frozen insulin

[the_anticarb]

I went to get a new cartridge of insulin out of the fridge this morning and noticed that right next to where the insulin is, a bag of cabbage had partially frozen and there were ice crystals in the bag. I am now thinking the insulin may have frozen and this may explain my erratic blood sugar readings of late!
Is there any way to tell if the insulin has been frozen or should i just assume it has and chuck? i have had some good and bad days control lately but on the bad days just feel like i'm chucking the insulin in to my system and its not really working, perhaps this can explain it but i don't want to jump to conclusions either.

 

[RussG]

I found this view on the net:

http://forecast.diabetes.org/magazine/a ... on-changes

Jan McWilliams, RN, MSN, CDE, BC-ADM, responds: Whenever insulin freezes (below 36°F) it forms crystals and clumps. This affects the molecular structure and thereby the effectiveness of the insulin. You shouldn’t experience immediate physical harm, but with the loss of insulin potency, your blood glucose would likely go up.

Personally, I'd replace it to be safe.Then you can at least rule faulty insulin in or out as a cause of fluctuating sugars.

I keep mine in the door of the fridge to avoid this as my fridge can be a bit temperamental.

 

[ebony321]

Hi,

I would definately chuck it to be on the safe side, and looks like you have an explanation for your erratic readings.

I also keep my insulin in the door of the fridge as it seems a good idea to try avoid this sort of thing.

If you still have erratic readings after you use new insulin i'd start to look for other explanations, could be a coincidence spotting the frozen part and you maybe have a dodgy batch.

Gooood luck

 

[the_anticarb]

Update - I switched to a new batch and my blood sugars have been perfect ever since - I've even had to drop my dose as I was going hypo a lot

CONCLUSION - THE INSULIN WAS FROZEN AND STOPPED WORKING PROPERLY

I was very worried, as I assumed it was my body that was not working properly and not the insulin, ie that I had insulin resistance. Needless to say I am now very relieved that this is no longer the case. It's frightening that I was effectively under dosing for a few weeks thinking I was giving myself the right amount (and getting very erratic results). Fellow diabetics, be aware of this potential problem and learn from my mistake!

AC

 

[LaughingHyena]

I was told not to keep insulin in the door of the fridge as that's the place where temperature changes most. As in it gets warmer when the door is open.

I do try and make sure things don't touch the back of the fridge, that always seems to be where things get frozen for me.

 

[anna29]

Hi. could this be the answer to ALL temperature probs n changes to insulin n victoza n byetta - also even preservative free eye drops stored in the fridge. I store mine in a large sealed tupperware box, this way nothing can effect the cartridges and packaging yet keeping it clean n cool n totally seperate from foods n wetness in the fridge. Anna. x

 

[AndyS]

You can get stick on indicators similar to the Shock stickers you can get for shipping stuff.

Do a search for "Freeze Indicators" in your favorite search engine and you will get a ton of results. They all seem to be based mainly at large scale companies that will purchase them by the 100 at anything from £2 to £4 per sticker.

Or of course you could always get a MAX/MIN thermometer from your local DIY store and stick that in the drawers. Multiple use so much cheaper