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Insulin & Hot Weather

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leather_ferret

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Hi folks,

I'm on Lantus (35 units/day) and Novorapid 30 - 40 units depending on food intake.
For a couple of weeks of hot weather, I was struggling to keep readings down to 8 or 9 however much insulin I threw at it, whereas normally I can average about 6 over the day.

After a bit of thought, I binned the current pens and started fresh ones out of the fridge, and now store the pens I am using in the fridge too.

Instant result - situation normal again.

anyone else been having problems in the hot weather ??

Dave
 
Baking hot weather can do strange things to bg levels.

For me, it usually makes my bg drop so I need slightly less insulin than I do otherwise. My friend though has had big trouble in getting their bg levels to come down and has been extremely high over the past week and has had to now treble their insulin dose. :shock:

I think it might be wise for people to keep their insulin pens in a cool part of the house such as hallway stairs while this heatwave is on or keep in the door area of the fridge and take out about 30mins before needing to use it. :wink:
 
Hi,

I was told that the injection is likely to sting a bit when used straight from the fridge, but I can't say I have noticed any difference at all ...... but then I'm a big tough macho bloke :lol: :lol:
...... or is it a case of 'no sense , no feeling' :lol:

It has definitely done the trick for me so I guess I'll leave it in the fridge for the time being.

Could be worth getting your friend to start new pens and use them from the fridge - might help ??

Be good and be lucky

Dave
 
For the benefit of any new members or those just starting Insulin use the following information should be noted. What you do in practice is entirely up to you.

STORING and USING INSULIN

1. All insulin needs to be stored below 25 deg C.
2. Insulin vials, cartridges or disposable pens should be stored in the fridge prior to being opened/used at temperature between 2 deg C and 8 deg C. (It is advisable to take insulin out of the fridge at least 1 hour before injecting. Cold insulin increases the pain of the injection and slows down the insulin absorption.)
3. Label when first used.
4. Keep syringes, hands and injection areas clean
5. If insulin is exposed to extremes of temperature it is damaged.
6. Freezing insulin destroys it and above 30oC insulin’s activity decreases. Ie in hot cars
7. Check the Expiry Date throw away if expired..
8. Always follow the instructions provided.

Basically as posted here before..........

Storage is when the Insulin is not yet in use, therefore it should be kept at a much lower temperature, usually between 2 - 8 deg C as you would find in a Fridge. this is to prolong it's life.

Once in use........then it should remain at room temperature. The Patient Information leaflet should tell you exactly what the manufacturers recommend. This should be fine for around a month.

People often get confused about this but each manufacturers advice is much the same.

Ken
 
Does anybody have a solution for keeping an insulin pump cool whilst it is being worn. I wear mine in a round the hips money belt under clothing to keep it discreet and not get in the way of clothing. A Frio pack is too bulky to be worn. Ruth
 
I wear mine on my arm and outdoors working all the time. I take care to not work in sunshine all the time if its up to 28degrees, but other than that its not under clothing and no bother at all.

The handset however for the combi pump is a different matter...so I put this in the shade whilst working.. And it can also get too cold.. And I haven't found a solution to the cold yet.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
donnellysdogs said:
I wear mine on my arm and outdoors working all the time. I take care to not work in sunshine all the time if its up to 28degrees, but other than that its not under clothing and no bother at all.

The handset however for the combi pump is a different matter...so I put this in the shade whilst working.. And it can also get too cold.. And I haven't found a solution to the cold yet.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
Click to expand...

Little Hotties hand warmers are great to put in pockets to keep bg meters ok in the cold or even one of those warmers that people use when fishing that fill up with lighter fuel

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Meter is currently too big n clumsy hust to pop in pockets during winter.. So as norm, just leave in car. Great during summer cos can find shady places, but in winter.. No hand hottie keeps meter up to temperature unfortunately in the cold. Have tried, but failed everytime. Nothing keeps meter at stable temperature in the cold for 6 hours. Now on 3rd year of trying...


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Although Little Hotties are meant to keep hands warm, the pouches can be shaken to activate the contents and placed inside a box or inside a small bag. They work well and stopped my Combo bg meter from getting cold.
 
Its just yhe length of tome I think that causes the probs.. Sometimes with travel and talking it can be in car for 9 hours...

I tried hotties with it wrapped up in a lambswool scarf. Hope the new remote is less temperamental with the cold....iphones frazzle in the heat but never had probs in cold.. Hopefully new remote will be more like the iphone for sensitivity to cold!!


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
iHs said:
Little Hotties hand warmers are great to put in pockets to keep bg meters ok in the cold or even one of those warmers that people use when fishing that fill up with lighter fuel

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
Click to expand...

The best solution I've found for dealing with really extreme cold is the Spibelt with 2 pockets. Insulin pump goes in one and the meter goes in the other - strapped around my waist under whatever I'm wearing, my body heat stops them from getting too cold. The pockets are really stretchy, too, so I can fit an extra insulin vial in if needed as well. Maybe that could work for your pump and remote?
 
My main concern is that I am shortly moving to southern France where the temperatures are 30C + for 6 months of the year, and when I have been visiting, my blood test results have been really high (25ish), so I think the insulin has been damaged in the heat. I really need a solution to be able to cope. Surely there are people in hot countries who also where pumps ....?
 
I don't recall having issues with my insulin in hot climates (up to 40 degrees C). Like others, I use a Frio to keep the vials cold (and I'm pretty careful about making sure they stay cold) but once the insulin is in the pump I don't worry unduly about it.

Body temperature is normally around 37 degrees C, and a lot of insulin pump wearers have the pump directly next to their body, so my guess would that the the insulin in the pump could get fairly warm in the normal scheme of things?

It sounds like different people have different experiences, but so far making sure the vials never get hot has worked for me.
 
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