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Hi Everyone,
I am a Type 1 diabetic on a pump and have a question about insulin storage. If unopened insulin reaches room temperature (Novorapid Aspart) can it be put back into the fridge and stored without it breaking down and losing it's potency for the shelf life of the vial/cartridge?
In other words, does reaching room temperature impact on the potency and shelf life of the then re-refrigerated, unopened insulin?
I've checked online and the insulin package information and there is no clear answer to this question.
The reason I ask is I travel a lot and need to take large amounts of insulin with me. I put into a cool bag or wrap it silver foil, but after a long journey and customs now-a-days forcing all liquids to be x-rayed out of their boxes and cool bags I'm pretty certain the insulin is reaching room temperature while travelling. Further, I've noticed that my pharmacy sometimes delivers my insulin in a paper bag and it is not always cold... I'm last on their delivery route. I get a 3 month supply minimum due to my work lifestyle.
As I've also been struggling to keep my blood sugars below 15... I'm regularly 12-22 for 4-5 hours after eating and I've checked my insulin/carb ratio, site rotation, correct catheter insertion, bleeding at catheter site, stress levels, etc, but even though I'm doing all this right it's like my insulin sometimes stops working and I've often have to double dose to get an affect... which of course puts me at risk of a hypo. In fact, sometimes I have almost no impact on my blood glucose levels despite taking double... I just can't work it out! Other times it works fine at normal dosages.
I was wondering therefore, because this is happening regularly and I'm beginning to guess at a later in the month possible pattern, whether it could be something else? For example, the insulin being effected by reaching room temp when travelling or in transport to my home from the pharmacy. As I keep a pack of 5 penfill vials in my coolbag to use to fill my pump and to fit my injector pen if the pump was ever to break I was thinking that either all or some of the vials, perhaps the last one or two nearing week 3, (I go though 5 in 3 weeks), is losing it's potency because it had begun to break down near the 28 day-ish rule. Or... it already was breaking down because it had reached room temperature when delivered weeks or months before during transit/travel and then the extra time unrefrigerated in my coolbag is making it even less effective?
Any thoughts?
Any answers on the specific insulin storage issue?
Many thanks,
Judd
I am a Type 1 diabetic on a pump and have a question about insulin storage. If unopened insulin reaches room temperature (Novorapid Aspart) can it be put back into the fridge and stored without it breaking down and losing it's potency for the shelf life of the vial/cartridge?
In other words, does reaching room temperature impact on the potency and shelf life of the then re-refrigerated, unopened insulin?
I've checked online and the insulin package information and there is no clear answer to this question.
The reason I ask is I travel a lot and need to take large amounts of insulin with me. I put into a cool bag or wrap it silver foil, but after a long journey and customs now-a-days forcing all liquids to be x-rayed out of their boxes and cool bags I'm pretty certain the insulin is reaching room temperature while travelling. Further, I've noticed that my pharmacy sometimes delivers my insulin in a paper bag and it is not always cold... I'm last on their delivery route. I get a 3 month supply minimum due to my work lifestyle.
As I've also been struggling to keep my blood sugars below 15... I'm regularly 12-22 for 4-5 hours after eating and I've checked my insulin/carb ratio, site rotation, correct catheter insertion, bleeding at catheter site, stress levels, etc, but even though I'm doing all this right it's like my insulin sometimes stops working and I've often have to double dose to get an affect... which of course puts me at risk of a hypo. In fact, sometimes I have almost no impact on my blood glucose levels despite taking double... I just can't work it out! Other times it works fine at normal dosages.
I was wondering therefore, because this is happening regularly and I'm beginning to guess at a later in the month possible pattern, whether it could be something else? For example, the insulin being effected by reaching room temp when travelling or in transport to my home from the pharmacy. As I keep a pack of 5 penfill vials in my coolbag to use to fill my pump and to fit my injector pen if the pump was ever to break I was thinking that either all or some of the vials, perhaps the last one or two nearing week 3, (I go though 5 in 3 weeks), is losing it's potency because it had begun to break down near the 28 day-ish rule. Or... it already was breaking down because it had reached room temperature when delivered weeks or months before during transit/travel and then the extra time unrefrigerated in my coolbag is making it even less effective?
Any thoughts?
Any answers on the specific insulin storage issue?
Many thanks,
Judd
