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Fridge blues

LucySW

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,959
Location
Denmark
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Has anyone had success with storing their insulin in a cooler rather than a fridge?

Our family fridge is over-full and sometimes freezes. So I looked for a mini-fridge to keep my insulin in separately, and found only full-size fridges or coolers. I tried a cooler, which claims that the thermostat cuts in at 5 degrees C, but it didn’t work. The thermostat wasn’t precise enough and went too low (2 degrees C, sometimes 1 degree C). As it hadn’t frozen I wondered whether this would be okay, but it seems that it isn’t, as the Novorapid I started yesterday just didn’t work properly. So it’s spoiled and I’ve binned it.

Novorapid say insulin in the fridge should be kept between 2 and 8 degrees C, see below.

What do people do? Does anyone else have an extra fridge? I think coolers just aren’t precise enough. We can’t try a different fridge (ours is quite new), because only one firm makes it for the specific weird space it sits in.

Novorapid says:

“This table with permitted temperature and exposure times applies to single exposures only and repeated exposures to higher temperatures will gradually reduce the efficacy of the insulin. It shows permitted temperature and exposure times that will not reduce the efficacy of the insulin, PROVIDED it is then returned to the refrigerator."

Permitted Exposure Times For Various Temperature Ranges

  • Insulin preparations should not be exposed to temperatures between:
  • -20 to –10 degrees C for more than 15 minutes
  • -10 to –5 degrees C for more than 30 minutes
  • -5 to +2 degrees C for more than 2 hours
  • 8 to 15 degrees C for more than 96 hours
  • 15 to 30 degrees C for more than 48 hours
  • 30 to 40 degrees C for more than 6 hours
  • Insulin should never be stored above 40 degrees C.
  • It is important that insulin is never frozen, or exposed to a combination of high temperatures and excessive vibration.
Above table provided by Novo Nordisk.

http://iddt.org/about/living-with-d...insulin-and-injection-devices/storing-insulin
 
Always in the fridge. The family understands it has to be there and not to push it to the back where it would freeze. It has to be in the fridge so food is no 2 on the importance list. I have a fridge thermometer that sits on or next to the insulin. Don't take chances.
 
I hope you understand that that table for permitted exposure time is (completely) bogus!?

Please give it a thought: The insulin you buy today from e.g. Novo has a remaining shelf life of up to 2.5 years!
So where do they or the pharmacy then store this, to be still good when you come and pick it up?
One thing is though of importance in this respect. The insulin should not freeze.
For your specific question regarding insulin storage at home, then I understand your 'normal shared fridge' is occupied and too busy with other stuff for rest of family. A good alternative is actually getting one of those small mini-fridges used e.g. in hotel rooms:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Homesun-Fridge-36Litres-Silent-Editon/dp/B004ISUSCA
They do not have much capacity but their size fits into most places, even under your desk in your room. And they will do absolutely fine to store your stockpile of insulin for 1+ year.
 
They store it refrigerated.

Yes, I'm looking at smaller fridges, though here in Denmark, as with many things, they're not really available.
 
You beat me to it @LucySW
Mine always asks if I am going straight home, if not he puts it in an insulated bag. Doesn't even ask the question in summer when it's really hot.

I can't add anything to your fridge problem Lucy except to say,like others, I always keep mine in the butter compartment. ( Not being a low carber , we don't get through much butter so there is plenty of room )

I've used a cooler on 24 hour journeys (connected to the car battery so on and off during the period) That works OK but my insulin sits nicely insulated by any other food we are carrying.
OH once had to replace the connector but somehow managed to get the leads on the switch the wrong way round. I ended up with boiled lettuce, very smelly cheese and insulin that had to be thrown away. Fortunately, as a belt and braces person, half my insulin was in a frio)
 
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phoenix said:
I can't add anything to your fridge problem Lucy except to say,like others, I always keep mine in the butter compartment. ( Not being a low carber , we don't get through much butter so there is plenty of room )
Click to expand...

That's hilarious @phoenix - as you predicted, as a serious low-carber my butter compartment is generally overflowing. OH complains about it - 'Not more butter??'

Family fridge tensions seem to be on the way down .. This lot of insulin still seems to be fine and I check the thermometer(s) every time. The real fridge blues were that when I went to get new supplies to replace the spoiled insulin, I had just reached the end of my prescription year and I had to pay £80 for new rapid-acting and basal. So gobsmacked was I that I didn't get the basal for a week. During which time, of course, all hell broke loose with my blood sugar levels.

Let nobody suppose that Scandinavia is all it's cranked up to be ...

But at least I know now that I really do need my basal. I had doubted it rather, as it's my phase-two insulin response that's shot.

(Poorer) Lucy
 
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LucySW said:
They store it refrigerated.

Yes, I'm looking at smaller fridges, though here in Denmark, as with many things, they're not really available.
Click to expand...
Hey Lucy, I am Danish too!

The company making the small fridge I linked to would be willing to ship to DK. Alternatively, go and talk to some of your local hotels. They typically change them out over a couple of years. I picked up a second-hand 25 litre one for approx. 120DKK a few years back to have cool drinks (and a sugar Coke for emergency) in my own office desk. Alternatively, your local shops selling kitchen hardware can actually order one for you on command, as most known companies like e.g. Bosch, Siemens, Miele etc all make them.
 
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