![Nutropin [somatropin (rDNA origin) for injection]: Growing Opportunity](/images/logo-nutropin-growing.png){kind=logo}
Nutropin AQ® NuSpin™ delivers liquid GH from a prefilled, automatic device.
Nutropin AQ® NuSpin™—Simply delivered.
The Nutropin AQ NuSpin features an innovative design that helps you make sure you give the full dose of Nutropin AQ [somatropin (rDNA origin) injection]—because every dose is an opportunity taken.
- Features
- Using Nutropin AQ NuSpin
- How to select the injection site
- Storing and maintaining Nutropin AQ NuSpin
Features
Nutropin AQ NuSpin:
- Comes already filled with Nutropin AQ
- Features automatic injection of medication
- Offers multidose injection
- Lets you dial the prescribed dose
- Is disposable
Nutropin AQ NuSpin offers a number of features, including:
- Few steps involved
- Full dose assurance—a unique spinning knob lets you know that the full dose has been delivered
- Easy to learn and easy to use
- Simply slide the activator to deliver Nutropin AQ automatically, with no need to push a plunger
- Prefilled—no mixing, no cartridges
- Available in three strengths:
- Nutropin AQ NuSpin 5
- Nutropin AQ NuSpin 10
- Nutropin AQ NuSpin 20
Using Nutropin AQ NuSpin
The Nutropin AQ NuSpin is intended for use by a healthcare professional for training purposes, or for a trained patient to deliver a Nutropin AQ injection.
New NuSpin Set Up: Step-by-step
Follow these steps the first time you use a new NuSpin:
Step 1: Attach the needle
Wash your hands thoroughly. Gently twist and pull to remove the NuSpin cap. Inspect the cartridge before use to ensure that the medicine in it is clear. If it is cloudy or hazy, do not inject it.
Open a new needle by peeling off the paper tab from the needle package.
Attach the needle by carefully screwing it onto the needle holder—do not over tighten. Carefully remove both protective covers from the needle and save the outer cover.
Step 2: Priming the Nutropin AQ NuSpin
Turn the dose knob to the “P” position in the dose window. It may take multiple clicks to get to “P”.
- The “P” position on the NuSpin 5 represents a 0.35 mg dose
- The “P” position on the NuSpin 10 represents a 0.7 mg dose
- The “P” position on the NuSpin 20 represents a 1.4 mg dose
Hold the NuSpin with the needle pointing upwards. Gently tap the cartridge holder to move any air bubbles to the NuSpin tip.
Slide the Activator toward the needle. If you do not see fluid at the needle tip, redial to “P” and slide the Activator forward again. Repeat until you see fluid. When you do, you’re primed and ready to go!
Step 3: Setting the dose
Make sure the dose window reads “0.0.” Then, turn the dose knob until the prescribed dose appears in the dose window. If you turn the dose knob too far, simply turn it back to the correct dose.
This example shows a dose of 0.9 mg represented by “–”.
If your dose is “between” two numbers in the dose window, the “–” marking between those two numbers indicates your dose.
For example:
- In the Nutropin AQ NuSpin 5, a dose of 0.45 mg would lie between the 0.4 mg and 0.5 mg mark
- In the Nutropin AQ NuSpin 10, a dose of 0.9 mg would lie between the 0.8 mg and 1.0 mg mark
- In the Nutropin AQ NuSpin 20, a dose of 1.8 mg would lie between the 1.6 mg and 2.0 mg mark
Step 4: Giving the injection
If you choose to use the Needle Shield, put it on the NuSpin now (directions below).
Once you’ve chosen the injection site and prepared it, put one hand where you can easily slide the Activator. While holding the NuSpin device, insert the needle into the skin by pushing downward until the appropriate depth is reached.
Slide the Activator toward the needle. Continue to hold the Activator down until the dose knob returns to “0.0.” It may help to count out loud for 5 seconds while you are holding the Activator down. Then, withdraw the Nutropin AQ NuSpin device. If the dose knob returns to “0.0,” the full dose has been delivered.
If the dose knob stops before it returns to “0.0”, the Nutropin AQ NuSpin is empty and the full dose has not been delivered. The number shown in the dose window is the amount needed to obtain a full dose. (Ask your healthcare professional to walk you through the procedure for using the last dose in the NuSpin.)
Removing the needle and disposing of it
To remove the needle, carefully place the needle outer cover over the needle (using the scoop method). Unscrew the needle, and dispose of it in a needle disposal box.
Learn more about how to properly dispose of your needles, and get tips for traveling with your GH medication.
Storage and next use
Replace the cap and store the NuSpin in the refrigerator at 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C). Protect from light, and don’t let it freeze.
For your next use, attach a new needle, dial in the dose, and give the injection. YOU DON’T NEED TO PRIME THE DEVICE UNLESS IT IS YOUR FIRST INJECTION WITH A NEW NuSpin.
How to select the injection site
It is important to rotate the site of your NuSpin injections. Choose a different place to inject yourself each time. The injection should not go very deep into your skin. It should be given in the subcutaneous space (the fatty layer just beneath the skin’s surface).
Be sure to inject Nutropin at a different recommended place on your body each time. Your doctor or nurse should supervise the first injection and provide training and instruction. You may experience discomfort, soreness, or redness where Nutropin is injected. Contact your doctor immediately if you experience ongoing injection site discomfort.
The following areas are good injection sites because you may be able to grasp the right amount of skin needed for your injection:
Abdomen. The tissue below the skin of the abdomen absorbs medication readily. Injections in this area sometimes hurt less. Avoid giving injections too close to the navel. Also, be careful to avoid giving injections where a waistband might chafe and irritate the injection site.
Thighs. The front or outside of the thigh is a good place for an injection. to find this site, think of dividing the leg between the hip bone and the knee into thirds. The injection is given into the skin (not the muscle) on the middle third on the front or outside of the thigh.
Buttocks. As with the abdomen, injections in the upper, outer area of the buttocks sometimes hurt less. The person receiving the injection should lie face down on a flat surface with toes pointed inward.
Upper arms. The largest part on the back portion of the arm may also serve as an injection site.
Problems at an injection site
Occasionally, a problem may develop at an injection site. Contact your healthcare professional if you notice any of the following:
- A lump that doesn’t go away
- Bruising that doesn’t go away
- Any signs of infection or inflammation such as swelling, pus, persistent redness or pain, or skin that is hot to the touch
You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or to Genentech Drug Safety/Adverse Events at 1-888-835-2555.
Storing and maintaining Nutropin AQ NuSpin
Keep the Nutropin AQ NuSpin in a refrigerator at 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C ) to keep it fresh. Don’t keep the NuSpin out of the refrigerator more than one hour per day. It’s also important to keep it out of direct sunlight.
When you travel, place your NuSpin in a waterproof container inside a cooler with an ice pack. Keep the NuSpin dry, and never allow it to freeze.
If you need to clean the NuSpin, use a damp cloth. Never submerge the NuSpin in water. If you accidentally get the NuSpin wet, dry it off immediately. Never use alcohol when cleaning the NuSpin. Call your healthcare professional or distributor for a replacement if the NuSpin malfunctions.
Other ways to take Nutropin:
- Nutropin AQ® NuSpin™ Liquid GH from a prefilled, automatic device
- Nutropin AQ Pen®Liquid GH from a cartridge, delivered by a device (available in both 10 mg and 20 mg sizes)
- Nutropin AQ® with vial and syringe Liquid GH for use with a syringe
- Nutropin vial and syringe GH in dry powdered form, to be mixed with a special fluid for use with a syringe
WHO IS NUTROPIN FOR?
Nutropin® [somatropin (rDNA origin) for injection] and Nutropin AQ® [somatropin (rDNA origin) injection] are human growth hormone, available by prescription only.
Doctors prescribe Nutropin for children and teenagers with growth failure who:
- Do not make enough growth hormone on their own
- Have chronic renal insufficiency—a slow loss of kidney function—and have not had a transplant
- Have Turner syndrome
- Are not likely to grow to their potential adult height, as determined by a doctor, and whose bones are still able to grow
Doctors prescribe Nutropin for adults who:
- Have growth hormone deficiency that started either in childhood or as an adult due to brain surgery, radiation therapy, trauma, or diseases of the pituitary gland or the hypothalamus
Your doctor will test to see if growth hormone is right for you.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Nutropin and your safety:
Please read this important safety information carefully. Then, if you have any questions, talk with your doctor.
Nutropin is NOT for:
- Children and teenagers whose bones have finished growing
- Patients who have certain types of eye disease caused by diabetes
- Patients who have active cancer or any brain tumors
- Patients who are critically ill after open heart surgery or abdominal (stomach) surgery, are severely hurt, or have severe breathing problems
- Children and teenagers who have Prader-Willi syndrome and are very overweight or have trouble breathing
- Patients with a known sensitivity to benzyl alcohol when using Nutropin reconstituted with Bacteriostatic Water for Injection, USP (benzyl alcohol preserved). For use in newborns, see WARNINGS in full Prescribing Information
If any of these apply, talk to your doctor before you start taking Nutropin.
If you are about to start taking Nutropin, or are already taking it, be sure to tell the doctor who prescribed it:
- About ALL of the medications you are taking, including supplements
- If you have or develop a brain tumor
- If you are given any new medication, especially glucocorticoid steroids like hydrocortisone or prednisone
- If you are pregnant or if you become pregnant
- About ANY other condition or illness you have or develop
What are the possible side effects of Nutropin?
You may experience discomfort, soreness, or redness where Nutropin is injected.
Contact your doctor immediately if you experience:
- Ongoing injection site discomfort
- Curvature of the spine (scoliosis)
- Joint pain
- Puffy hands and/or feet (caused by fluid retention)
- Changes in vision, a bad headache, or nausea with or without vomiting
- Hip or knee pain
- A need to limp when you walk
- Pain in wrist (carpal tunnel)
- Allergic reaction
Be sure to inject Nutropin at a different recommended place on your body each time. Your doctor or nurse should supervise the first injection and provide training and instruction.
Your doctor is your primary source of information about your treatment.
Please see the full Prescribing Information for Nutropin and Nutropin AQ, available from your pharmacy and at www.nutropin.com, for more about Nutropin and safety.
Questions? Call the Nurse Hotline at 1-866-NUTROPIN (1-866-688-7674).
The content available from this website is for informational purposes only. Individual results may vary. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or to Genentech Drug Safety/Adverse Events at 1-888-835-2555.
Nutropin and Nutropin AQ are registered trademarks; and NuSpin, growingopportunity, and Nutropin GPS are trademarks of Genentech Inc.
