I finally took a closer look at my new boxes of Dexcom sensors and see that they should be stored at temps between 36-77 degrees. I usually store my diabetes stuff in my bedroom closet, but know that it must get up into the 80’s sometimes when we don’t run the air conditioning.
Should they be kept in the refrigerator in the summer? I do have an adjustable temp drawer that I can set to 43 degrees. On the other hand, I have a small refrigerator and hate to give up room.
What do all of you do?
I store my sensors in the frig all year long. I started doing it just in the summer, but got used to the new location and never changed it. Mine are mini med, but the temp range is the same.
I am still debating getting the dex but I do have lots of insulin I have to store in my refrigerator and it does take up space. This thread makes me think about getting a small refrigerator just for insulin and sensors. The cheapest I saw at amazon.com was $69 but I wonder if a person could not find one cheaper locally or through freecycle or craigslist. Is that an option for you, Lathump?
I would think the refrigerator would be too humid for a sensor. I had been keeping mine (Medronic, not Dexcom, BTW) in the bathroom closet, but then realized one day that it gets really hot in there, because it is surrounded on three sides by unconditioned attic space. So now I leave it in a cabinet close to the floor, where the sun can’t hit it and it’s (hopefully) a bit cooler.
The danger of small refrigerators is that the temperature control is not all that great. I wonder if you would run the risk of freezing your insulin and/or sensors. I know at work the two small refrigerators always free my soda, so I’d hate to store anything medical in them.
At the moment I am storing my Dex sensors in the temp control drawer of my refrigerator. I set it on the Citrus setting which keeps it at 43 degrees. Once summer is over, I’ll just store them in my bedroom closet.
My small refrig does have a freezer, but it has never frozen my insulin. I keep a refrig thermometer in the fridge, and it holds stready at 46*. In the couple or so years that I’ve used the little fridge, it has never strayed from that temp - except when we had the ice storm and no power. I keep the MM sensors in my closet, and with a regular thermometer. If the A/C is off, it can reach 90* in there, but has not affected the sensors.
Trisha