# Lantus pens



## Phil65 (Nov 18, 2010)

My MDI regime means I use a lilly pen for my Humalog, this pen is easy to use.  However, the disposable Lantus pen (white) is absolutely rubbish!! If you click past your required dose of units you have to fire it off and re-dial, also if you dial up your dose and inject and if you didn't have enough insulin in the pen i.e it runs out during injection, you don't know how many units you have taken as opposed to the lilly pen you can see by looking at the pen how many units you have taken.  I have been told that there is a new pen now called a lantus solo, must be better?? does anyone else use this pen?


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## everydayupsanddowns (Nov 18, 2010)

Nope I'm stuck with the (equally terrible) Autopen 24. Another pen that doesn;t allow you to redial doses. For years I had the blue one that only does 2u increments. At least I've got a green one now. Still terrible but I can adjust basal by 1u. *Woo hoo!*


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## novorapidboi26 (Nov 18, 2010)

Both my Humilin I and Novorapid are disposable.......

The Novorapid Flexpen and the Humilin I is from Lilly - thats one is weird, you need to line up a marker pull out the dialer then dial, if you make a mistake you have to line up the marker and push it back in...

When on Levemir I had the same pens, just different colour, orange for novo, green for levemir.....

Anyway, enjoy my useles information........


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## Northerner (Nov 18, 2010)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> Nope I'm stuck with the (equally terrible) Autopen 24. Another pen that doesn;t allow you to redial doses. For years I had the blue one that only does 2u increments. At least I've got a green one now. Still terrible but I can adjust basal by 1u. *Woo hoo!*



That's what I use currently but I'm hoping to get a Clickstar (reuseable) pen at my annual review on Tuesday - I believe they are supposed to be much better than the Autopen 24. I think the disposable version of the Clickstar is the Solostar but could be wrong - hopefully our insulin pen geek D) sofaraway will be along to give all the details!


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## runner (Nov 18, 2010)

I use a Lantus Solastar - is that the one you're thinking of?  When it's running low, it will only click as far as there are insulin units, so you know how many you've had, and you can dial back if you've over-dialed.


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## Phil65 (Nov 18, 2010)

That's the one runner!  I am definitely going to get a solostar Lantus pen, when I see my DSN or GP next.


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## runner (Nov 18, 2010)

When the pen is new, it can feel a bit crunchy when dialing, but seems to work Ok otherwise.  I read in 'Balance' that unlike some of the other pens, it is not being discontinued too.  

Northe, is the clickstar more ecologically sound do you think?


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## NiVZ (Nov 18, 2010)

Hello,

I have hated all Lantus pen's so far, especially Autopen 24 and not a fan of disposable needles (Solostar).

BUT I absolutely LOVE my ClikStar reuseable pen.  Would recommend it to anyone who uses Lantus.

NiVZ


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## Phil65 (Nov 18, 2010)

NiVZ said:


> Hello,
> 
> I have hated all Lantus pen's so far, especially Autopen 24 and not a fan of disposable needles (Solostar).
> 
> ...



Thanks NivZ, interesting, I must look at the clikstar, is this a pre-filled throw away pen? The pen i use is a sanofi aventis lantus, it is cheap dials terribly and I hate it!! Anything must be better!!


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## katie (Nov 18, 2010)

I also hate the white lantus pen, it's so annoying when you turn it too far and have to waste all that insulin + it's completely environmentally unfriendly.  I will ask about the Clikstar ppen when I next go to the hospital


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## Robster65 (Nov 18, 2010)

I've been on the Solostar for a couple of weeks now and find it ok. It costs just about the same as a 3ml cartridge of normal lantus so no disincentives for the GP. 

Retired the Autopen24 after many years of service.

Rob


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## NiVZ (Nov 18, 2010)

Phil65 said:


> Thanks NivZ, interesting, I must look at the clikstar, is this a pre-filled throw away pen? The pen i use is a sanofi aventis lantus, it is cheap dials terribly and I hate it!! Anything must be better!!



Hello,

The Solostar is the pre-filled throw away one below:







The Clikstar is the re-useable cartridge style pen from the same manufacturer shown below:






Also check out this older thread about Solostar vs Clikstar:

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=8462

NiVZ


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## Northerner (Nov 18, 2010)

Robster65 said:


> I've been on the Solostar for a couple of weeks now and find it ok. It costs just about the same as a 3ml cartridge of normal lantus so no disincentives for the GP.
> 
> Retired the Autopen24 after many years of service.
> 
> Rob



What I find odd is that these disposable pens are practically worthless if they only cost about the same as a cartridge, yet the refillable pens cost about ?25-30! The disposable pens must be almost as complicated to make as the refillable ones, surely?


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## katie (Nov 18, 2010)

Northerner said:


> What I find odd is that these disposable pens are practically worthless if they only cost about the same as a cartridge, yet the refillable pens cost about ?25-30! The disposable pens must be almost as complicated to make as the refillable ones, surely?



I can't think of one reason for disposable pens?!


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## everydayupsanddowns (Nov 18, 2010)

katie said:


> I can't think of one reason for refillable pens?!



I can't think of one reason to use disposable pens!

Apart from the waste, and an inherent suspicion of using something 'throw away' in a role where I am after complete precision and reliability if a cartridge pen ever failed it'd be very easy for me to take out the insulin cart and draw up with a disposable syringe (I have a few gathering dust at the back of a shelf just in case).

Each to their own I guess


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## novorapidboi26 (Nov 18, 2010)

I suppose there would be less matrerial wastage with refillables, your only throwing away a glass vial which is much more easily recyclable....

I used to use a Humapen when on a mix, I loved it, but now the ease of throwing the injection away and grabbing another one is too easy, yet unkind to the environment......


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## Phil65 (Nov 18, 2010)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> I can't think of one reason to use disposable pens!
> 
> Apart from the waste, and an inherent suspicion of using something 'throw away' in a role where I am after complete precision and reliability if a cartridge pen ever failed it'd be very easy for me to take out the insulin cart and draw up with a disposable syringe (I have a few gathering dust at the back of a shelf just in case).
> 
> Each to their own I guess



Mike,

I totally agree with you and the refillable pen are so much better quality.


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## PhilT (Nov 18, 2010)

I use Lantus Solostar pens too, they come in a box of five. 
The only minor niggle I have with them is when they are new they can be a bit stiff when you do the first couple of injections but other than that they are ok.


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## katie (Nov 18, 2010)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> I can't think of one reason to use disposable pens!
> 
> Apart from the waste, and an inherent suspicion of using something 'throw away' in a role where I am after complete precision and reliability if a cartridge pen ever failed it'd be very easy for me to take out the insulin cart and draw up with a disposable syringe (I have a few gathering dust at the back of a shelf just in case).
> 
> Each to their own I guess



I didn't mean to type refillable, I meant disposable


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## everydayupsanddowns (Nov 18, 2010)

katie said:


> I didn't mean to type refillable, I meant disposable



Hee hee! LOL!


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## novorapidboi26 (Nov 18, 2010)

katie said:


> I didn't mean to type refillable, I meant disposable



With that in mind I would give the reason that its conveniant to throw away and get another already filled and ready for a needle........

And in terms of malfunctioning pens, vial pens can break just as easily and if you dont have a spare one, or hypodermics your screwed.....but I havent used all brands of vial pens and in the time I have been using disposables pen technology may have come on a bit.....


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## grandma (Nov 18, 2010)

Hubby uses Lantus Optiset (WHITE) I use Lantus Solostar. I also got a Humalog Kwik pen pre filled and dident like that so went back to the Humalog Luxura its a bit heaver but better. Hubby likes the Optiset because he can hear the clicks better


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