Only have enough for 1/2 a dose, do I do two shots?

Bimmer Guy · March 14, 2015, 09:21:00 PM

Hey, guys. I have a question. This is the first time I have come up against this issue. When I went to inject today (weekly sub-q), I found that I only had 1/2 dose in my current vial. What I chose to do was to do two injections using what was left in the first vial and then doing a second shot with the new vial to hit my total dose.

Is this what you are supposed to do? I can't imagine there being another option.

LoriLorenz · March 14, 2015, 10:03:02 PM

Sounds like a pretty sound option to me. After all, if you have pill prescription (of any kind) and you are supposed to take two and somehow only have one left at the bottom of the bottle, you would get a second from the new bottle, right?

(NB Yes, I'm aware that pills would be counted out to exact doses!

)

Arch · March 15, 2015, 01:08:39 AM

I have heard that it's not a good idea to use the same syringe to draw from two different vials, but I'm not entirely sure why. We shouldn't mix old and new meds, but if we're careful (and change the drawing needle), we won't do that. Maybe a medical professional will chime in.

Bimmer Guy · March 15, 2015, 09:21:13 PM

Quote from: Arch on March 15, 2015, 01:08:39 AM
I have heard that it's not a good idea to use the same syringe to draw from two different vials, but I'm not entirely sure why. We shouldn't mix old and new meds, but if we're careful (and change the drawing needle), we won't do that. Maybe a medical professional will chime in.

I used a new needle and new syringe for the second dose. What do you do when you don't have enough in the one vial?

Arch · March 15, 2015, 10:13:54 PM

I haven't faced this problem more than a few times. I remember doing two shots once, but I think i did it only once. On at least one other occasion, I changed the drawing needle, drew more T, and injected once. I was worried that I would get too much T in the syringe and would need to shoot it back in, thus mixing old and new meds in the new vial. To avoid this outcome, I wound up a little short or a little over and just went with what I had.

Flan · March 15, 2015, 11:31:58 PM

Quote from: Arch on March 15, 2015, 01:08:39 AM
I have heard that it's not a good idea to use the same syringe to draw from two different vials, but I'm not entirely sure why. We shouldn't mix old and new meds, but if we're careful (and change the drawing needle), we won't do that. Maybe a medical professional will chime in.

It dulls the needle edge and risks coring the vial (rubber) stopper (removing a chunk so there is a small hole instead of the stopper sealing itself).

Bimmer Guy · March 16, 2015, 09:11:08 PM

Quote from: Arch on March 15, 2015, 10:13:54 PM
I haven't faced this problem more than a few times. I remember doing two shots once, but I think i did it only once. On at least one other occasion, I changed the drawing needle, drew more T, and injected once. I was worried that I would get too much T in the syringe and would need to shoot it back in, thus mixing old and new meds in the new vial. To avoid this outcome, I wound up a little short or a little over and just went with what I had.

Quote from: Flan on March 15, 2015, 11:31:58 PM
It dulls the needle edge and risks coring the vial (rubber) stopper (removing a chunk so there is a small hole instead of the stopper sealing itself).

Thank you both!

tjack77 · June 22, 2015, 10:05:33 PM

This just happened to me today! I only had enough for 1/2 of my regular dose (every 2 weeks), and I do not have another vial / prescription, so I just injected whatever I had. I'll see what my endo says tomorrow if I should inject another shot for the other 1/2 right the way or wait another week and switch to weekly.

Jack

Cynobyte · June 22, 2015, 11:49:14 PM

Flan is right. Dont scrape bottom, unless you really need to. There are still contaminants that settle out and core pieces that are microscopic. When you inject, you dont have the luxery to filter out the junk. But big thing about your question is never take a syringe that has been inserted into tissue and insert back into vial. You will contaminate it for sure..

tjack77 · June 23, 2015, 09:44:09 PM

well, came back from endo, and she actually lowered my dose because of my free androgen level was way too high (that explains the out of controlled acne), and ended up with 1/2 of my previous dose which is the amount I injected yesterday. But she said if that ever happens, I can do separate injections with 2 syringes, 2 drawing needles, and 2 injecting needles.

Bimmer Guy · June 28, 2015, 09:51:30 AM

Quote from: tjack77 on June 23, 2015, 09:44:09 PM
well, came back from endo, and she actually lowered my dose because of my free androgen level was way too high (that explains the out of controlled acne), and ended up with 1/2 of my previous dose which is the amount I injected yesterday. But she said if that ever happens, I can do separate injections with 2 syringes, 2 drawing needles, and 2 injecting needles.

The bolding above is mine.

This is interesting because I asked my pharmacist who said something different. He said start with the old vial, take what you can from there and that you can still use the same drawing needle in the next vial (after using alcohol on that vial, of course).

I will ask my T provider.

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Only have enough for 1/2 a dose, do I do two shots?