Australian Newcomer Saying Hello!

iowautah

iowautah

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Hey all!

I'm a 43-year-old female, and I'm really excited to begin this (Reta) journey. Before this, I was using Wegovy

but I hit a plateau that lasted a few months..so here I am! It was a friend who mentioned it to me

and the results and price blew me away. What I didn't realize was that the cost could

drop even further with Gray stock. I've already gone through so many threads and I can't wait

to become another success story, just like the ones I've read about here!😀😀
 
Needles aren't really my thing either. Nor is the whole process of adding BAC water and reconstituting everything. I'll be honest, the pens (prescribed Ozempic) were so much easier. Quick, hassle-free, and nowhere near as intimidating as dealing with a real needle.
 
Hey there, fellow Aussie!

Yep, after you've gone grey, turning back is a tough thing to do!
 
Smiles78 said:

Needles aren't really my thing either. Nor is the whole process of adding BAC water and reconstituting everything. I'll be honest, the pens (prescribed Ozempic) were so much easier. Quick, hassle-free, and nowhere near as intimidating as dealing with a real needle.
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In all honesty, reusable pens are the way to go. You only need to draw up a single time, right after reconstituting — nothing beats it!

Reconstituting might look intimidating at first, but in reality it's quite manageable
 
nacho said:

In all honesty, reusable pens are the way to go. You only need to draw up a single time, right after reconstituting — nothing beats it!

Reconstituting might look intimidating at first, but in reality it's quite manageable
Click to expand...
What's the process behind that?

Are the reusable pens something you pick up on Amazon or eBay?

So once the BAC water has gone into, say, a 10mg vial (and been swirled 🙂), you tip the entire contents of the vial into a reusable pen, use that to shoot 2mg or whatever right away - and whatever is left in the pen then lives in the fridge until your next injection a week later?

Have I got that right?
 
When it comes to buying reusable pens, is there anything specific I should look for or stay away from?
 
Smiles78 said:

What's the process behind that?

Are the reusable pens something you pick up on Amazon or eBay?

So once the BAC water has gone into, say, a 10mg vial (and been swirled 🙂), you tip the entire contents of the vial into a reusable pen, use that to shoot 2mg or whatever right away - and whatever is left in the pen then lives in the fridge until your next injection a week later?

Have I got that right?
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Yeah, more or less. Once it's mixed, you take a needle and pull the entire amount up a single time, then transfer it into a pen cartridge. As for telling a good one from a bad one, I have no idea what to check. I simply picked some up from a supplier here in my country and they've been fine.
 
nacho said:

Yeah, more or less. Once it's mixed, you take a needle and pull the entire amount up a single time, then transfer it into a pen cartridge. As for telling a good one from a bad one, I have no idea what to check. I simply picked some up from a supplier here in my country and they've been fine.
Click to expand...

Alright, that tracks.

When you say reusable pen, are you talking about the gansulin automatic dispensing pen with case from aussieresearchsupplies?

And then the cartridge you load into it would be the munan 3ml siliconised universal pen cartridge steam sterilised from aussieresearchsupplies?

Seems like that setup would do the job - load the full contents of a 10mg vial plus 2mL BAC into the cartridge. At a weekly dose of 2.5mg, one vial plus pen cartridge gets you through a month. Then a fresh set for the following month.

Or have I misunderstood something?
 
Smiles78 said:

Alright, that tracks.

When you say reusable pen, are you talking about the gansulin automatic dispensing pen with case from aussieresearchsupplies?

And then the cartridge you load into it would be the munan 3ml siliconised universal pen cartridge steam sterilised from aussieresearchsupplies?

Seems like that setup would do the job - load the full contents of a 10mg vial plus 2mL BAC into the cartridge. At a weekly dose of 2.5mg, one vial plus pen cartridge gets you through a month. Then a fresh set for the following month.

Or have I misunderstood something?
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That's spot on. Of course you'll still want a syringe and a few needles for the mixing and transfer steps (one of them being to vent the cartridge while filling), and after the cartridge is in place, if yours only holds 2 ml you'll have to advance the plunger until it's ready to use, because they're made for 3 — that's perfectly fine to do though, it's what I do with my CJC and ipa.

You'll also need the small pen needles. My guess is you had to use them back when you were on ozempic, but since I've never used that myself I can't say for sure.
 
nacho said:

That's spot on. Of course you'll still want a syringe and a few needles for the mixing and transfer steps (one of them being to vent the cartridge while filling), and after the cartridge is in place, if yours only holds 2 ml you'll have to advance the plunger until it's ready to use, because they're made for 3 — that's perfectly fine to do though, it's what I do with my CJC and ipa.

You'll also need the small pen needles. My guess is you had to use them back when you were on ozempic, but since I've never used that myself I can't say for sure.
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👍
 
This might come across as odd, but I get a real kick out of reconstituting vials, then giving myself my shots, and arranging all my vials in their own dedicated storage containers. My newest obsession is having different labels printed up. All of this can easily become an addiction. Enjoy the ride.
 
Hello, before priming the cartridge, be sure to attach a pen needle so that the air has a way out. Take it from me 😉
 
I'm not sure how easy it is for the general public in Oz to get syringes or pens, but assuming you're able to obtain the supplies, the traditional syringe approach strikes me as the more cost-effective option over time. Yes, it looks intimidating at the start, but once you've done it a handful of times it's a non-issue. My own entry into self-injection was TRT using 1.5 inch 23 gauge needles into the vastus lateralis (outer quads), so a sub q shot in the belly is nothing next to that gamble of poking a nerve-dense region. Reconstitution is a piece of cake too. The only real requirement is that you stick carefully to sterile procedures.

Welcome to the forum!
 
Smiles78 said:

Needles aren't really my thing either. Nor is the whole process of adding BAC water and reconstituting everything. I'll be honest, the pens (prescribed Ozempic) were so much easier. Quick, hassle-free, and nowhere near as intimidating as dealing with a real needle.
Click to expand...
I'm with you on that — I'm doing my best to gather as much info as possible so I don't mess anything up! The needle side of things on its own is a puzzle, what with all the different sizes and so on. I just want one that doesn't cause pain haha
 
Angel860077 said:

Hey there, fellow Aussie!

Yep, after you've gone grey, turning back is a tough thing to do!
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Appreciate it, mate!

FatHead40 said:

I'm not sure how easy it is for the general public in Oz to get syringes or pens, but assuming you're able to obtain the supplies, the traditional syringe approach strikes me as the more cost-effective option over time. Yes, it looks intimidating at the start, but once you've done it a handful of times it's a non-issue. My own entry into self-injection was TRT using 1.5 inch 23 gauge needles into the vastus lateralis (outer quads), so a sub q shot in the belly is nothing next to that gamble of poking a nerve-dense region. Reconstitution is a piece of cake too. The only real requirement is that you stick carefully to sterile procedures.

Welcome to the forum!
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Thanks for the pointers! To be honest, I'll just have to grin and bear it and stop overthinking the whole thing. I can't even watch when the nurses take my blood lol. Oh well, like the saying goes..no pain no gain.
 
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