How long does insulin last outside the fridge?

[Applenerd81]

Having recently gone back to MDI (after pump recall) and being on LCHF. My insulin requirements are very low, I am using around 10-15 units of humalog per day.

Previously I was changing cartridges 1-2times a week, now it may be a month between changes, will my insulin be ok for this long or should I change more often?

 

[June_C]

I'm on Humalogmix 25 and it says after 28 days to discard the pen. I've never had any problems during the last few days of its life, but don't risk using it past day 28. Have a look on the manufacturers blurb, it'll probably tell you how long it lasts out of the fridge.

 

[noblehead]

They say 28 days (as June C has said) is fine for insulin to be kept out of a fridge, but as the weather warms up keep your pens in a Frio Pouch.

 

[tim2000s]

Experience from a few people on here relating to Lantus was that it fails after about 21 days. I've also found that between 14 and 28 days is the max I get from novorapid before it loses efficiency.

 

[Applenerd81]

My pen lives in my BG meter wallet, not sure it's as well insulated as a frio... Guess the BGs will tell but I may make a regular change each Sunday (for ease of memory!)

 

[Applenerd81]

I'm on Humalogmix 25 and it says after 28 days to discard the pen. I've never had any problems during the last few days of its life, but don't risk using it past day 28. Have a look on the manufacturers blurb, it'll probably tell you how long it lasts out of the fridge.

I know and hear "28 days" but this sounds like very long time to keep a normally refrigerated hormone "fresh" to me!

 

[urbanracer]

Hi @Applenerd81 , I've recently been looking into this myself and found some very interesting on-line resources.

http://www.iddt.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/looking-after-your-insulin.pdf
I find it interesting to note that in the US, Lilley only give people 10-14 days for insulin usage and I would put this down (at least in part) to the big drugs companies trying to get extra money out of the big medical insurers. Here in the UK we get 28 days for the same drugs and this is presumably down to the NHS trying to get value for money although it appears to fall in line with the manufacturers findings as reported in......................

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/26/9/2665.full
The 28 day rule largely comes from this as far as I can tell -
"Insulin products are sterile until the first dose is withdrawn by syringe or expelled from a cartridge. After first use, the contents of the vial or cartridge are technically no longer sterile, despite the presence of antimicrobial preservative agents, such as metacresol and phenol or methylparaben, in concentrations adequate to kill or retard the growth of small microbial challenges. Sterile products should be used in as short a time as possible to minimize concerns about microbiological contamination once the container has been opened or punctured. The CPMP has proposed a maximum-use period of 28 days for sterile products containing preservatives, including insulin products."

In all cases the insulin product must retain 95% of its potency at the use by date.

DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME CHILDREN: - I have a Humalog kwikpen that I took out of the fridge on 05/02/2015 and I am still using it. I've tried to keep it away from sunlight and other heat sources and it is still going fine as far as I can tell.

Whilst researching this I discovered that Lantus starts to lose its efficacy at a roughly linear rate of 0.1% after 20 days - can't find the link now though - but it seems to support what others on the forum are reporting.

 

[Applenerd81]

Thanks @urbanracer !

 

[uart]

What about if you continue keeping it in the fridge after you start using it. I mean just get it out and let it warm for a few minutes before injecting, then put the cap on and shove it back in the fridge when you're done.

Has anyone here tried this?

 

[urbanracer]

What about if you continue keeping it in the fridge after you start using it. I mean just get it out and let it warm for a few minutes before injecting, then put the cap on and shove it back in the fridge when you're done.

Has anyone here tried this?

Official answer is once it's warmed up the countdown has begun. I don't know how it would respond to repeated cycles of warming and cooling. As @noblehead suggested above, your best bet is probably a Frio pouch if you want to experiment.