Johnny,
You have been keeping it in the frig, right? The Nat’l Library of Medicine uses the expiration date for when things need tossing - if refrigerated. It’s supposed to have been shown to keep its potency til that date as long as stored correctly - in the frig.
It has an expiration date on its box or vial.
If it has been left unrefrigerated, it must be tossed at 28 days, according to the company.
Let’s think of something else.
How do you get a supply of insulin when there are major emergencies? You need your own.
Let’s build up your supply a bit. A month worth of insulin ahead will never hurt you as long as it’s refrigerated & before the expiration date.
Sounds like you’ve got a week’s worth in that thar vial. Use it.
THEN open the new vial. Keep them refrigerated. Look at the expiration date.
Something else: if you find it’s not working like it has been and you’re near the bottom of the vial, toss it.
Assuming you have health insurance, your insurance company pays for new meds every month. Don’t take any risks and toss it a month after you open it. My son is 2 so he uses only about a quarter of both his Lantus and Humalog. We pitch it, no questions asked. Something else we do (he takes injections) if we are going out is to dip cotton balls in alcohol and put them in a sandwich bag. That way, you have alcohol ready to go to clean a finger or prep for an injection no matter where you are. We have some of the alcohol swaps too, but sometimes they aren’t wet when you open the package. Plus, the bottle of alcohol and the cotton balls are cheaper. Hope that helps!
I am on the pump and use a bottle until it is done. Not sure how long that takes, but I take about 30 units a day. The only times I have ever had issues is if it is really really hot out. I have had diabetes for 10 years and have used until the end of the bottle for about 8 year, without problems. I no longer refrigerate after opening.
Once it’s opened, insulin lasts 28-30 days refrigerator or no refrigerator. Refrigerated, unopened it lasts until the expiration date stamped on it. I’ve found Levemir lasts 6-8 weeks before losing potency.
Keep it cool & out of direct sunlight. Insulin shouldn’t get too hot or freeze. With the kind you’re using, the liquid should be clear. Any cloudiness, it’s not good. Bring it back to the pharmacy for another.
Insulin does not last 6 months if it’s opened. If not opened & refrigerated, some are good for a year.
Well considering my son uses one vial of insulin a week with his pump, it is currently not a concern for us. BUT when we were not pumping, we were told 28 days. Even though you probably could keep it longer, we were told, that every time you insert a needle into the vial, you have the risk of introducing germs into it. (I mean do you always wipe it with alcohol… we didn’t) That thought in itself grossed me out, so we only ever kept it for 28 days.
I can depend on my Humalog for one and a half months or til the last quarter inch of the vial. I keep it refrigerated. This has gone on for 10-11 years since starting the stuff.
I was always instructed to pitch Insulin after 30 days. In this day’s economy it seems wasteful. I have at times used it a few days after (28) and my readings stayed in range. At one time when I started using Insulin it was 30 days, sound like greed to me. I have never read the reason why from the Drug Companies or told by a GP or Endo. Use your judgement if you can not find the correct reason why.Pitch it as per package instructions.
