I buy the John James Big Eye Quilting needles & have had good luck with them. They don't bend nearly as easily as the betweens, but I agree that there may be something else going on besides the needle. As long as your quilt is 100% cotton & you're using hand quilting thread or waxing your thread as you go, I don't really know enough to offer any suggestions.
Good luck, though, quilting is a lot of fun & hand quilting yields truly beautiful results.