Ginger,

I’ve reused my syringes before and I don’t see why it’s such a big deal, because it doesn’t feel dull unless I reuse way too many times and it still gets into my skin fine. If it doesn’t hurt, isn’t it okay?

-JenBR


Hey Jen,

So, here’s the thing: while a huge part of why we’re not supposed to reuse syringes, lancets or pen needles is because they get significantly duller each time, but there is another issue, too!

When you open the syringe cap for the first time, you expose it to the air, then you insert it into your hopefully clean insulin bottle (what was the last thing that touched that bottle? Your finger, maybe?), and then whatever germs were on top of the bottle are now making their way inside. THEN, you insert that syringe into your skin and put the cap back on.

Bacteria is all over that syringe (or lancet or pen needle). The next time you open the syringe cap and give yourself an injection, you carry more of that bacteria into the bottle of insulin and then into your skin.

This is the making of a potential bacterial infection! And while that may sound small and simple, a bacterial infection can be growing in your flesh long before you notice it, because bacteria are single-cell “living” microorganisms that reproduce themselves over and over and can be really dangerous.

So, it is definitely dangerous to reuse things that we put into our skin. If you’re left with the choice of reusing a syringe once or having no syringe at all, then try to at least find an alcohol swab and to clean the top of the insulin bottom and the injection site.


Ginger