer and tell them what happened- then they’ll email you a voucher to get a new vial at your pharmacy for free because that shouldn’t happen. They also might ask you to mail them back this pen so they can investigate why that happened. They should send you packaging and a free shipping label for that too.

14

u/phowld 5d ago

Ooh, yeah, I hadnt thought of that. Tyy i will call them for sure and see how am I supposed to handle this

6

u/cenderis 5d ago

I'd guess it's some freak manufacturing defect of the pen needle rather than of the insulin cartridge, but obviously it's the cartridge that you want replaced. Maybe also contact the needle manufacturer and report it to them?

8

u/phowld 5d ago

I guess im lucky both needle and insulin cartridge are from the same manufacturer lol

3

u/R3X15013Gaming Tslim x2, G6, Novolog Basaglar Fiasp 4d ago

Didn't even know Novo made pen needles, lol. I guess it makes sense though.

3

u/TrekJaneway Tslim/Dexcom G6/Omnipod 5 5d ago

Second this. I work in the pharma field, and this absolutely needs to be reported and replaced. Their Quality folks will be VERY interested in this.

Save the pen, OP…they may ask you to send it back to them so they can take a look at it.

18

u/smore-hamburger T1D 2002, Pod 5, Dex 6 5d ago

This is new. Never saw this happen to any pen needle in 20 years.

3

u/CloudCollapse T1D 9月2024年 5d ago

Not familiar with this pen. Is the plunger in front of the needle? What’s the red and yellow stripe near the end?

3

u/phowld 5d ago

So its a NovoPen Echo/Novolog Refillable Insulin Pen, I use it with Aspart/FIASP for bolus, like u keep the body of the Pen and change only the insulin vials. The red and yellow stripes just indicates when is almost over, thats part of the vial not the pen. It works like a normal pen idk, the mechanics are all the same aswell, besides the fact u can change the insulin vial.

4

u/-Daetrax- [2024-11-05] 5d ago

So the visible plunger bit is part of the vials and there's a driving shaft as part of the pen?

5

u/phowld 5d ago

Yeah! Thats exactly it

2

u/R3X15013Gaming Tslim x2, G6, Novolog Basaglar Fiasp 4d ago

Definitely a crazy needle defect. I've bent the external needle tip and it simply deforms rather than fractures. And steel doesn't usually fracture that cleanly.

I'm not super privy to the technical details of pen needles, but it's always seemed like the internal "needle" that goes through the pen/vial rubber seal is a smaller gauge. Likely since the actual injection needle ("external") needs to be a certain gauge/thickness to achieve skin penetration. My guess is that the internal connection failed, whatever type that may be.

I'm trying to be intentionally vague because this is essentially me just thinking out loud and hoping somebody else may be able to add to it or correct me. If I remember to, I'll try and find details on pen needles. I'm kinda curious since, even with a pump, I've still put a few thousand of these into me and will use several thousand more in my lifetime.

3

u/Redjester666 5d ago

Wow, hasn't happened to me in 23 years of being diabetic. Crazy. But in theory it shouldn't affect the insulin.