So I am very careful with my insulin. Keepin in the fridge,in a special container–thermometer close., keep a gel or ice pack in thecarry all I use for my Dstuff…keep a thremometer in there to make sure it is not too hot/cold…and today and second time in a rather short period I have bad insulin…not the site, not the pump, or reservoir—
Now it was close to the end of the bottle—bottle has one fill left in it, but how aggrivating. In an importatnt meeting this morning and my BG is just going upmand up and…244…grrrr…
So I come home after meeting, 1 unit fresh insulin from a pen, and walla—BG going down–but feeling trashed from the run up and back down…
Anyone lese been having problems with Novalog recently?
Should I call them–pretty sure last one was from the same lot–thankfully the last bottle I have from that lot…
This is SO frustrating! As if there weren’t enough variables in our lives… wondering if our life enabling liquid is actually working. Hope that you have many vials of effective insulin in the near future!!!
I had a bad vial in April… and it took me a week to figure out that it was the insulin. I was a little slow on that one.
Well, I decided I am still cranky enough (tired and cranky is me after a big high) to have decided to call the Novo folk–they don’thave a 24hr line—they close at 7 eastern…another gripe to have with them in the am!
Either I am extremely lucky or I have never blamed the insulin when I should have. In 18 years, I’ve never had a “bad” vial to my knowledge. I’ve used Apidra since it came on the market, before that Humalog, before than Humulin R and NPH. I keep them in the fridge only until opened and then in a bag by my bed for the rest of the two weeks that I use up that vial.
I never had a problem with Novolog vials (that I know of!), but I’ve had more than my share of problems with Novolog pens!! Could it be because I kept the needle on and reused it, I don’t know, but the pens were notorious in my experience.
I use Apidra & have noticed that it does seem to lose effectiveness after 28 days. Thought this was just a marketing ploy to get people to toss out good meds & buy more, until I used mine about week past its expiration.
I was told not to refigerate after opening–more confusion.
I’m exactly the same! in the 17 years I’ve used insulin, to my knowledge I’ve never had a bad vial…but it’s also very possible that I have and just thought it was something else. I keep my insulin in the fridge until I open it and then in my room =)
that is incredibly frustrating though and I hope you get everything figured out!
Well, I did get through to them. They were very nice. They get complaints all the time about not having 24hr support and are “thinking about” changing it.
They are replacing both vails (even though I only kept this last one)…they offered I didn’t have to ask…they seemed truly concerened! If it was just a show, was a good one…whole call only took about 10min.
The advice out there about refrigeration must differ from doctor to doctor. I know someone might snap at me about this, and maybe they are right, but my endocrine team told me in 1990 that refrigerating the open bottle of insulin was unnecessary. And all my docs since have echoed the same. I have never refrigerated insulin after it was opened unless I was going to be in the heat - like at the beach or on a camping trip. Insulin is sensitive to heat - very much so - but room temperature is considered safe…in my experience, at least. I’ve only ever used Lilly and Apidra insulins - maybe the advice is different for insulin from other companies?
I am still using the same vial of Apidra 3 months after opening it and still getting excellent results. I did not refrigerate it as instructed. I’m using the Opticlick pen and cartridge and it is covering at hte rate of 1 unit to 20 grams.
I’m thrilled.
I had good experiences with my Novolog pens even reusing needles IF I kept them refrigerated. last summer I had two pens go bad just from walking around in the heat with the pen in my purse.
So far I have not had that problem with Apidra, but I am also not taking it out that frequently as I am eating very low carb and don’t use the insulin when I eat less than 8 grams at once.
I think they should make them put temperature sentitive lables on so if it goes above/below the “dead” temps it is readily apparent (although I do not think that was the problem in this case)
Been looking aroundthis morning to see if there are any affordable one out there I can get myself (you know–where you don’t have to order a million of them)
Gerri,
That’s interesting. I used to think that my Lantus lost effectiveness after 30 days. On the 29th day it was absolutely fine, and on the 31st day it was completely dead. If you looked at my blood sugar records (if I kept any!) you could easily spot “that time of the month”… when my vial of Lantus died. It was VERY consistent.
My endo thought I was nuts. And by all rational thinking, he must have been right. But without fail, on the 30th day, my sugar would run high and I’d have to switch to a new vial.
Now I don’t use Lantus, so it’s kind of a moot point…
Do you think Apidra in the pen form lasts longer? I use syringes. I hate throwing out 3/4 of a vial of Apidra every 28 days. I’m thankful that I never come close to using a whole bottle in a month. I’ve been following Dr. B’s suggestions & staying low carb.
I take Lantus, too. Wondering now from what Jenny wrote about her Apidra lasting 3 months, if it’s the Lantus that’s the problem also. I’ve had really high readings the last few mornings (I have serious dawn phenonmenon & basically eat no carbs for breakfast to get it down) & my Lantus is about to “expire.”
I was told by my doctor to take Lantus in the morning, but I haven’t been following his advice because it’s my morning BG that’s a real issue. So, I’ve split my Lantus dose between morning & evening.
