Hey everyone!
First off I would like to thank everyone who wished me a happy birthday! It wasn't the most memorable birthday for turning 21, but it was still a great day.
OK, my endo has told me that unopened pens/vials of insulin should be kept refrigerated, but as soon as I open one, it no longer needs to be kept cool. So for the last 3-4 months, after I start on a new pen of my Humalog I just keep it in my lunchbox. I was wondering if anyone else doens't keep their current vial/pen cooled and if they have seen any ramifications of doing this. I haven't noticed any expedited loss of strength of the insulin. It seems to be working for me, I am just curious how many people out there are sticklers on making sure that their insulin is always kept chilled. I'm looking forward to the feedback!
Barney
Hi Barney. I do pretty much what your endo advised. I keep unopened pens and vials in the fridge; keep my opened pen in a mug in the kitchen and refrigerate opened vials. When I leave home in warm/hot weather, I carry both in an insulated bag with those blue ice things along with my DanActive yogurt drinks for lows. Some people use frios for their insulin in warm/hot weather.
I keep my pens in a special box in the fridge. If I travel I use an insulated bag. My night time LANTUS I keep in the bedroom bathroom never have had a problem. You are doing great.
Same here, unopened vials in the fridge, opened one out in the kitchen in a little foam protective sleeve I got. It's saved a lot of broken glass ;)
When I was using pens/vials of insulin I was told by my endo that they are good out of the fridge for 30 days. I kept extra stocked in the fridge and the one I was using out of the fridge.
I'm the odd person out because I keep opened vials refigerated or in Frio wallet. They say it's not necessary, but I think keeping something as delicate as insulin at a constant temp helps. I use my vials past 30 days without problem. My Levemir lasts 6-8 weeks without potency loss & Apidra 6 weeks. I was told not to keep insulin in the fridge door because it shakes it up too much.
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I do the same - keep an extra bottle or two in the fridge and the opened one in my basket of pump supplies. When you think about it, the pump doesn't keep insulin cool, so it must not need to be kept cool once opened.
I agree w/ Gerri on this. I keep it in the fridge unless I'm loading my pump, so it's not out for long. I didn't bother refrigerating it on a recent vacation and it seemed to work ok for the most part but I figure if it's even 5% stronger because it's cold, I want that 5%?
I'm with Gerri and AR on this one (being the odd ones out it sounds like), but I, too, keep all my unused insulin in the frig. I'm on a pump though, so slightly different. When I was on shots and then later on pens, I'd keep the stuff I was using out of the frig, but everything else stayed. Now that I'm pumping, I only take the insulin out of the frig long enough to come to room temp, then I put on a new pod and the vial goes back in the frig. W/ less variability in the temps, I see less degredation of the insulin and thus one less variable to try and take into consideration when I'm calculating doses.
I ALWAYS KEEP MY OPENED HUMALOG VIAL IN MY PURSE SO I DON;T FORGET IT WHEN I LEAVE HOME.IF IT HAS VERY LITTLE INSULIN IN IT I ALSO KEEP A NEW VIAL UNOPENED & UNREFRIGERATED SO I AM ALWAYS PREPARED FOR AN EMERGENCY.:)PUMP SUPPLIES & ETC...GO WITH ME WHEREVER I GO :)
Unopened vials should be kept refigerated.
THE OPENED VIAL I KEEP N A COOLER SUMMERTIME WHEN IT IS VERY HOT OR IN A GLOVE OR WARM SOCK WINTERTIME WHEN IT IS VERY COLD WHEN I GO OUT.TO PREVENT IT FROM FREEZING OR BEING IN THE HOT SUN WHEN I STAND & WAIT FOR A BUS( WHERE THERE IS NO PROTECTION FROM THE SUN).
I put my insulin in a Frio wallet when the weather is hot. A sock is a great idea for cold weather. You said that you don't keep unopened vials refigerated.