Reusing Cartridges by Refilling: Thrifty Hack or Foolish Risk?

[HouseCat]

Later today I'm going to mix GHK-Cu 50mg, and I'm thinking of adding 6mL BAC so that my dose per unit isn't tiny and to reduce the burning sensation. Since I'll be using a pen, a cartridge can only hold 3mL. As for the remaining 3mL, I have two options: put it into another cartridge, or...

Keep it in a 3mL vial, then once my current cartridge runs out, transfer from the vial into the cartridge. What's my reasoning? To cut down on cartridge usage: I have plenty of sterile 3mL vials but only a limited number of cartridges. I get carts from goodlifesupplies because I believe in their sterility, but ordering more means paying a shipping fee since I don't have any large orders in the pipeline. My biggest worry would be whether putting the aliquot into my just-used cartridge is sterile, given that pen needles are double-ended. But if that's a real issue, wouldn't there be sterility concerns with using cartridges normally, particularly near the end?

Is this vial storage plan clever frugality or just sleep-deprived stupidity?

 

[tcpnomad]

Reusing vials or cartridges is something you really ought to avoid. Each injection punctures them, and the guidance says to throw them out once 28 days have passed since first use—though plenty of folks just keep going until nothing is left.

 

[BBA1969]

Sounds like a really poor plan. What's your method for pushing the plunger back down? Plus, once the vial's interior has sat open to fridge air for that long, it's not sterile anymore. I'd sooner gamble on lower-cost cartridges from Ali.

 

[BrightCandle]

Carts, vials, needles, syringes, and filters are meant for a single use — none of them should be reused. Once you pierce, the clock on bacterial growth begins, and each additional step only raises the chance of contamination.

 

[Turbo-Farmer]

Leakage is going to happen with your cartridge. That self-sealing stopper degrades over time, becoming progressively less effective, until fluid escapes into the pen. I've witnessed this myself, and it occurs more frequently when using low-quality needles.

There have been situations where I needed to move contents between 2 compromised cartridges just to salvage a costly mixture.

Ultimately, the price of disposable supplies is far lower than what you pay for the peptides, and prioritizing safety is essential.

 

[deluge]

During my last deployment, a holdup with the sled dog team delivering my shipment forced me to reuse a number of cartridges.

It's similar to reusing needles when there's no other choice (once more, a sled dog problem). Not something anyone advises, but when you're in a tight spot, you do what you have to. (And I'll mention again what a nurse with over 30 years of experience told me: apart from the peptide community, hardly anyone replaces the needle daily for daily injections.)

Nothing went wrong for me, but with my resupply now arrived thanks to the sled dogs, I switched to fresh cartridges. Fresh needles as well!

For my 100mg of GHK-Cu, I use 6ml of BAC water to dilute it. My method: inject 3ml into the vial, draw out 1.5ml, and filter that into a cartridge. Next, I take another 3ml of water, put 1.5ml into the cartridge, and the remaining 1.5ml into the vial. The vial goes in the fridge, ready to be filtered into the next cartridge when I need it.

 

[Mochizuki0124]

#1 Unless you're getting them from those shady resellers, these peptides are already dirt cheap. So what's the point of pinching pennies on everything else? You're risking not only sterility but also how well the stuff actually works.

#2 It's unlikely to kill you—junkies share needles and a few of them even outlast the rest of us. Honestly, at this stage, some of us are basically junkies anyway.

So, which category do you fall into?

 

[eidos]

The part facing the plunger isn't sterile anymore.

Over on YouTube, I came across a beautician with long fingernails who just shoves the plunger down to load a cartridge, no venting needle at all.

About 3 months back I picked up cartridges from AE, and I'm still kicking (at least I believe I am). Right now I'm hunting for brands that move several thousand units. (HDRSMTMED is one I have, though there are more.)

The catch: with half of them, the plunger comes installed the wrong way up. Some pens handle it fine, others jam.

That works out to roughly $1 per cartridge if you get them in packs of 100.

 

[HouseCat]

Mochizuki0124 said:

#1 Unless you're getting them from those shady resellers, these peptides are already dirt cheap. So what's the point of pinching pennies on everything else? You're risking not only sterility but also how well the stuff actually works.

#2 It's unlikely to kill you—junkies share needles and a few of them even outlast the rest of us. Honestly, at this stage, some of us are basically junkies anyway.

So, which category do you fall into?

That's completely accurate. Plus, considering how annoying it is to drag the stopper back out, there's no point in skimping—I'm not in a desperate situation the way @deluge was. Smart decision.

deluge said:

During my last deployment, a holdup with the sled dog team delivering my shipment forced me to reuse a number of cartridges.

It's similar to reusing needles when there's no other choice (once more, a sled dog problem). Not something anyone advises, but when you're in a tight spot, you do what you have to. (And I'll mention again what a nurse with over 30 years of experience told me: apart from the peptide community, hardly anyone replaces the needle daily for daily injections.)

Nothing went wrong for me, but with my resupply now arrived thanks to the sled dogs, I switched to fresh cartridges. Fresh needles as well!

For my 100mg of GHK-Cu, I use 6ml of BAC water to dilute it. My method: inject 3ml into the vial, draw out 1.5ml, and filter that into a cartridge. Next, I take another 3ml of water, put 1.5ml into the cartridge, and the remaining 1.5ml into the vial. The vial goes in the fridge, ready to be filtered into the next cartridge when I need it.

Happy your supplies arrived! I remember you were counting on your wife to send the correct items; she clearly knows your pep routine inside out I'm a big fan of Life Below Zero (that arctic reality show—Sue's my favorite!) so your life up there fascinates me, all the more since you're also a New Yorker! You've definitely got the most interesting reverse “snow bird” setup!

Out of pure curiosity, what did you use to pull the plunger back on the cart? Tweezers?

 

[HouseCat]

BBA1969 said:

Sounds like a really poor plan. What's your method for pushing the plunger back down? Plus, once the vial's interior has sat open to fridge air for that long, it's not sterile anymore. I'd sooner gamble on lower-cost cartridges from Ali.

Turbo-Farmer said:

Leakage is going to happen with your cartridge. That self-sealing stopper degrades over time, becoming progressively less effective, until fluid escapes into the pen. I've witnessed this myself, and it occurs more frequently when using low-quality needles.

There have been situations where I needed to move contents between 2 compromised cartridges just to salvage a costly mixture.

Ultimately, the price of disposable supplies is far lower than what you pay for the peptides, and prioritizing safety is essential.

(And everyone else) Thanks for helping me see reason. I'll definitely go through 2 carts today. Lack of sleep / crushing tiredness really messes with my judgment!

eidos said:

The part facing the plunger isn't sterile anymore.

Over on YouTube, I came across a beautician with long fingernails who just shoves the plunger down to load a cartridge, no venting needle at all.

About 3 months back I picked up cartridges from AE, and I'm still kicking (at least I believe I am). Right now I'm hunting for brands that move several thousand units. (HDRSMTMED is one I have, though there are more.)

The catch: with half of them, the plunger comes installed the wrong way up. Some pens handle it fine, others jam.

That works out to roughly $1 per cartridge if you get them in packs of 100.

Is this AliExpress? That seems like a solid bargain! Are they packaged in autoclaved bags? Haha here I am stressing over autoclave bags/sterility now that I've rested, when earlier I was about to do something dumb

 

[eidos]

Mochizuki0124 said:

#1 Unless you're getting them from those shady resellers, these peptides are already dirt cheap. So what's the point of pinching pennies on everything else? You're risking not only sterility but also how well the stuff actually works.

#2 It's unlikely to kill you—junkies share needles and a few of them even outlast the rest of us. Honestly, at this stage, some of us are basically junkies anyway.

So, which category do you fall into?

Someone hooked on junk has zero credibility with me about health matters. That goes for PhD holders too — I've personally met a few, and they're missing teeth...

A single needle can be used multiple times — roughly 8 to 12 rounds on average (yep, I tracked down the mdash on my keyboard, so now I feel like some kind of genius — just like an AI). Thinner needles work better for this. Though occasionally one will bend: ouch.

Over in a different thread, I shared microscope images showing what needles look like after every injection. Gross. Still, it's your call.

Back in the early ’90s, manufacturers began applying varnish coatings to needles. BD pitched this as a feature to pharmacists (complete with photos). That coating is what rips cells away as the needle exits.

The top-tier needles on the market today feature a 5 bevel sharp tip. It hurts less.

I can get Embecta (BD) needles at €0.15 apiece. Swapping them out is a no-brainer for me.

 

[Mochizuki0124]

eidos said:

Mochizuki0124 said:

#1 Unless you're getting them from those shady resellers, these peptides are already dirt cheap. So what's the point of pinching pennies on everything else? You're risking not only sterility but also how well the stuff actually works.

#2 It's unlikely to kill you—junkies share needles and a few of them even outlast the rest of us. Honestly, at this stage, some of us are basically junkies anyway.

So, which category do you fall into?

Someone hooked on junk has zero credibility with me about health matters. That goes for PhD holders too — I've personally met a few, and they're missing teeth...

A single needle can be used multiple times — roughly 8 to 12 rounds on average (yep, I tracked down the mdash on my keyboard, so now I feel like some kind of genius — just like an AI). Thinner needles work better for this. Though occasionally one will bend: ouch.

Over in a different thread, I shared microscope images showing what needles look like after every injection. Gross. Still, it's your call.

Back in the early ’90s, manufacturers began applying varnish coatings to needles. BD pitched this as a feature to pharmacists (complete with photos). That coating is what rips cells away as the needle exits.

The top-tier needles on the market today feature a 5 bevel sharp tip. It hurts less.

I can get Embecta (BD) needles at €0.15 apiece. Swapping them out is a no-brainer for me.

The issue was just which one you fall under, #1 or #2. I'm not out here defending the junkies, lol.

 

[eidos]

HouseCat said:

BBA1969 said:

Sounds like a really poor plan. What's your method for pushing the plunger back down? Plus, once the vial's interior has sat open to fridge air for that long, it's not sterile anymore. I'd sooner gamble on lower-cost cartridges from Ali.

Turbo-Farmer said:

Leakage is going to happen with your cartridge. That self-sealing stopper degrades over time, becoming progressively less effective, until fluid escapes into the pen. I've witnessed this myself, and it occurs more frequently when using low-quality needles.

There have been situations where I needed to move contents between 2 compromised cartridges just to salvage a costly mixture.

Ultimately, the price of disposable supplies is far lower than what you pay for the peptides, and prioritizing safety is essential.

(And everyone else) Thanks for helping me see reason. I'll definitely go through 2 carts today. Lack of sleep / crushing tiredness really messes with my judgment!

eidos said:

The part facing the plunger isn't sterile anymore.

Over on YouTube, I came across a beautician with long fingernails who just shoves the plunger down to load a cartridge, no venting needle at all.

About 3 months back I picked up cartridges from AE, and I'm still kicking (at least I believe I am). Right now I'm hunting for brands that move several thousand units. (HDRSMTMED is one I have, though there are more.)

The catch: with half of them, the plunger comes installed the wrong way up. Some pens handle it fine, others jam.

That works out to roughly $1 per cartridge if you get them in packs of 100.

Is this AliExpress? That seems like a solid bargain! Are they packaged in autoclaved bags? Haha here I am stressing over autoclave bags/sterility now that I've rested, when earlier I was about to do something dumb

Yep, from AliExpress.

Each one arrives in a sterile pouch. A black band is printed on them, which shows they've undergone steam sterilization. They meet both CE and ISO requirements.

Over a 3-month span I've gone through roughly 12 of them; any endotoxin contamination would have shown itself well before now.

These are plain borosilicate glass versions, no silicone coating applied, yet at the strengths we work with that doesn't matter: under 0.1% of the peptide sticks to the glass surface.

 

[eidos]

Mochizuki0124 said:

eidos said:

Mochizuki0124 said:

#1 Unless you're getting them from those shady resellers, these peptides are already dirt cheap. So what's the point of pinching pennies on everything else? You're risking not only sterility but also how well the stuff actually works.

#2 It's unlikely to kill you—junkies share needles and a few of them even outlast the rest of us. Honestly, at this stage, some of us are basically junkies anyway.

So, which category do you fall into?

Someone hooked on junk has zero credibility with me about health matters. That goes for PhD holders too — I've personally met a few, and they're missing teeth...

A single needle can be used multiple times — roughly 8 to 12 rounds on average (yep, I tracked down the mdash on my keyboard, so now I feel like some kind of genius — just like an AI). Thinner needles work better for this. Though occasionally one will bend: ouch.

Over in a different thread, I shared microscope images showing what needles look like after every injection. Gross. Still, it's your call.

Back in the early ’90s, manufacturers began applying varnish coatings to needles. BD pitched this as a feature to pharmacists (complete with photos). That coating is what rips cells away as the needle exits.

The top-tier needles on the market today feature a 5 bevel sharp tip. It hurts less.

I can get Embecta (BD) needles at €0.15 apiece. Swapping them out is a no-brainer for me.

The issue was just which one you fall under, #1 or #2. I'm not out here defending the junkies, lol.

My pick goes to option #d.

 

[HouseCat]

eidos said:

Mochizuki0124 said:

#1 Unless you're getting them from those shady resellers, these peptides are already dirt cheap. So what's the point of pinching pennies on everything else? You're risking not only sterility but also how well the stuff actually works.

#2 It's unlikely to kill you—junkies share needles and a few of them even outlast the rest of us. Honestly, at this stage, some of us are basically junkies anyway.

So, which category do you fall into?

Someone hooked on junk has zero credibility with me about health matters. That goes for PhD holders too — I've personally met a few, and they're missing teeth...

A single needle can be used multiple times — roughly 8 to 12 rounds on average (yep, I tracked down the mdash on my keyboard, so now I feel like some kind of genius — just like an AI). Thinner needles work better for this. Though occasionally one will bend: ouch.

Over in a different thread, I shared microscope images showing what needles look like after every injection. Gross. Still, it's your call.

Back in the early ’90s, manufacturers began applying varnish coatings to needles. BD pitched this as a feature to pharmacists (complete with photos). That coating is what rips cells away as the needle exits.

The top-tier needles on the market today feature a 5 bevel sharp tip. It hurts less.

I can get Embecta (BD) needles at €0.15 apiece. Swapping them out is a no-brainer for me.

A well-placed em dash? Love it—very Dickenson (yes, I'm aware they probably came from posthumous editing, but even so—together with the semicolon—they rank among my favorite punctuation marks!)

 

[randompersonrandom]

I get my carts through thepeppen — 5 for $5. Sterility is claimed on the label. Whether that claim holds up, I can't say for sure, but compared to a cart that's spent 35 days in my fridge loaded with KLOW and jabbed daily, they're clearly the cleaner option.

 

[eidos]

HouseCat said:

eidos said:

Mochizuki0124 said:

#1 Unless you're getting them from those shady resellers, these peptides are already dirt cheap. So what's the point of pinching pennies on everything else? You're risking not only sterility but also how well the stuff actually works.

#2 It's unlikely to kill you—junkies share needles and a few of them even outlast the rest of us. Honestly, at this stage, some of us are basically junkies anyway.

So, which category do you fall into?

Someone hooked on junk has zero credibility with me about health matters. That goes for PhD holders too — I've personally met a few, and they're missing teeth...

A single needle can be used multiple times — roughly 8 to 12 rounds on average (yep, I tracked down the mdash on my keyboard, so now I feel like some kind of genius — just like an AI). Thinner needles work better for this. Though occasionally one will bend: ouch.

Over in a different thread, I shared microscope images showing what needles look like after every injection. Gross. Still, it's your call.

Back in the early ’90s, manufacturers began applying varnish coatings to needles. BD pitched this as a feature to pharmacists (complete with photos). That coating is what rips cells away as the needle exits.

The top-tier needles on the market today feature a 5 bevel sharp tip. It hurts less.

I can get Embecta (BD) needles at €0.15 apiece. Swapping them out is a no-brainer for me.

A well-placed em dash? Love it—very Dickenson (yes, I'm aware they probably came from posthumous editing, but even so—together with the semicolon—they rank among my favorite punctuation marks!)

Oh! Yours is a longer dash than the one I have. Perhaps what's on my keyboard is only a shorter dash. :-(

When writing, I'd rather use dashes than parentheses, yet the people I work with always forbid dashes in anything meant for the web.

Also, I still don't really know when a semicolon is supposed to be used in English.

... Today seems like it's going to be a frustrating one!

 

[deluge]

HouseCat said:

Mochizuki0124 said:

#1 Unless you're getting them from those shady resellers, these peptides are already dirt cheap. So what's the point of pinching pennies on everything else? You're risking not only sterility but also how well the stuff actually works.

#2 It's unlikely to kill you—junkies share needles and a few of them even outlast the rest of us. Honestly, at this stage, some of us are basically junkies anyway.

So, which category do you fall into?

That's completely accurate. Plus, considering how annoying it is to drag the stopper back out, there's no point in skimping—I'm not in a desperate situation the way @deluge was. Smart decision.

deluge said:

During my last deployment, a holdup with the sled dog team delivering my shipment forced me to reuse a number of cartridges.

It's similar to reusing needles when there's no other choice (once more, a sled dog problem). Not something anyone advises, but when you're in a tight spot, you do what you have to. (And I'll mention again what a nurse with over 30 years of experience told me: apart from the peptide community, hardly anyone replaces the needle daily for daily injections.)

Nothing went wrong for me, but with my resupply now arrived thanks to the sled dogs, I switched to fresh cartridges. Fresh needles as well!

For my 100mg of GHK-Cu, I use 6ml of BAC water to dilute it. My method: inject 3ml into the vial, draw out 1.5ml, and filter that into a cartridge. Next, I take another 3ml of water, put 1.5ml into the cartridge, and the remaining 1.5ml into the vial. The vial goes in the fridge, ready to be filtered into the next cartridge when I need it.

Happy your supplies arrived! I remember you were counting on your wife to send the correct items; she clearly knows your pep routine inside out I'm a big fan of Life Below Zero (that arctic reality show—Sue's my favorite!) so your life up there fascinates me, all the more since you're also a New Yorker! You've definitely got the most interesting reverse “snow bird” setup!

Out of pure curiosity, what did you use to pull the plunger back on the cart? Tweezers?

The supplies arrived, finally—and the needles were the right ones too. (My whole needle problem started with those Gluco-Bend 32ga. Fortunately, she pulled out a box of EzTouch 31ga rather than those. Compared with the 32ga Gluco-Stabs, the EzTouch slide in with less resistance, and not once have I bent one while injecting myself.)

To get the plunger to move back, I simply let the pressure from the liquid coming in do the work. A small amount of BAC Water—just a few units—went into the rear of the cartridge, which kept things from catching as the plunger traveled.

To be clear, I'm still not telling anyone to reuse cartridges. That said, when the alternative is stopping abruptly, it turned out okay in my case. Sled dogs be damned...

 

[HouseCat]

Appreciate all the sensible advice, everyone! The reconstitution turned out fine. I injected into my glute with an 8mm needle using my manual Mrs. Goodlife pen—there was hardly any sting, just a tiny bit around 5 min after the shot, and it was even less noticeable than the sting from Halledale compounded tirz.

Since my usual storage box isn't tall enough, I'm keeping the spare cartridge in an upside down kit case in the fridge, which I cleaned out with alcohol. Glad I figured out a frugal use for the kit case, and REALLY glad you all weighed in on sterility—and, indirectly, on how crucial sleep is for clear thinking!

eidos said:

HouseCat said:

eidos said:

Mochizuki0124 said:

#1 Unless you're getting them from those shady resellers, these peptides are already dirt cheap. So what's the point of pinching pennies on everything else? You're risking not only sterility but also how well the stuff actually works.

#2 It's unlikely to kill you—junkies share needles and a few of them even outlast the rest of us. Honestly, at this stage, some of us are basically junkies anyway.

So, which category do you fall into?

Someone hooked on junk has zero credibility with me about health matters. That goes for PhD holders too — I've personally met a few, and they're missing teeth...

A single needle can be used multiple times — roughly 8 to 12 rounds on average (yep, I tracked down the mdash on my keyboard, so now I feel like some kind of genius — just like an AI). Thinner needles work better for this. Though occasionally one will bend: ouch.

Over in a different thread, I shared microscope images showing what needles look like after every injection. Gross. Still, it's your call.

Back in the early ’90s, manufacturers began applying varnish coatings to needles. BD pitched this as a feature to pharmacists (complete with photos). That coating is what rips cells away as the needle exits.

The top-tier needles on the market today feature a 5 bevel sharp tip. It hurts less.

I can get Embecta (BD) needles at €0.15 apiece. Swapping them out is a no-brainer for me.

A well-placed em dash? Love it—very Dickenson (yes, I'm aware they probably came from posthumous editing, but even so—together with the semicolon—they rank among my favorite punctuation marks!)

Oh! Yours is a longer dash than the one I have. Perhaps what's on my keyboard is only a shorter dash. :-(

When writing, I'd rather use dashes than parentheses, yet the people I work with always forbid dashes in anything meant for the web.

Also, I still don't really know when a semicolon is supposed to be used in English.

... Today seems like it's going to be a frustrating one!

A semicolon basically works like a period; the sole distinctions are that the following sentence begins without a capital letter and that the 2 sentences ought to be connected in meaning, as they are here.