A pen is...

[ZippityDooDah]

I've honestly never even considered the issue of sterility regarding pens. I've always been a pen skeptic except for some very specific situations so that's probably why, but it makes me curious to see if there are any studies etc. suggesting an increased possibility of risk when using multi-dose pens.

 

[nonyabizznez]

The consensus I gather from pen users is they are worth it for those dosing multiple times per day/week. For weekly GLP doses not so much. There's also a contingent that prefer syringes over Lilly/Novo (scripted) pens and it's not just because of dosage flexibility.

 

[desinr-gal]

I don't know what you found on the SSA thread, but I'd mention that since the last step of the recon is going into the cartridge, you REALLY want to make sure it's clean/sterile.

To me that means buying the cartridges from a known source and even testing the little color change ink in the corner by tossing them in an instantpot for 90 minutes. I put my glasses on to look at them before transferring the the filtered recon so my broken old eyes can see particulate.

If you got 20, you probably got them from a reputable source (and the ink will work), if you got a "free 20" with your purchase of a pen off of Ali, then Buyer Beware!

Hehe..I just received my package from Ali! complete with 20 carts.. I do believe Peppen gets theirs from similar manufacturers, but the cautions you mention have me wondering. The little rectangle sterility patch is black, and says black means it was sterilized.. hmm Do I trust that or steam in instantpot?? what if resteaming distorts the silicone parts?

I am so excited to do this. I think I am a parapherneliaphile

 

[RadicalCrimson]

Color changes are only for steam/pressure sterilization, not the factory method.

There’s been a recent test where they (STG) sent cartridges from 5 vendors for a sterility test, and they all passed. I have the details, but I’m not sure if I am allowed to post them.

I only use pens, if only because of filtering.

 

[RadicalCrimson]

I bought sterilized cartridges but they don’t work well with automatic pens, which I prefer (too hard to push for the spring).

So now I use both types of cartridges, depending on the type of the next available pen.

Gansulin is my favorite all around, and Savvio for manual pens.

They both allow to detect what the remaining quantity in the cartridge is.

 

[desinr-gal]

I've honestly never even considered the issue of sterility regarding pens. I've always been a pen skeptic except for some very specific situations so that's probably why, but it makes me curious to see if there are any studies etc. suggesting an increased possibility of risk when using multi-dose pens.

We're opening a pandoras box of worry.. what about syringes??

 

[BooneDonk]

We're opening a pandoras box of worry.. what about syringes??

Word. I flip the caps of and get after syringes. Never a moments thought.

 

[desinr-gal]

I finally filled a cart put it into my new pen and injected, hurray! Yet I realized it's big, and less steady than a small syringe braced by my hand. I am thinking those flat top pen needles are a good idea.

 

[MsGizmo]

I finally filled a cart put it into my new pen and injected, hurray! Yet I realized it's big, and less steady than a small syringe braced by my hand. I am thinking those flat top pen needles are a good idea.

Congrats!

 

[Wecandothis]

Pens will be your friend we have 10 pens going. So much easier to get to work and faster to inject.

 

[ConnieL]

I finally filled a cart put it into my new pen and injected, hurray! Yet I realized it's big, and less steady than a small syringe braced by my hand. I am thinking those flat top pen needles are a good idea.

What kind of pens did you use? What is the difference between Open End and Closed End. Is there any advantages to one over the other?

 

[MsGizmo]

What kind of pens did you use? What is the difference between Open End and Closed End. Is there any advantages to one over the other?

The open end has a moving cover thing that lets you stick yourself without seeing the needle. That's pretty much it. I bought them thinking I didn't want to see the needle .. but then I didn't trust that it was in me correctly and just take the cap off anyway.

 

[randompersonrandom]

I finally filled a cart put it into my new pen and injected, hurray! Yet I realized it's big, and less steady than a small syringe braced by my hand. I am thinking those flat top pen needles are a good idea.

I'm right behind you! My pens (one for tirz, one for klow) came last night, and my filters are coming today. I won't need my tirz one for a few more weeks, because I'm working on a vial of compounded and don't want to burn a cart for three doses, but I'm ready to go with my KLOW vial!

 

[50ShadesGreyMarket]

Thank goodness. Now you can free your budget to buy the peptide-of-the-day, the group-buy-of-the-day, a dozen NovoPen 6 pens, and customized, 3D-printed storage solutions, haha.

…and don’t forget the usb-powered refrigerated pen holder and a portable solar backup battery so you can carry them through the wilderness; I hear that’s how Sacagawea kept her figure.

 

[randompersonrandom]

YOU GUIZE! My pens (one for Tirz, one for Klow) and cartridges came yesterday, and my filtering supplies (I pulled up the kit from PeptideTest and just added all the mentioned items to my cart that I didn't already have separately, enough for 20 vials.) Then I grabbed the vial of KLOW that I reconstituted a week ago and have just been pinning out of for six days like an animal, went through all the steps of the filter process, filtered it into a sterile cartridge, purged the air, and stuck the pen in my brand new pen-holder thermos and into the fridge. I was JUST congratulating myself on being careful and not sticking myself with any of the needles as I was cleaning up when I forgot that the pen needle has a needle on the UNDERSIDE and got myself on the thumb. THAT'LL teach me to feel smug.

So that's it, there are no more worlds to conquer! I have tirz til I'm too old to care if I'm fat, klow for two years (stupid, why'd I buy so much of it when I don't even really know if it's right for me long term?), NOT interested in any more peps because no, stop it. Have pens for the ones I use. Have bac water for years. Have filters/supplies for at least two. Have as many thermoses as I need to store as much as I plan to keep on hand. And I am fancy, and filter my peps into a pen. I'm basically an postapocalyptic-level pharmacist at this point. Now I can just, like...focus on other hobbies.

Edit: also, I tallied up the cost of going ABSOLUTELY INSANE on this; kits, pens, thermoses, bac water, steel tray, filters, etc etc etc. The cost was equal to about five months of name-brand, or two years and a quarter of compound tirzep alone. Good lord.

 

[MsGizmo]

Edit: also, I tallied up the cost of going ABSOLUTELY INSANE on this; kits, pens, thermoses, bac water, steel tray, filters, etc etc etc. The cost was equal to about five months of name-brand, or two years and a quarter of compound tirzep alone. Good lord.

lol ... you got me beat. I only spent about 2 months of name brand wegovy .. with the coupon.

 

[randompersonrandom]

lol ... you got me beat. I only spent about 2 months of name brand wegovy .. with the coupon.

I'm a middle aged divorcee with no kids and no real responsibilities, and I got a good deal on my house a decade ago. I auto-embezzle a fair portion of my paycheck every month into hobby accounts, some of which I don't usually even remember I have unless I get desperate. That means once or twice a year, when I discover a rabbit hole that I lose my goddamn mind exploring and spend WAY too much money learning about and buying supplies for, I don't end up homeless.

It's how I lie to myself so successfully about having good money management and control over my spending.

 

[MsGizmo]

I'm close to you there minus the divorce and add 2 adult kids. I can pretty much do whatever the heck I want, but I do TRY to rein myself in. The main reason I haven't gone too crazy buying up more stuff is that I'm not convinced I'm going to stay on what I'm on now. For all we know something better will come out next year. Or so I keep telling myself.

 

[JujuJ]

Pens will be your friend we have 10 pens going. So much easier to get to work and faster to inject.

I really hope so. I just ordered 5 with 50 carts ans 200 needles lol. 10? I'm jelly!

 

[randompersonrandom]

I'm close to you there minus the divorce and add 2 adult kids. I can pretty much do whatever the heck I want, but I do TRY to rein myself in. The main reason I haven't gone too crazy buying up more stuff is that I'm not convinced I'm going to stay on what I'm on now. For all we know something better will come out next year. Or so I keep telling myself.

God, I feel that. I want to buy reta and store it. I'm not going to, because no; I'm not just going to keep hoarding the next bigger and better when for all I know, tirz will work for me forever and there's no point in moving up in risk level. They're upgrading these peptides so fast that I think it's only a matter of time til one's on the market for a year and then "Ope, sorry, that one causes mega cancer, our bad, don't take that one. Also yeah, we kinda knew about that lol, but figured it'd be fine, also our bad." And I certainly don't want to be on that one or have spent hundreds of dollars on that one when it happens.