insulin

[kimlala]

I have a question, how long does insulin last in fridge, unopened. Pharmacist told me up to two years, that seems awfully long. She did clarify that once open it expires in 28 days. I am on Levemir and Novolog. Thanks

 

[catapillar]

Check what the expiry date on the box says, that'll give you the answer.

 

[TheBigNewt]

Check the expiration date, and add about 2 years in a fridge. Not than anyone would keep it that long. Expiration dates of drugs are kind of a punch line in medicine. I read this article where somebody found 10 containers of different prescription drugs in some abandoned pharmacy somewhere, from 45 years ago. Some of them were amphetamines that they used to use for weight loss. They had the drugs tested and 8/10 of them where completely intact chemically. They said they would have been good to take now. Hospitals throw away millions/billions worth of drugs every year. And the US government stores huge amounts of drugs for disaster situations somewhere. And they will take the expired hospital drugs and just change the expiration dates. and get them for free. Why? Because the FDA makes up expiration dates, they can change anything they want!

 

[noblehead]

I have a question, how long does insulin last in fridge, unopened. Pharmacist told me up to two years, that seems awfully long. She did clarify that once open it expires in 28 days. I am on Levemir and Novolog. Thanks

2 years sounds about right, but agree with @catapillar about checking the expiry date.

I picked up some Novorapid last week and I've just checked the expiry date and it is April 2019.

 

[himtoo]

I always go by the expiry date on the insulin
( but I have always used it before the expiry date )

 

[GrantGam]

Check the expiration date, and add about 2 years in a fridge. Not than anyone would keep it that long. Expiration dates of drugs are kind of a punch line in medicine. I read this article where somebody found 10 containers of different prescription drugs in some abandoned pharmacy somewhere, from 45 years ago. Some of them were amphetamines that they used to use for weight loss. They had the drugs tested and 8/10 of them where completely intact chemically. They said they would have been good to take now. Hospitals throw away millions/billions worth of drugs every year. And the US government stores huge amounts of drugs for disaster situations somewhere. And they will take the expired hospital drugs and just change the expiration dates. and get them for free. Why? Because the FDA makes up expiration dates, they can change anything they want!

I can see where you're coming from @TheBigNewt, but for the benefit of the OP and their survival - I would comply with the expiry dates on the box...

It's a drug we need to stay alive, it's not worth the risk trying to prove that expiry dates are "a punch line in medicine".

 

[Snapsy]

Blimey, this thread has reminded me to check the date on my back-up pens!

Thanks, all!

 

[TheBigNewt]

I can see where you're coming from @TheBigNewt, but for the benefit of the OP and their survival - I would comply with the expiry dates on the box...

It's a drug we need to stay alive, it's not worth the risk trying to prove that expiry dates are "a punch line in medicine".

Yeah I was of course talking about pills not insulin. And nobody's gonna have enough to last 2 years in a fridge right? I get like 6 month's worth of generic Glarine pens at a time. I've never even looked at an expiration date except on my syringes and needles. I finally used up a box of those like 2 years after they expired, the things lasted 4 years total!

 

[noblehead]

And nobody's gonna have enough to last 2 years in a fridge right?

Not entirely, I had to replace some lantus pens that had expired a few months ago, I'm on a pump but need to keep the pens as a back-up in case of a pump failure.

 

[TheBigNewt]

Not entirely, I had to replace some lantus pens that had expired a few months ago, I'm on a pump but need to keep the pens as a back-up in case of a pump failure.

Yeah, drugs you never use. Like in the hospital I'm in we have a bunch of "crash carts". There's one across the hall, and one in the room I do stress tests in down the hall. Well nobody hardly ever uses that stuff but there's a bunch of IV drug vials in there that expire. So we just throw 'em out somewhere. The other hospital I worked in was like 10 times bigger. I can't imagine how much stuff gets tossed out in this country. Pharmacies might be able to return some stuff for credit to the wholesaler. But our stuff.........SEEYA.

 

[kimlala]

@TheBigNewt, I also read somewhere that was the same with food, at on place they found granola bars perfectly wrapped from 1970, and they were good. Weird, right? Really I am disgusted with what we waste and how much we charge people in the US. Thanks for the info.

 

[kimlala]

@TheBigNewt, I also read somewhere that was the same with food, at on place they found granola bars perfectly wrapped from 1970, and they were good. Weird, right? Really I am disgusted with what we waste and how much we charge people in the US. Thanks for the info.

I can see where you're coming from @TheBigNewt, but for the benefit of the OP and their survival - I would comply with the expiry dates on the box...

It's a drug we need to stay alive, it's not worth the risk trying to prove that expiry dates are "a punch line in medicine".

@GrantGram, I agree, I was amazed at how many pens I had left when pharmacy called to check why I didn't renew prescription. Thank you.

 

[Kristin251]

I guess I wouldn't mess with insulin. Seems far more important to be fresh tha a granola bar!

I always have extra insulin on hand but would prefer to toss it than risk it. Just my opinion. A granola bar? Who cares? Sugar doesn't rot

 

[kimlala]

I guess I wouldn't mess with insulin. Seems far more important to be fresh tha a granola bar!

I always have extra insulin on hand but would prefer to toss it than risk it. Just my opinion. A granola bar? Who cares? Sugar doesn't rot

@Kristin251, it was about waste in the US, not meant to be about the sugar. Kinda like friendly banter.

 

[Kristin251]

@Kristin251, it was about waste in the US, not meant to be about the sugar. Kinda like friendly banter.

Oops. Sorry. I didn't read it carefully. I thought it was about expired insulin and to use it it not. . Of course not the granola bar

 

[Snapsy]

Sugar doesn't rot

I used to volunteer at our local Foodbank distribution centre. Periodically we would double-check expiry dates of items within the food allocations stored at the centre (as opposed to at the warehouse, where expiry dates would be checked and noted in the first instance - it's a well-oiled machine).

But we never had to check the sugar! I hadn't realised before then that sugar doesn't have an expiry date....

 

[TheBigNewt]

A bit off topic, but I once stayed in a foreign hotel and an employee knocked, came in, and started looking in the mini bar. I asked why, he said checking expiration dates on cans and bottles (like beers). He removed a couple. I said I'd drink them and discard the "expired" containers. He said OK.

 

[kimlala]

Oops. Sorry. I didn't read it carefully. I thought it was about expired insulin and to use it it not. . Of course not the granola bar

@Kris251, No worries. I would never endorse sugar or granola bars. Sadly, I went to an ADA group about a month ago, and that was what they were passing around along with sugary protein bars(this being the director of the group, who works for the ADA). The sweet elderly seniors were convinced this was healthy, because it stated natural. I am off topic again. lol

 

[kimlala]

I used to volunteer at our local Foodbank distribution centre. Periodically we would double-check expiry dates of items within the food allocations stored at the centre (as opposed to at the warehouse, where expiry dates would be checked and noted in the first instance - it's a well-oiled machine).

But we never had to check the sugar! I hadn't realised before then that sugar doesn't have an expiry date....

@Snapsy, That and McDonalds burgers never go bad. Seriously, you leave one of those things out for over a month, and the ants won't touch it, yet it remains perfectly intact! Fake food, scary.

 

[Snapsy]

That chills me to the bone, @kimlala !

I read relatively recently - it might even have been on here - that if you put a chunk of butter outside, and a chunk of margarine, the butter would very quickly be eaten by animals whereas the marge would stay untouched, due to not being actual food....!

Perhaps an urban myth, but doesn't sound that unlikely!