Dumping Mounjaro / Zepbound pens into a pen cartridge?

[tcpnomad]

Maybe an odd thing to want to do - but it’s for a person who cannot take the standard dose due to side effects. By doing this, they can split the dose or just take less than the full dose.

The question is if it’s safe. Are the contents of these pens designed to be kept around for multiple uses?

 

[thebonus]

Maybe an odd thing to want to do - but it’s for a person who cannot take the standard dose due to side effects. By doing this, they can split the dose or just take less than the full dose.

The question is if it’s safe. Are the contents of these pens designed to be kept around for multiple uses?

Used to do it all the time when I paid Lilly. I would get 15mg pens and empty into a sterile vile for lower dosing. Watch this video (not mine), it's super easy:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RsgridKdIY

 

[BrightCandle]

Absolutely you can do it. Might be easiest to just pull it out with a syringe/needle and insert into the 3ml capsule of the pen directly since its harder to get the vent needle in otherwise. Plenty of people count clicks and other things with the disposable pens they get but if it doesn't support that this is a viable solution to using lower doses.

 

[Granny]

I have some 15mg that I cannot take all at 1 time. I release it into a syringe and then put it into a sterile vial, no issues with it.

 

[indolent]

Plenty of people count clicks

Unfortunately, the Big Pharma injectors in the USA are exclusively single-use single-dose types, unlike the 4-week KwikPens in Canada, UK, EU, and probably everywhere else.

 

[skeptick]

Maybe an odd thing to want to do - but it’s for a person who cannot take the standard dose due to side effects. By doing this, they can split the dose or just take less than the full dose.

The question is if it’s safe. Are the contents of these pens designed to be kept around for multiple uses?

Video below works very well. Use caution to be sure Mounjaro needle is actually in the LurLoc syringe opening. I take my 4 Mounjaro pens monthly and dump them in a 5ml LurLoc. 5ml because the Mounjaro pens are under considerable spring tension and that creates a LOT of foam. Mounjaro pens ALL contain 0.5ml liquid but with the foam it pushes the limit of a 3ml syringe. After dumping my 4 Mounjaro pens I spend a few minutes rolling the 5ml syringe gently to help dissipate the foam. Or you can just set it aside and it will dissipate on its own. I install a 29g LurLoc needle and load the entire 2ml(4x0.5ml) into a pen cartridge and I'm set for the entire month using virgin 31g pen needles. Am free to multi weekly dose in any amount I choose.

 

[TazaTaza]

Is your insurance or situation forcing you to take pens bc it is easier to use the name brand Tirz vials for this? IIRC vials are cheaper, easier and ppl control their dosing that way.

And nope not designed for multi dose, it's not "safe" there are no preservatives in it but ppl still dip into the single vials multiple times anyways for more control over their dosing. To minimize risk tho I would limit one pen per vial. What dose are you targeting vs the pen dose? It might make more sense to space the pin days out.

If you have any hesitation, just abort mission bc I've heard stories of ppl wasting that liquid gold and watch it hit the table etc. spray all over the place.

 

[Vriende]

I would get 15mg pens and empty into a sterile vile for lower dosing. Watch this video (not mine), it's super easy

I started out using Zepbound pens emptied into a sterile vial.
I recommend looking at more videos.
In the video posted above she seemed oblivious to sterile technique. Make sure hands are washed and you have a very clean work area at minimum.

 

[indolent]

not designed for multi dose, it's not "safe" there are no preservatives in it

The interweb says that USA single-dose autoinjectors have no preservatives, but multi-dose Kwikpens do

 

[Grogu]

I would personally use the method in the video below to split auto-injecting pens. This other method requires a wrench, but it seems more sterile to me:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M7dL8F2K-0&t=196s


I didn't end up having to use either method as the single dose vials started to become available.

I had a box of 7.5mg autoinjectors and kept putting off using them, until I was finally on 15mg and I used two the same day over two weeks to get rid of them.

 

[skaylife]

Maybe an odd thing to want to do - but it’s for a person who cannot take the standard dose due to side effects. By doing this, they can split the dose or just take less than the full dose.

The question is if it’s safe. Are the contents of these pens designed to be kept around for multiple uses?

Of course it is. It is the same cartridge inside as you use with your pen. At the end of each Mounjaro pen stays 0.5ml(I have checked it and it is just one extra dose) over which can't be used. I was always cutting the pen in the middle with a dremel, taking the cartridge out and placing in a pen. Some people draw it out with a syringe and inject it. Taking cartridge out is much safer for contamination. If you take the cartridge from beginning out, you can inject as much as you want with your pen.

 

[tcpnomad]

The interweb says that USA single-dose autoinjectors have no preservatives, but multi-dose Kwikpens do

Thoughts on just adding some bac water as a preservative?

 

[tcpnomad]

I was always cutting the pen in the middle with a dremel, taking the cartridge out and placing in a pen.

Interesting. How exactly were you using the dremel on the pen?

And are you saying you can just use the cartridge directly in a pen?

Also, what are your thoughts on multi-use? Seems like these single use pens don't have a preservative.

 

[eidos]

The interweb says that USA single-dose autoinjectors have no preservatives, but multi-dose Kwikpens do

From the FDA (https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2026/217806s042lbl.pdf):

ZEPBOUND is a clear, colorless to slightly yellow, sterile solution for subcutaneous use. Each single-dose pen or singledose vial contains a 0.5 mL solution of 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, or 15 mg of tirzepatide and the followingexcipients: sodium chloride (4.1 mg), sodium phosphate dibasic heptahydrate (0.7 mg), and water for injection. Eachmulti-dose vial or single-patient-use KwikPen contains 2.4 mL of solution, which provides 4 doses of 2.5 mg, 5 mg,7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, or 15 mg of tirzepatide per 0.6 mL. Each dose contains the following excipients: benzyl alcohol(5.4 mg), glycerin (4.8 mg), phenol (1.08 mg), sodium chloride (1.05 mg), sodium phosphate dibasic heptahydrate(0.8 mg), and water for injection. Hydrochloric acid solution and/or sodium hydroxide solution may have been added to adjust the pH. ZEPBOUND has a pH of 6.5 to 7.5.

What happens inside the cartridge will depend mainly on the aseptic conditions during preparation, even when using only a buffer and NaCl.

Personally, I wouldn't go beyond 3-4 weeks at a rate of one pin per week using a pen.

If the time frame were to be longer, I would prepare several single-use cartridges and store them in the fridge. Or even several single-use syringes stored in the fridge. In hospitals, insulin in polypropylene syringes with sterile 0.9% NaCl is used for up to 2 months when stored in the fridge. After three months, 90% of the activity remains, with no contamination.