Old insulin better than no insulin?

[jjames]

I ran out of insulin a few weeks back while I was out of town, and couldn't get a refill on my insulin (without paying full price) because I had already refilled the week before. Anyway, I've decided to give a friend an extra bottle of insulin where I travel to on a regular basis in case I forget / run out of insulin unexpectedly, but started to think: if it's several months down the road - would the insulin still be any good? (We're dealing with an opened refrigerated bottle of Humalog.)

Ideas? Opinions? Fact sheets?

[Stealthman80]

let me think here, I THINK 3 months after its been opened refigerated, I know it's 1 month out of the fridge

[Peggy]

We get our insulin thru the mail, three month supply at a time, so it must be safe in the fridge for at least three months. But it would be better if it was unopened, I would think

[ant hill]

but started to think: if it's several months down the road - would the insulin still be any good? (We're dealing with an opened refrigerated bottle of Humalog.)

Ideas? Opinions? Fact sheets?

As long it's been in the fridge it should be ok I would think. ;) For me I have disposable syringes to get the last drop as I hate waste. :eek:

Which reminds me to go to the pharmacy and get some novorapid. :confused:

[jjames]

Does anyone know if the potency just diminishes, or if it goes bad completely after 3 months or so?

[SharpTail]

I am sure if the vial has not been opened it will be good for a very long time. I would also think that a partially used vial if refrigerated would have an extended life. One thing you could consider if you can get it is a box of the Humalog pen cartridges. Each vial in a box with 5 I believe is 3 ml in volume rather than 10 ml (Ithink) with a regular vial. That way you are risking a smaller volume of insulin if it happens to go bad.
Pat

[TenderVittleS]

If it has been opened generally it lasts only about 30 days. After that the effectiveness goes way dow for me anyways. I wouldn't count on it IMO.

[cheryl]

When I was on shots my humalog was room temp.....and my bottle lasted me sometimes 2 and half months and trust me I got some lows still on it.....so I know it can keep for a while......I never noticed when I would get a fresh bottle versus the old bottle in blood sugars at all, I was stingy with my humalog when I was on shots, I still am but now it only lasts 6 weeks poo....

Cheryl

[BlueSky]

Before we immigrated to New Zealand in 1997, I accumulated a big stock of Humalog because I knew that it wasn't available here at the time. I kept it in the fridge, and a year later it was still working fine. The only time I have had insulin lose potency is when it had been left out of the fridge.

[jjames]

Before we immigrated to New Zealand in 1997, I accumulated a big stock of Humalog because I knew that it wasn't available here at the time. I kept it in the fridge, and a year later it was still working fine. The only time I have had insulin lose potency is when it had been left out of the fridge.

Now that kinda answers my question. I think that even if it had less potency, and it were for a few days - it would surely be better than going without any. All agree?

[silverfrost]

Now that kinda answers my question. I think that even if it had less potency, and it were for a few days - it would surely be better than going without any. All agree?

Definitely.

I've also had Humalog pens in the fridge for over three months now. I don't remove a pen from the fridge until I'll be using that pen all the time, and then it's only out for 3 weeks or so. They all seem to be working fine for me still.

[JJM335]

It depends on which insulin. In my experience Lantus is notoriously flaky, opened cartridges can go off if kept at room temp for a week or two. OTOH Novorapid/Novolog seems to be more or less bomb proof. I used to keep my pen in my jeans pocket all day every day (incubating nicely at body temperature) and never had a problem.

[JediSurfer]

Direct exposure to sunlight or UV rays is the main danger for insulin. Apart from that it will last ages. I have used stuff thats gone past its expirey date without realising for a couple of days and didn't notice any lack of potential.

[desperado]

I had asked my pharmacist this same question about Apidra and Lantus.
He said as long as they are unopened and remain refrigerated the insulin should be good until the date on the box. He said thats how it comes to the pharmacy.
As for opened boxes I have used Apidra and Lantus for 60 days as long as it is refrigerated , it still works for me :)

[JediSkipdogg]

Most insulin has at least a one year shelf date. Insulin comes with "Use By" dates and while I'm not at home, I believe in my last shipment I got a vial or two that don't expire till Jan 2009. Again, it has to be refrigerated during that time to help it last longer and once it's "opened" then it goes bad alot laster.

[dazzy34]

I got some Novomix 30 from my Pharmacy (Dischem Fourways Johannesburg) a couple of months ago, after using two cartridges from the box i was about to put in my third cartridge when i noticed that the very very small sell by date on the outside of the box was 10 months out of date, this box was dispensed to me about 3 weeks prior.
Of course i panicked a bit and phoned up Novo immediatly who told me to stop taking it and get some new insulin.
I then phoned Dischem to complain and they said that they would phone me back, which they did, and they informed me that their entire stock was 10 months out of date and that they would courier new insulin immediately to my house, which they did.

Obviously the first thought to cross my mind would be to sue them, but i was told by my DR that it would take years and years and probably cost me a great deal of money, and anyway, insulin is perfectly safe to take even if its a year out of date.
I was not convinced about this and spent a few days researching it, unfortunatly i never saved the links so i cant point you to the links, but, i found out that insulin has been tested under Lab conditions blah blah and that insulin can be used that is between 20 and 50 years out of date. in fact it loses only about 5% of its strength after 20 years, it was tested because scientists wanted to establish how long insulin would last in the event of a major catastrophe such as asteroids or nuclear war.

I will see if i can find the links and i will post them later.

[dazzy34]

This is the link

Welcome to Insulin Dependent Diabetes Trust (http://www.iddtinternational.org/iddtinternational/us/storing.htm)

just scroll down a bit