Humalog KwikPen User Reviews & Ratings

• Swe...
• August 15, 2020

For Type 2 Diabetes "I never had problems with Novolog pens, but this Humalog pen is horrible! I watch my diet carefully, so I don't have to use it as often, but when my blood sugar shoots up, I need it. Twice, the same pen stopped working, so I had to take it back to the pharmacy. Every Humalog pen I have used since, you have to keep pumping and twisting so that you end up with bruises! It never delivers what you put it on, so you actually don't know how much you are injecting! This product is horrible, and those making it should either make it right or be accountable!!!"

• Mer...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 21, 2020

For Diabetes, Type 1 "I have taken insulin for 68 years. The last 2 years, I have had horrible experiences with Humalog KwikPens. Have reached out to Eli Lilly and FDA. FDA seems to be a useless contact, but Eli Lilly was somewhat helpful. I have had to actually throw away over 25 Eli Lilly Humalog KwikPens in the past two years due to malfunctioning of the pens."

• Fru...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 25, 2021

For Type 2 Diabetes "Been using these pens for about 1 year. Mostly, they work well. But, I have noticed that they are inconsistent in strength from one lot to another. Let's say I'm finishing a pen where my numbers are beautiful. When that's empty, I start using a new pen with a different lot number. Suddenly, my numbers are crazy high. Same foods and exercise. I have to inject more units with the next meal just to bring my numbers back down. The pharmacy gave me a new pen as an experiment. Sure enough, my numbers went back to normal immediately. I went back to the old pen and high numbers again. Called Lilly to report this, and they blame me for 'doing something wrong.'"

• SBM...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 19, 2018

For Diabetes, Type 1 "I used to take Novolog, was forced to change by my insurance provider. This does not work as well as Novolog. The delivery system is shoddy. I have had more pens jam and become unusable in the 1 year of using the KwikPen than in the 10+ years I used a Novolog FlexPen."

• sim...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 19, 2018

For Diabetes, Type 1 "I note there are comments on the sticking of Humalog Kwik pens, which is also my experience with them. I have been using Humalog (Lispro) pens for a long time. Recently, in the past 3 months, I have had 4 pens sticking while injecting. The rest of the insulin in the pen goes to waste. I would like to send the pens back to Lilly, but I do not know how. Like others, I had to switch over from a smoother Novolin pen to the Humalog pens due to insurance cost agreements with Lilly. Having worked in management positions at manufacturing industries, I can see how these deals of price reduction compromise quality and cost to the customer while filling the pockets of executives in the drug company and insurance companies. The FDA is useless."

• JJa...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 22, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "The Humalog drug works very well. The Humalog Kwik Pen SUCKS. The pens stick and are very inconsistent with the ease of injection. I used Novolog until I went on Medicare, and my drug plan switched me to Humalog. Never had a single problem with the Novolog pens."

• Lyn...
• May 29, 2018

For Diabetes, Type 1 "These pens are horrible! I went to use it when my type 1 daughter's pump failed, and it did not administer correctly. The pens she used in the past were great. They made a clicking sound for each unit delivered, where these quick pens were silent and barely had pressure enough to indicate whether she got a proper dosage, if any at all. They also don't have half units, and rounding up or down to full units can be very dangerous. These pens also create excessive waste. The previous pens themselves were reusable! Would love to go back to them!"

• Ret...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 27, 2017

For Diabetes, Type 1 "I've been a T1 diabetic for 52 years and am a retired Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE). I and my patients have all had a problem with Humalog KwikPens: sometimes a box has not one pen that works. I have followed their (Lilly, the manufacturer) directions (try a new needle, etc.), but sometimes you get a batch that doesn't work. You can't get a refund either, so we're 'out' hundreds of dollars in co-pays. I've tried several times to contact Lilly, and they keep referring me back to the website for answers, which is useless. They also imply that the customers aren't able to use the pens correctly. Amazing that I've been successfully teaching patients for decades on using pumps, pens, etc., and never had ANY problems except with these KwikPens. They're unpredictable!"

• LOS...
• April 6, 2020

For Type 2 Diabetes "I've been using these Humalog KwikPens for almost 2 years. I have had issues with half of them. They won't inject correctly! I've tried different things like doing less for each press, and sometimes that helps. I've jiggled and moved it, and nope. What annoys me even more is looking at a brand new pen I have to throw away because it just doesn't work! I've talked to the pharmacist, and they say to contact Novolog. I sent info to Novolog and no response. I will have to ask my doctor to put me on something else. This feeling that you paid for a cheap toy that breaks as soon as you get it home. I do not recommend this at all!"

• SBa...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 30, 2019

For Diabetes, Type 1 "I have had Type 1 diabetes for 45 years, and I can say that this is the worst method of insulin delivery I have ever used. The pen is difficult to dose with. It often jams, causing you to exceed pressure and bend a needle in your arm. I think the makers should take a lesson from the Lantus pen makers. The Lantus pen has never failed me, and the automatic spring delivery system makes it foolproof. Humalog in a vial has always worked for me."

• Big...
• January 24, 2016

For Type 2 Diabetes "My insurance company, Aetna, switched from the Novolog Flex Pen to the Humalog KwikPen, and I've had nothing but problems ever since. The Novolog Pen worked very well, and I never had any issues with it. Since switching to the Humalog Pen, I've had constant problems getting it to work properly. The part that gets pushed down often gets stuck, and it becomes impossible to administer the insulin that I need to manage my Type 2 diabetes. I don't understand why the insurance companies have to change from a perfectly good product to one that is substandard. I'm contacting Aetna to see if there is any way to switch back to the Novolog FlexPen."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 23, 2017

For Type 2 Diabetes "While this medication works well, the KwikPen is terrible! It gets stuck before the insulin can be used. Having to throw away insulin is just ridiculous, especially at the prices charged! I'm going to ask my doctor for an alternative."

• Def...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 24, 2021

For Type 2 Diabetes "Humalog KwikPen 200 unit insulin products have been defective for years and continue being defective. Since too much or too little fast-acting insulin can cause death, this is a very serious matter. The mechanism in those devices jams and skips gears, and this is visible as the plunger does not move or moves way too much, resulting in too little or too much insulin being injected. Lilly's phone line connects hapless patients to a labyrinth of submenus of Byzantine complexity that it is useless, possibly by design."

• smo...
• November 6, 2020

For Diabetes, Type 1 "What is it with Humalog over the last (2019 + 2020) 2 years? I have had many issues with my BG going through the roof! I have had type 1 since 1994. My avg HbA1c is 7.0. Humalog is the problem. I use insulin based on carb counting. Has worked for all my years on insulin. It works well. But, over the last two years, I have had many times when I have, for example, 200 BG and I eat 50 units of carbs. Those numbers tell me I need 2 units of insulin for my BG and 5 units for my carbs = 7. I usually may add 1 extra unit. After I do all of that in my example, my BG will be 300?! I did exactly what my doctor has told me to do and what has worked for many years. But, it no longer works with Humalog. Humalog has been made weaker since Lilly is providing it at a reduced cost to users. Thanks, Lilly, for being a company that looks for profit more than helping those who need good insulin. Time to move to Novolog. Humalog? Useless."

• VTL...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 8, 2022

For Diabetes, Type 1 "Major problem is that Lilly has misdirected their quality control system for the Humalog KwikPen. When injecting, the plunger skips and I am receiving less than the amount I measured. It happened 3 hours ago, and my blood sugar registers 226 and 229, via Dexcom and OneTouch finger prick, respectively. This problem happens too often. Tell the rich Lilly Company to get this problem corrected!!!"

• Deb...
• February 27, 2020

For Type 2 Diabetes "These pens are terrible. The company should be closed down. They malfunction, and sometimes I have to inject myself 3 times to get my dosage. My insurance made me get these, but I will pay to use Lantus Solostar. Don't get this product!"

• Rev...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 22, 2021

For Diabetes, Type 1 "This insulin pen stinks! I am a Type 1 diabetic whose diet is extremely healthy (vegan, low sugar, low fat, no alcohol) and who exercises vigorously for 45-60 minutes a day. I only started experiencing high blood sugar at dangerous levels when I switched from the Humalog vial to Humalog KwikPens for insulin injections. The pens jam, often with almost the entire 300 IU left in the barrel. Even worse, after about a week of use, the pens start to leak - more insulin runs down the side of the barrel than gets injected. I never know how much insulin I am getting - and have injected what would be, for me, a huge dose, only to find my blood sugar continues to rise. These pens are frustrating and extremely dangerous. I also use Lantus pens, and they function perfectly with every use. The manufacturer of Humalog KwikPen needs to do a lot better!"

• asi...
• October 28, 2016

For Type 2 Diabetes "My insurance company changed to Humalog KwikPen; my short response - it sucks! The medicine works well when I actually get it administered, but their crappy pen just does not work properly. I take 5 to 8 units a few times per day, but the pen does not seem to develop enough pressure to push the med into my body."

• Ton...
• September 18, 2017

For Type 2 Diabetes "Called Eli Lilly about their Humalog 50/50 pen being stuck on 42 and not moving (still has over 180 units left). I was called a cow (slander) by their agent. Won't use their products anymore, still have the pen, lost money on it. Shame on you, Eli Lilly."

• ano...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 22, 2021

For Diabetes, Type 1 "Since I have used the KwikPen (for the last year), I have had three episodes of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) that I could not explain and needed 911 to keep from going under. I ended up in the ER each time. I clicked the number of units I wanted. An hour later, I believe, without proof, that the KwikPen released too much insulin even though I checked the number of units before injecting. The idea that it may be releasing too much regardless of what I choose as the dosage may send me back to syringes and vials. This is just too scary."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 11, 2021

For Diabetes, Type 1 "I called Humalog to ask if they could possibly borrow the technology used by Levemir for pens, as the Levemir pens are far superior. The Humalog pens constantly leak, even after leaving in the skin for up to 10 seconds after injection, insulin constantly runs out of the needle after you pull the needle out after injection, and it, of course, stinks. There are constantly bubbles in the pen that are oftentimes not removable. I did call Humalog, and they walked through their protocol steps to problem-solving, but none of it worked. I'm very curious as to why I never have any of these problems with my Levemir pens. Can the technology be so different, and why can't Humalog work towards that type of superior product?"

• Bar...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 10, 2020

For Diabetes, Type 1 "I have been diabetic type 1 for 35 years. My diabetic nurse persuaded me to use the Humalog KwikPen 3 months ago. I used to use Humalog and a syringe. Since switching, I’m injecting 5 times the number of units I used to, and my sugars are still high. Not only do I believe the quality/strength of the insulin is not the same, it’s infuriating that the pens keep sticking, so one can’t deliver the quantity selected in one jab. I am stopping using the KwikPens right now. I’ve had enough. My sugar controls of the past have been good. I do not want to jeopardize good control by using this substandard equipment."

• Fru...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 8, 2022

For Diabetes, Type 1 "Humalog KwikPens are horrible! I have been a type 1 diabetic for 46 years, and they have thrown my normally good control way out of whack. The Humalog insulin from vials works okay, but that in the KwikPens doesn't. Much of the problem is due to never being sure how much insulin I'm getting, if I'm getting any insulin at all. I dial the appropriate amount of insulin based on my blood sugar and carb counting, but the device rarely dispenses the correct amount. That's after priming the pen several times. I can't afford to switch to Novolog because my private health care insurance, for which I pay almost $18,000 per year, won't authorize it. I was able to get an exemption for Novo Nordisk's Tresiba pen, and it works tons better than Lilly's KwikPens. I get the amount of insulin I dial up with Novo Nordisk's product. So I'm going back to the vial and needles. I'm going to ask my diabetes doctor at MassGeneral to give me a prescription for the vial Humalog."

• Luc...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 3, 2022

For Type 2 Diabetes "A substandard product which is not fit for purpose, the pen keeps jamming, so you have no idea how much insulin has actually been injected. It does not click when the insulin has been administered. Unlike other insulin pens, the company does not want to take responsibility for a product that should not be sold. They say the pen is jamming because the users are not putting a new needle on or not administering the insulin correctly. Take it off the market."

• Hal...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• July 19, 2022

For Diabetes, Type 1 "I am experiencing an issue in dispensing small doses. If I dial 2 units, I strongly suspect I’m only getting one unit injected. So I’m now dialing one more than I want. Anyone else with the same issue?"