I too have extracted insulin from my pump and reused, though not all the time and usually only due it every other pod. I don’t have to, but don’t want to waste it either. I figure it gets much tougher treatment in less developed areas and by people less fortunate. I fill my Dash pods via a flex pen. The two beeps usually hit between 60-65 units, filling at a rate of about 1-2 units per second. I’ve had it hit at as low as 55, almost never higher than 70, for what it’s worth. I continue to fill to about 30+ units per day (ck Nightscout for average use) then add 10+ for the 8 hour grace period. Total varies significantly due to EPI, meals, and activity level.
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Ok. You all have me thinking now. This might be a stupid question because I thought you couldn’t get insulin out of a bad Omnipod 5. Can you get insulin out of a bad Omnipod 5 & would it be the same way you put in the insulin?? I take A LOT of insulin & hate wasting it if I know I can save it.
I’ve done it with the Omnipod Dash. I had one that wouldn’t pair, so I stuck the syringe back in the hole, sucked the insulin back out of the pod (it was hard and slow) and put it into the next pod. It worked normally.
Also, if there is some insulin left at the end of a 3-day session, I pull it out with a regular insulin syringe (or two) and use it for boluses. Again, that works fine for me.
Some would say this practice of rescuing stranded insulin is absurd now that the insulin price has been reduced to $35 per month, but I still suffer from the mindset that this is a precious liquid that must not be wasted.
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@SarahFreq My understanding is the O5 and Dash are about the same design, but different software/firmware. If true, insulin is probably inserted into the O5 through a hole in the bottom right corner (presuming the pod is flat side up and the rounded side is considered the top). What I have done is use the Insulet provided needle/syringe that comes with the pod; put them together; insert the needle thru the gasket in the hole; hold the pod/syringe combo so that corner is the lowest part of the pod; pull the plunger out slowly to remove the insulin. When a bubble begins to form in the syringe, play with the tipping angle of the pod/syringe if going for every last bit obtainable. Remove the needle/syringe, point the needle upwards, and flick the syringe to make bubbles join into one; with the needle still pointing up, slowly depress the plunger while watching the bubble and maneuver the syringe to ensure the bubble stays centered under the needle. Watch where the needle connects to the syringe to see the fluid fill the needle space at the base of the actual metal needle portion. Once a drop or two of insulin comes out of the needle, it’s ready to insert into a fresh pod. As others have said, this shouldn’t be a regular operation, done consistently, but in an emergency it may be better than no insulin at all. WARNING: THIS IS NOT A RECOMMENDED PROCEDURE. I’M NOT A DOCTOR OR PHARMACIST. THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. IF YOU DO THIS OR SIMILAR, YOU DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK.