Basically am running out of insulin, by 6am tomorrow I will have 0 units in my pump, which is after 9 hours.
Am the one to blame, being busy made me forget about checking on my supplies. I will be tomorrow at 8am in front of my pharmacy to pick up insulin. I can manage 2 hours without insulin. But am just curious to know if any of you had the experience of going to the ER asking for insulin?
Just in case if I needed some with no pharmacy in reach!
Well actually I know what you mean exactly. I have none left and 83 units left in my pump. I called in my refill but they closed before I could go get it. I can only get one bottle a month. As it is u500 and cost 300 bucks. I don’t have to pay all of it but still yet my insurance will only cover so much. So I will be at the pharmacy to in the morning. My local pharmacy closed early on me today.
I never have had to go to the ER for insulin. Before u500 I always had plenty but one bottle last one month with u500.
Thx Dave and Cathy for the fast reply. I use the U100 with three bottles a month and usually I will be out before even reaching the time to order, but my pharmacy give it to me even if I was earlier in a 4 days or so! Usually its the 4th of the month!
I used to order my insulin when I open the last vial, but with time it seamed that my usage increased and overcome the last vial thing!
I wonder if I asked my physician for more insulin, will she agrees? Or may be it is all related to the insurance! I know am taking to much insulin compared to my pears!
Definitely ask for an updated Rx if you’re running out with your current “30 day” supply. Being in a pump it’s fairly simple to document your need for more than you’re getting - it’s not like MDI where they pretty much just take your word for it. You want your RX to be for more than you’re using in your pump just due to waste - the amount of insulin “lost” to tubing, priming, etc. Based on my insulin usage I would only “need” 2 vials, but I get 3 due to the amount that is tossed with each site change - I would run out of I only got 2.
Like others I tend to have a stockpile… I feel more secure having 2-3 months of insulin on hand at any given time. I even have insulin I know I will not be using (ahem, Levemir) but I find it hard to throw it out… even though I have an entire box of Lantus pens sitting right next to it for use as my pump backup if needed.
I haven’t used up my 2 “sample” vials of Apidra (actually just opened up the 2nd bottle a few days ago) but I’ve already filled my Rx (last week, actually) just to get a little bit ahead on my supply.
Oh , my Ahmad, …have never been there in my 26 years of living of insulin …in my community of 17 thousand people and quite a few pumpers , I know I would have a place to turn to besides the ER …this is scary and could turn my BG 's into havoc , incl blood pressure .I pray you get this resolved before I hit the pillow .GO to the Emerg NOW …don’t wait…and hope they have the type of insulin you require …maybe any kind is better than zero .
Al are you being a bad diabetic again...LOL is there no 24HR Walgreens in your town? I use 5 vials a month And I am like the rest I stock .. Get 3 months supply at a time... hhmmm 2hrs is a long time..my basal rate is 4.8 per hr 24/7 ..I would be in deep trouble if i went without...
May be I need to add “the good (bad) part” .My BG was 369 mg/dl at the time I wrote this post, but toke a correction and then calculated my pump reservoir.
I did do a temporary rate by decreasing it to 60% for 4 hours. Now I wake up and it is 5:30am CT, BG 210 and have 6 unit left!
OH, one more thing, am not aware of any 24HR pharmacy in my area (Zip code 50010)! The Walgreens in my city, closes at 10pm!
Did you ever ask your doctor for “free samples” ? I am in New Jersey and there are a lot of doctors that wil give you free samples…you just have to ask…plead poverty…I dropped my last bottle and broke it…
Sheila
Like others, I am a stockpiler. Just request an extra vial per month for “Waste” for the pump and over time you will be able to have a emergency stock. The new vials I get have over a year before expiration, so I just keep rotating.
I stockpile also… deff. ask your doc to update your RX. Also just go to your doc office and tell them you ran out and they will most likely give you a sample… good luck!
I have never had to go to the ER, but I have called my CDE and she gave me a full vial when I needed it. This was when I first started the pump. I got the vial I started the pump with, but insurance took a couple of weeks to start accepting vials of humalog instead of the pen. I was out in about three weeks and had another week before my insulin would ship. I called her, and she put a vial in the fridge for me to come and pick up. She told me if I was ever in a bind, to let her know and she could help me out. They are not for resale, so I am assuming they are samples given to her from the reps.
I know if I was stuck - I have a few friends that could probably let me use some of their insulin. I’m like Nel, living in Canada, can’t really say how much it would cost to go to ER for a “top up” - hate hospitals with a passion - so again - ring, ring, - “hello my d friend - can I borrow a cup of insulin?”. I also, don’t stock pile insulin, again, this is Canada. When I am close to empty on my bottle of insulin, I call into the pharmacy, take a walk to it (only 10 min walk), pay my $35CDN for my bottle, I’ve got my legal fix again!
Hang in their Al - you naughty boy - like others are saying - maybe get your doctor to up the amount of insulin you use in your pump so that you can be sure to not fall into this situation again … or immigrate to Canada (tho’ you might not like our winters, depends on the province, B.C. sounds nice … lucky Nel).
Update: I pick up my insulin, did my Hb1c test, ordered extra bottle for next month through my pharmacy, no need to see my physician.
But I still wonder if I went to the ER will they give me a free sample of insulin!?? LOL
I don’t know or close to any diabetes in my area!?
Am a lonely diabety! The close one that I met and am sure she can help if I asked her lives 240 miles away!
Thanks for the update …why not call the ER …Anna’s idea to move to BC , Canada , not a bad one .There is a policy and procedure in place here , where I live : when insulin pumpers have to be hospitalized and are able to keep on pumping( not all are for obvious reasons ) , one brings in one’s own insulin and pump supplies .
PS could not open Anna’s "naughty boy " picture…darn
Dear Ahmad…I hope you are ok! In a real pinch, you can “tap” (w/ a syringe) the contents of the reservoir (and sometimes the infusion line) after removing from the pump:) I had to do this in Africa! Take care and good luck, my friend. I too stockpile extra insulin and once I dropped a vial and shattered it…was at the end of my script…and the doc gave me 4 when I called her:) Just had to run in and pick it up at her office.
Wierd Nel - you couldn’t open the pic - the link works properly for me and naughty boy Al . Maybe it’s a website that is blocked for you to see (it’s a cute picture of a little boy peering up his Mum’s skirt - she has no knickers on - very clean - but cute).
Ok - think I know the prob - me thinkest Tudiabetes Admin has banned it as being a naughty site - somebody probably thought it too offense and reported it. Oops - my horns are showing again.
.There is a policy and procedure in place here , where I live : when insulin pumpers have to be hospitalized and are able to keep on pumping( not all are for obvious reasons ) , one brings in one’s own insulin and pump supplies .