Insulin and heat. Humalog.

JustDomUK

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Hi

I'm type 1 on a pump using Humalog insulin. When not on the pump I use Lantus as back up.

After a recent nightmare in hospital I wonder if anyone else has ever had issues whether on a pump or not with insulin and heat.

To cut a long story very short, one night while in hospital my pump insulin failed. I believe this was due to my being extremely hot and the pump being in contact with my very warm belly. I had two pens as backup. A Humalog one and a Lantus one. The hospital was very warm but I used the Humalog pen. I found the pen insulin seemed sluggish and not as effective as normal. A bit later on after correcting slightly high bloods it stopped working. The hospital then had to administer Actrapid.

The insulin in the pen had been out of the fridge ten days and the insulin in the pump, four days.

Two things to bear in mind. My bloods run at normal figures and I'd had surgery, post surgery my bloods were running at no higher than 5 and no lower than 4.5. It was the night before leaving when this happened.

It appears in my experience (this has happened on two separate occasions in the last six months) that Humalog is extremely sensitive to heat. Has anyone else found this?

Are there any better more heat resistant insulins? What do people use in warmer countries such as Spain etc?

Dom
 

phoenix

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Have a look at this: http://www.diabetesnet.com/about-diabetes/insulin/rapid-insulins/humalog-and-heat
I live in SW France, we can have some hot periods in summer. I used novorapid on MDI and now use Apidra in my pump with no problems (and my reservoir takes 5-6 days to be used up; theoretically Apidra is not licensed for that length of time in a pump.
Oh and report it to the MHRA. It's only if we do this that legislators can get info about any problems.
http://www.mhra.gov.uk/Patientsandpublic/Reportingsafetyproblems/index.htm
 
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smidge

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I've had nearly a week of random highs. Levels that I never see normally. I've now thrown away half a cartridge each of Levemir and Apidra and used new ones from fresh batches. My BG now seems to be returning to normal. I still have a couple of new cartridges from the other batches and am very tempted to chuck them. Maybe all insulin is temperamental?

Smidge
 

phoenix

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Smidge,
Your problem could be to do with a problem in the cold chain from distributor to pharmacy, how it's been kept at the pharmacy or even too high a temp in your own fridge.
My pharmacist seems to think temperature is important. If it's a hotter day, he always checks that I'm going straight home and in summer puts it in an insulated bag
I sometimes wonder what would happen, if I had an emergency and had to use my back up pens. Would they work as they should? They spend time in a Frio when I go out on day trips or walking holidays or travel from France to the UK. By the time they've expired they've been in and out of the frio and into other peoples fridges many, many times.
 
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JustDomUK

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Have a look at this: http://www.diabetesnet.com/about-diabetes/insulin/rapid-insulins/humalog-and-heat
I live in SW France, we can have some hot periods in summer. I used novorapid on MDI and now use Apidra in my pump with no problems (and my reservoir takes 5-6 days to be used up; theoretically Apidra is not licensed for that length of time in a pump.
Oh and report it to the MHRA. It's only if we do this that legislators can get info about any problems.
http://www.mhra.gov.uk/Patientsandpublic/Reportingsafetyproblems/index.htm


Thanks for the links. That was a very interesting piece on Humalog and I will be looking to change from it ASAP.
Dom
 

noblehead

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I would imagine all insulins are sensitive to heat and will spoil at a faster rate, the Frio wallets that Phoenix mentions earlier are great for keeping insulin pens cool.
 

JustDomUK

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Interesting that a mix with velosulin in a pump makes it better more heat resilient or less sensitive.

I'm seriously considering this. I had velosulin when I was younger.

As an aside how often do people change their insulins in their lifetime? I've had Actrapid, velosulin, Novorapid and now Humalog. Roughly about ten years of each.
 

noblehead

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As an aside how often do people change their insulins in their lifetime? I've had Actrapid, velosulin, Novorapid and now Humalog. Roughly about ten years of each.

Only if there's been a problem with one but generally I only change when newer faster acting insulins become available, been on Novorapid and lantus for a long time now and would only change if better insulins came along.
 

JustDomUK

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Only if there's been a problem with one but generally I only change when newer faster acting insulins become available, been on Novorapid and lantus for a long time now and would only change if better insulins came along.


You've never grown resistant?
 

Diana1982

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:pAll the insulins are sensitive in high temperatures...this is something known..!!
All insulins can be kept out of fridge for about a month but not in very high grades
Anyway i take sometimes my insulin in the beach where the hot is about 40 or more under the sun and i use it-protecting it from the straight contact with sun.....
 

ann34+

Well-Known Member
Messages
393
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Hi

I'm type 1 on a pump using Humalog insulin. When not on the pump I use Lantus as back up.

After a recent nightmare in hospital I wonder if anyone else has ever had issues whether on a pump or not with insulin and heat.

To cut a long story very short, one night while in hospital my pump insulin failed. I believe this was due to my being extremely hot and the pump being in contact with my very warm belly. I had two pens as backup. A Humalog one and a Lantus one. The hospital was very warm but I used the Humalog pen. I found the pen insulin seemed sluggish and not as effective as normal. A bit later on after correcting slightly high bloods it stopped working. The hospital then had to administer Actrapid.

The insulin in the pen had been out of the fridge ten days and the insulin in the pump, four days.

Two things to bear in mind. My bloods run at normal figures and I'd had surgery, post surgery my bloods were running at no higher than 5 and no lower than 4.5. It was the night before leaving when this happened.

It appears in my experience (this has happened on two separate occasions in the last six months) that Humalog is extremely sensitive to heat. Has anyone else found this?

Are there any better more heat resistant insulins? What do people use in warmer countries such as Spain etc?

Dom
For what it is worth, i have found regular pork insulins more heat resistant.
 

JustDomUK

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88
I remember switching to "human" and going through an absolute nightmare. Can't remember why it was so important to switch as I was a child at the time.
 

smidge

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Thanks Phoenix. I think maybe one of the batches mightn't have been stored well at the chemists - I had an issue once before where I went to collect my prescription and the pharmacist apologised that he had to order more Apidra because someone left it out of the fridge, so I guess you can't really know. As I changed both cartridges at the same time I don't know if the problem is with the Apidra or the Levemir so I've decided to throw the remainder of both batches away. Just feel a bit guilty doing that, but I can't take the chance.

Smidge