All the manufacturers tell you the insulin is only good for 28 days, but the explanation for this is that they haven’t tested it after that.
Many of us have and have found it lasts much better, and refrigerating it really helps keep it alive.
The companies sell a lot more insulin when they tell you not to refrigerate it.
It’s just like the needle companies making it sound like dreadful things will happen when you reuse a needle. I have reused pen needles for many months with absolutely nothing happening, thanks to people here and elsewhere telling me they did so.
I leave my Humalog and Lantus vials in the refridgerator until I use them, then the lantus stays in the house, the Humalog in my purse. I live in S FL, so my Humalog gets hot for short spells going in and outside. I don’t leave it in the hot car or sunshine and do put it in a cooler for trips to the beach. I dispose of them both after 30 days as my endo told me to.
I refridgerated a Lantus pen when travelling once and it would not work properly after being kept cold…I think it was the condensation that caused a problem. The instructions did say to not cool the pen…
Hi Kristy I use the Humalog pen and Ido not refrigarate them and have had no problems as of yet I do keep my LKantus in the fridge however because that is used twice a day one in am and other in pm I use my pen alot so one pen lasts me 3-4 weeks by the way what is this new insulin about ,
levimere and the other one someone mentioned earlier ? is it better than Lantus?the other is Apidra
I just started on insulin (using a pen). The diabetes educator said to put the unused vials in the fridge and keep the pen (with the vial I’m using) out of the fridge. The insert in the pen box said to keep the pen out of the fridge as well.
I’m going to be using enough insulin that I don’t foresee a problem with insulin that’s over 28 days old. A bad news/good news situation.
I keep my pen with my Novolog at room temp. My Lantus I keep in a small refirg in my room since I take it at night. I useally use my Novo cartridge and my bottle of Lantus up before 28 days so is no biggie. The only time I keep my pen “cold” is when I do a security gig or some kind of outdoor activity in the summer when my bag sits outside. Then I add a coldpac to my Dia-Pak and it keeps everything cool but no so cold to hurt…
I keep all my pens in the refrigerator, but more recently I did see that you can keep open pens at room temperature for up to 28 days or something like that. I still keep them in the frige out of habit. It used to burn when I first started taking Lantus, but it doesn’t anymore, so I don’t bother keeping them out.
I had a little refrigerator at work, but it broke, so for now my Humalog pen I keep at work is room temp. I think it’s fine as long as you are in a controlled climate (not too hot).
We keep unopened, unused pens in the fridge, lantus and novolog. The ones we are using stay in the kitchen drawer(not refrigerated) until gone, (or 28 days). My daughter complained that the cold ones burned or hurt her and now that we are not refrigerating them, there is no more complaining or pain! Yeahh…so you don’t have to refrigerate them if you are using them. Seems like no pain is worth keeping them out of the fridge… When we travel we keep her pens in a thermal bag of sorts for the pen we bought online. Hope this helps.
I used Lantus many years ago before it was available in a pen. I was always told that Lantus was very temperature sensitive and it must be kept refrigerated even after opening. What a PITA that was. After reading all these posts, I am annoyed I listened. What a waste of time and energy trying to keep that stupid vial cold all the time…
Now that I am pumping, a vial a humalog only lasts a month for me anyway so I keep it room temp. I find I have less problems with air bubbles when I fill my reservoirs with room temp insulin.
Lantus WAS very temperature sensitive back when they introduced it and I read many a tale online back then of people’s Lantus going bad early. So maybe they’ve changed something in the manufacturing process.
Levemir is a newer basal insulin made by Novo-Nordisk. It is supposed to not cause weight gain in Type 1s and much less weight gain in Type 2s than Lantus.
It doesn’t last as long as Lantus in small, Type 1 dosages, so you inject it once in the morning and once at night. For Type 2s who inject a lot–over 35 units, it may last 24 hours.
Apidra is a new fast acting insulin from Sanofi-Adventis (the makers of Lantus). It is faster than the other fast acting insulins and pretty much all done, for me, by 2 hours. So far I really like it. But it doesn’t come in a disposable pen in the U.S. yet, though one is in the works. It comes in cartridges you put in clumsy Opticlick pens.
I’m on pens, and I keep my cartridges in the fridge until I use them, my DSN told me that insulin is only good for 30 days unrefrigerated. The boxes that my insulin comes in are all stamped with expiry date. The only worry I have sometimes is when my pharmacist prepares my prescription before I get to pick it up and so the insulin has been sitting out - how long is too long before it can go back in the fridge?!
I believe every Pharmacy keep drugs that have to be refridgerated in their fridge behind the counter. I can see the fridge at my Pharmacy and she always takes my 3 refridgerated meds. out when I am ready for them.
I have wondered too, especially when traveling—how long can it be out before being re-refrigerated—I pump, but when I travel I carry pens forin case of…none of mine appear cloudy so one assumes they are stillok…but it is a shame there is no practical use advise readily available for these questions…least none that I have found
When I arrive at the pharmacy the meds are in a fridge behind the counter, i bring them right home and put them in the fridge to re-refridgerate so to speak. I’m not sure of the “time limit” I just leave it in the pharmacy bag then my fridge, so I guess it is not getting warm for just the ride home (20 min ride). The one we are using stays out of the fridge till its gone (we use it up before the 28 days). So for traveling the opened one you don’t have to worry about the others you should store in some sort of cooler or thermal bag with a sort of freeze pack in it. They sell them especially for traveling with your pens!! If you want a professional opinion ask your pharmacy or call your endo doctor, they are always so helpful for me! I also read thru the fine print paper in my novolg box and it doesn’t say anything about time limits before you re-refridgerate your pen, just says keep the ones you are not using in the fridge. and the one you are out of the light and as cool as possible. : )
from my experience, insulin can sit out for a few days before being put back in the fridge… i’ve never noticed it being too heat-sensitive. in fact, over christmas break, my suitcase was accidentally placed on the floor near a heating vent while we were skiing in colorado. i freaked out when i realized that everything inside had heated up–including my bottles of insulin. they were warm to the touch! amazingly, it worked just fine… and i noticed no changes in my bloodsugars at all.
Here is a chart of recommended times to expiration both refrigerated and unopened. Note most vials are 28 days at room temp while pens are less. My guess is that this is because of possible bodily fluid enzyme back-contamination to the insulin cartridge.
I’ve never had any problems with insulin stored at room temp or body temp for less than a month. Insulin that has gone above 45C or so I get rid of.
If you are really interested and can read biochemistry, Google Books has The Stability of Insulin partially online for reading. Interestingly, the author cites studies that claim insulin retained full biological potency after 5 years at 4C.
I keep my month’s supply in the fridge except for the vial I’m using. If my pump craps out, I have my vial and a spare syringe always. The other vials are nestIed in the butter compartment of the fridge. I’m pretty careful not to leave my kit in my summer sun-heated hot car for any length of time. I also use a Smylin pen (similar to insulin but not) and i also keep my active one with me, and the spares in the butter compartment. I does help to bring them to room temp before using. Otherwise they can sting a bit.
I use pens and vials. Levemir vial, and Humalog pens. The unopened pens I keep in the fridge and I think they last up to three months? I’ve heard somewhere that refrigerated insulin last a year? Not sure. I go through the whole supply in 6 weeks, so it doesn’t really affect me.
The vials only lasts me 28 days (stupid stupid insurance) so, it never makes it to the refrigerator. I keep it in my purse so that it is always with me, no matter where i am. Same goes for the Humalog pen that’s in use. Stays with me in my purse.
Off topic: as does my writing supplies, journals, and a spare reading book. (I have a large purse!)
That way, if the house is burning down, I only have one thing to grab!
