@PinkCosYouAreSoVery Some info below should capture most points -
🖋️ Using the pen and click counting
Pens are currently filled with around 3ml of medication.2.4ml of this is officially available for use. After 4 normal doses 2.4ml is used and there is around 0.6ml of medication left in the pen which officially should be discarded. Eli Lilly will be reducing the pen fill so there is less left over medication/waste soon.
60 clicks of a pen takes the dose knob to the number 1 in the window and delivers 0.6ml of medication (one full dose by volume; drug strength varies by pen).
Based on logging all clicks for a couple of pens, they seem to be able to deliver around 258 (including priming clicks) before they lock. So for example you could do 8 x 30 click doses = 240 clicks + priming clicks and the pen will not lock.
To work out how many clicks for a dose it is straightforward arithmetic - if you want half a dose, then half the 60 clicks. Very easy to put together an excel to help with this (attached pic of mine for ideas) The biggest risk is not getting your numbers right, or not paying attention - always check twice you are giving yourself the dose you want before injecting. One tip is to mark the number of clicks on the dose knob with a ball point pen first time so you can return to the same place each time.
Remember when partial dosing the guidance to take the same dose (whether it is an increase or decrease) for 4 weeks for it to level off in your system is still sound advice. Adjusting doses every week will make it difficult to understand what level of dose is actually working for you.
If you take more than 5 doses you should be aware you exceed the 30 day in use period with injections on days 0,7,14,21,28,35,42,49 etc. Many do, but risk assess this for yourself as what might be ok for someone is no guarantee it will always be ok for either them or you.
💉Using a syringe
This is not manufacturer or provider recommended and carries higher risk of contamination or dosing error. Also be aware there are unknown risks if using beyond the 30 day in use period. Having syringes available can also be handy if the pen mechanism fails and saves you the hassle of trying to get a partial refund from your provider.
At the end of the current pens (before Eli Lilly reduces the pen fill) you will have left over medication you can use for another dose the following week. This is the same as the rest of the medication in the pen and can be extracted using a syringe.
Buy syringes from a UK pharmacy such as UKMedi (not Amazon). For a fixed syringe look for 1ml 8mm 30-34G syringes. If you want a shorter needle you can buy separate 1ml luer lock syringes and 4mm-6mm 30-34G needles.
Leave the medication in the pen until ready to use and be very careful with hygiene.
A full 60 click dose is 0.6ml. If you are taking a 45 click dose for the pen it will be 0.45ml in a syringe etc
📅 Changing dose schedule
Some people change their dosing schedule away from every 7 days. This will essentially increase or reduce the concentration of the medication in your body. As the medication has a 5 day half-life I personally prefer the routine of every 7 days and adjusting dose, as I feel that keeps the glucose control more consistent. Pharmacists tend to recommend increasing days between doses to reduce effects as they cannot advise off-licence click counting and dose splitting due to professional and safety constraints.
Prescribers will often suggest moving to injecting every 5-6 days temporarily if struggling and to use up a pen before increasing your dose.