Humalog KwikPen for Diabetes, Type 1 User Reviews

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

"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."

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

"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

"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."

• Lyn...
• May 29, 2018

"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

"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!"

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

"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."

• smo...
• November 6, 2020

"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

"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!!!"

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

"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!"

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

"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

"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

"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

"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."

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

"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?"

• Jan...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 25, 2021

"I have now had a problem with 4 boxes of these KwikPens completely going to waste! Each time I take the cap off the pen to use it, it is already dripping insulin! Not only that, but it injects too much insulin into my body, causing me to have MULTIPLE insulin reactions. I’m also concerned about getting an air bubble in my bloodstream because when it leaks, it creates air bubbles in the pen. This is life-affecting. What can I do? Any suggestions?"

• Dia...
• January 3, 2021

"Have problems with my Humalog pens over the last couple of years. I switch to a new pen and my BG skyrockets. Have to throw away about one-third of my pens. Is there a government agency checking the quality of medication sold to U.S. consumers anymore?"

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 6, 2025

"I got my first Humalog KwikPen, and it has been a terrible experience. Unlike my other insulin pens, this one is a coin toss as to whether it will deliver the correct dose or not. It regularly doesn't step through the units and quickly hops over unit numbers. I only use 8 units, so missing a unit is a big deal. I started marking the position of the plugger with a fine-tip Sharpie and used calipers to measure how far it should move for 8 units, and now use the plugger position to determine the dose delivered and not the numbers on the dial. Before doing this, I'd get half movement or 4 units and blood sugar readings over 200 at 2 hours. With the plugger moving the correct distance, which means I often have to keep clicking to get there, the insulin works fine for grams of carbs consumed. Given I'm a first-time user and first pen, it is hard to comprehend I just happened to get the one bad KwikPen out of millions, but I guess it's possible."

• Eri...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 23, 2021

"I was using Humalog vial for years. Recently, my pharmacy had the KwikPen of Humalog, and I am having issues when I try to inject myself. The vial is much better than the pen."

• Anonymous
• March 17, 2011

"This handy little device is great for vacation or just the diabetic on the go."