humalog/lantus integrity

[mcdafydd]

Hi everyone! I have some questions regarding humalog and lantus. I am a Type I who was on Regular and NPH for over 12 years before finally switching over to a newer regime a year and a half ago which fit my traveling wanderlust lifestyle much better. As such, there are times when I am moving enough that finding a steady cooling solution for my insulin stocks is difficult to impossible. I have been wondering then, is it better to store the insulin in a cool location as often as possible removing it when leaving, or would the frequent drastic temperature changes have an adverse affect on the integrity of either insulin? I feel that it is better in this case to keep it in a more steady climate, presuming it is not overly hot. I have not had any noticeable problems doing this with Regular/NPH or Humalog/Lantus over a period of 6 and 3 months, but some recent issues I am having with my blood sugar cause me to wonder if my current insulin has finally tipped the bucket. Like I said, I'm fairly new to these insulins and in a somewhat unique position for a diabetic on the road, so I still have a lot to learn about them.

Next, is there any other way with humalog/lantus other then by observation of your normal BG response to determine that either of these insulins have gone "bad"? I noticed that humalog, in general, tends to smell more like a band-aid then regular did, although I had often associated a strong odour from regular to mean a faulty bottle. Any other tips out there that are useful in this regard?

Thanks all for your support of diabetics around the world.

David

[rzrbks]

As one who stretches their Lantus to the bitter end, I say keep that vial in some sort of cooler as much as possible.

When I have to travel, I carry a small cooler with cooling packs I keep in the freezer.

Also, I have been commended by several pharmacists/chemists for having that cooler with me when I pick up my Lantus. That way, it is never allowed to get warm.

By doing these things, I get 5-7 weeks out of each vial.

As for telling when the Lantus is going "Bad", monitoring your morning B/Gs will tell you. If you're running higher than normal + it's been more than 4 weeks, it's time to crack open then new vial.

Actually, I wait for three days in a row of higher than normal numbers. (My target # is below 95/5.2, so if I've had three mornings in a row of above 95/5.2, then I Do indeed break out the new vial.)

[koblenz]

Just a quick note on the "band-aid" smell issue.... I don't know that I would rely on that too much.

I had a bottle of Lantus that was only 6 days opened. Was working great. Then I dropped it on the kitchen floor.... KAPOWIE! Broken.

My kitchen smelled like band-aids for about a week after that, even after giving the floor a good cleaning.

So from my experience, it always smells like that!

[mcdafydd]

Thanks for the great, practical information everyone!