Access to refrigeration when travelling with insulin

[Swillbos]

I am very new to insulin and just trying to work out the practicalities of getting on with the rest of my life.

I am going to be travelling with intermittent access to refrigerator for a couple of months. I have bought some Frio cases and am confident about avoiding extremes of temperature. My question relates to supplies of unopened insulin. I plan to use the Frio for both the in-use and not-in-use supplies of insulin when travelling around, my question is should I refrigerate the unopened supplies whenever I get a chance, or is intermittent refrigeration in any way harmful compared to maintaining a more consistent temperature in the Frio? Or doesn't it make that much difference over the course of a couple of months?

Hope this makes sense, thanks!

 

[JMK1954]

Personally, when I have taken spare insulin on holiday in a Frio pouch and I come back, I have always put it back in the fridge. Mind you, my furthest trips were only to various European countries. I have seen advice that said destroying the unused insulin is best, as it may have been affected by heat, but I saw that after I had been replacing the unused insulin in my fridge for years. I would put the insulin back in a fridge whenever you can.

 

[Swillbos]

Many thanks @JMK1954 and @helensaramay for both your replies. Given that the manufacturers say insulin can be kept safely unrefrigerated for 28 days, (and I assume this will be a conservative estimate), it makes sense it should be able to withstand bit of shuffling backwards and forwards between Frio and fridge. My travel plans don't involve really hot countries, just a lot of moving around.

The first test will be cycling round Burgundian vineyards next week then we're away in Sept/Oct travelling round France and Spain without using air travel, so a lot of long bus and train journeys, hotel and apartment hopping. In Jan/Feb we have long-cherished plans to walk the Camino de Santiago, with further challenges of long-distance walking. I will definitely be brushing up my pharmacy lingo for those two trips! I retired a couple of months ago, and my plans did not factor in this sudden new insulin dependency. Your replies have given me confidence to just go for it, thank you!

 

[JMK1954]

Glad to help. Over time we all get more confident about dealing with slightly more unusual situations. You will too.

 

[Swillbos]

Already starting to understand more and gain confidence to get on with life. Bless and thank you x