Diabetes Community

I reuse needles. I know i'm risking an infection but they're expensive. i used to have a friend who lived in the midwest. I would send her money and she would buy me needles there . Here in NJ a box of 100 needles is something like 65.00. She could get the same brand for around 20.00.

I use the same lancet for the day ,cleaning it in between tests ,Than last test discard into soda 2 liter bottle. syringes I use1 a day for each insulin,at the end of the day I bend the needle part cap them and they go into a two liter bottle,When the bottels are full they go to the clinic we have a disposal area,I have lancets every where That are not used I need to gather them up one day ! and i also put test strips into two liter bottle.I keep 3 sitting on my shelf in the bath room, syringes strips lancets, slipper :smile:

No, I don't. Just can't bring myself to do it.

In this day of superbug viral and bacterial infections, you are playing with fire reusing needles... Some folks have some resistance to these critters, but if you aren't one of the lucky ones there can be some dire consequences...And you never know where they are lurking and it isn't always within a hospital setting... Safety first...Needles are costly, but a MRS can run you into thousands of dollars in TX... Nixie

I've been reusing lancets as you do - 5-6 times. I do wash hands before testing (when at home), then wash test area after testing. I don't use insulin but my sister does & she was hospitalized for an infection she claimed was from reusing insulin needles. I'm not totally convinced that was the reason because she also injects THROUGH her clothes. I think that's riskier than reusing a needle. She also never washes her hands before or after testing.

I do admit that i'm taking a huge chance reusing needles. The ironic thing is my insurance wouldn't pay for needles but right now at least will pay if i land in the hospital with an infection. Likewise, they wouldn't pay for insulin but will pay if high bs puts me into a coma. Sometimes it's hard to choose between dinner and clean needles or even a new book and clean needles. Yeah, the needles might save me from an infection but a new book might get me through the night without those razor blades or whatever calling to me.

HI, dustn, I understand about the insurance thing; I have none & can't get any due to "preexisting condition." (their favorite phrase). I'm wondering about something: I'm not suggesting you reuse needles if it's risky, but I recall some cities passing out bleach to drug addicts so they don't get AIDS or other infections when they share needles with each other. Would that help in an emergency? Besides, when a medical person gives an injection, they swab the area with alcohol first & I'm assuming our skin has more bacteria than a needle we previously used on ourself only. Maybe someone here with more knowledge on that could jump in.

I resue syringes, pen needls and lancets. I Get a fresh syringe every morning,and lancetsand pen needles as needed. (get dull) I gi UP! dang ADDDS

I think it is pretty risky to re-use anything that punctures the skin (or could) or has come in contact with body fluids. That's why syringes are manufactured in sterile conditions, packaged in sterile materials, and are called disposable. They are intended for one time usage. It's the same thing with dental and medical instruments. You wouldn't dare have the dentist use instruments that had been rinsed off or wiped down with alcohol. That's why they are autoclaved after one patient usage. I agree with Nixie on this subject. The cost of a fresh needle or lancet is nothing compared to treating someone who develops a staph infection. Just last summer, I was hit in the cheek by a piece of debris while mowing the yard. Within a few days, I had developed a staph infection. My doctor sent me to the ER where the "wound" (a small pinhole) was lanced, I was given IV antibiotics, and asked to see my doctor once a day for 5 more days to get an injection of more antibiotics. And then, I was on a high priced oral antibiotic for another 7 days. The total cost was about b $1500, including medications. And, it could have been a whole lot worse. That buys a lot of syringes and lancets. DMH

David, re: dental/medical instruments. Interesting point you brought up. I'm not sure if dentists are required to autoclave instruments after each patient NOW, but that wasn't always the case. You may recall some years ago, a dentist in Florida infected several patients with AIDS (I don't recall whether it was deliberate or accidental). Later, "Dateline NBC" interviewed several dentists and ADA representatives on camera & asked them why the dental "handpiece" (the part containing the actual drill) is NOT required to be autoclaved since it would prevent transmission of infection. The dentists explained that the handpieces cost $1,000.00 each & autoclaving shortens their life so it would have to be done at the dentist's expense. Also, the autoclaving process takes 30 minutes which means less patients/day. Another dentist who does autoclave between patients demonstrated what happens when the HANDLE is autoclaved but the HANDPIECE is not. He put the drill in a cup & turned it on, sending out a spray of blood from the last patient. That's what goes into the mouth of the next patient. The reporter interviewed a very uncomfortable-looking ADA representative & when asked why autoclaving the handpiece is not required, she answered: (by not answering) "We take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of patients." I was LOL when the reporter repeated his question & she answered: "We take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of patients." Before my next appointment with my dentist, I spoke to her about what was presented on the show. She told me I was the 20th patient to voice concerns. She then showed me how she avoids the 30-minute time to autoclave between patients by purchasing 20 handpieces & autoclaving all at the end of each day. She also explained that most of her colleagues aren't willing to spend $20,000 or go to that much "trouble" to protect their patients since they aren't required to.

Maybe that was a poor analogy. Perhaps I should have said scalpels, hemostats, and retractors used during surgery. The reference to medical/dental instruments notwithstanding, I still believe that reusing testing supplies is a risky proposition, as Nixie pointed out. DMH

That's interesting. Our family dentists use disposable sleeves for the cables and grips. The rest of the hardware is autoclaved of course... We used the same type of sleeving in ER/OR too for protection against aerosol contamination with some equipment...Safe and cheap...I hope we don't all have to walk around someday in bio-hazard gear to go grocery shopping... I even have my druthers about lettuce anymore.:smile: :smile: Nixie

When I was 1st Rxed I was also on a hefty dose of blood thinners.. My Dr stressed DO NOT reuse lancets.. Since I have been off the thinners I thought about reusing several times when $$ was tight.. I admit to have used lancets more than once when I ran out & had to wait for payday.. Pen needles for my Byetta is another story.. I ran out of them once.. I knew I wouldn't get my order of them in time, but just couldn't bring myself to reuse them.. For 3 days I did without the Byetta & worked ALOT to keep busy & ate very little.. Was more affraid to reuse than do without the med.. The big problem then was I went through many of the side effects of the Byetta all over again, but this passed also.. Yes I would do without again rather than reuse.. *hugs* ~Grall~

maybe NOW the system is working................ Back when living out of cars, I simply got my morning shot at the local health clinic. When I started working again, times were still tight. I used each syringe for 3 days and got a whole month out of a 10 pack. At home I get a fresh syring in the AM and re-sue it at night. When I am on the road I use syringes in single sealed packs and do not re-use. Pen needles for the Humalog and my lancets I re-use for several days at a time. As for alckey pads, I usually don't use them. A study done years ago showed no difference in infectin rates between suers and non users. (*&*( GOMER testing testing 1, 2, 3.