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04-07-2007, 01:20 PM
|  | Senior Member
I am a: Type 2 | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: St. Charles, IL
Posts: 549
| | | Why do lancets have expiration dates?
Do they rot or something after 4 years? 
Seriously, anyone know why? I'm just curious.
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04-07-2007, 03:41 PM
|  | Super Moderator
I am a: Type 2 | | Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Do Dah, OZ, aka Kansas
Posts: 4,639
| | | Don't see a use before date on them. So no, not in general. |
04-07-2007, 04:11 PM
|  | Senior Member
I am a: Type 2 | | Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Tennessee
Posts: 543
| | | Just a guess ... but I suspect it has to do with tests carried out on length of period of sterility.
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I was born with nothing and I've still got most of it. |
04-07-2007, 05:24 PM
|  | Senior Member
I am a: Type 2 | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Land of Oz/Kansas
Posts: 711
| | Very good question. I have no idea. I had never noticed an expiration date on them before. I'm sure mine are all expired by now, and I have tons of them, because I forget to change them. 
__________________
Kimmy
Type 2
MiniMed 722-Purple of course 
Started pumping 1/31/07  |
04-07-2007, 05:55 PM
|  | Senior Member
I am a: Type 1 | | Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Southern USA
Posts: 1,500
| | | So you'll throw them out when they expire and buy yet more???
__________________
~Holly~
Incorrectly dx'ed type 2 7/00 
Correctly dx'ed type 1 5/01
MDI
Lantus 2x daily & Humalog
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04-07-2007, 06:14 PM
| | Senior Member
I am a: Type 2 | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Land of Oz/Kansas
Posts: 711
| | Excellent Grace Girl, could very well be. We all know how that kind of thing goes. Buy, Buy, Buy.
__________________
Kimmy
Type 2
MiniMed 722-Purple of course
Started pumping 1/31/07 |
04-07-2007, 06:39 PM
|  | Senior Member
I am a: Type 1 | | Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 8,369
| | I thought expiration dates were just recommended use by dates. ****, now you all tell me what they are for.
/me goes to check all the stuff in his fridge he bought for 50% off cause it was near expired
__________________
●Blue Ash, Ohio Police Dispatcher
●Type 1 diabetic for 25 years (11 months old)
●Animas pumper since December of 2002
~IR 1000 (Dec. 2002-Jan. 2005)
~IR 1200 (Jan. 2005 - ?)
●LifeScan OneTouch UltraSmart Diabetes is an Art, NOT a Science. You must master the control by skills and not by knowledge alone. |
04-07-2007, 06:59 PM
|  | Senior Member | | Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Manassas, in the Old Dominion
Posts: 6,539
| | | Liability; No company is going to waste the amount of time to say "yeah, these things will last you 50 years", because they would have had to literally wait 50 years to be able to say that (during testing). So, they'll make a reasonable accommodation and set an expiry so they can't be sued if something weird should happen after X amount of years.
__________________
I'll mend myself before it gets me... |
04-07-2007, 07:45 PM
|  | Senior Member
I am a: Type 1 | | Join Date: May 2004 Location: NC
Posts: 7,314
| | Quote:
Originally Posted by KritterMom  Very good question. I have no idea. I had never noticed an expiration date on them before. I'm sure mine are all expired by now, and I have tons of them, because I forget to change them. | You mean to tell me that we have to change them???
LOL !!!!!!!!!!!
__________________  Rest In Peace Jack- 5/1/08. You may be gone from us but you will never be forgotten. Our love goes with you.
Pumping ain't easy but it's well worth the effort to me.
I am a person. I WILL NOT allow myself to be defined by a number!!!!
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04-08-2007, 02:56 AM
|  | Junior Member
I am a: Type 1 | | Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 44
| | | The cynic in me says it's a means by which the health insurance companies can get more $$$ from you ... just like they say insulin expires after 30 days of being out and any other random thing they say to incite fear in the average end user. |
04-08-2007, 04:39 AM
| | Senior Member
I am a: Type 1 | | Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 8,369
| | Quote:
Originally Posted by gnstriker The cynic in me says it's a means by which the health insurance companies can get more $$$ from you ... just like they say insulin expires after 30 days of being out and any other random thing they say to incite fear in the average end user. | But most insulin does...
The problem I think has to do with sterility. I questioned one time on why my infusion sets for my pumps have an expiration date. Actually, this was for the insulin cartridges themselves. I questioned because I switched pumps and had about 7 boxes for the old pump. They said that they can only guarantee them being sterile till that date. After that germs and other items may be able to seep through the packaging and into the plastic. They said this would then make them non-sterile.
I assume the same would apply for lancets and shots. Since they do break the skin themselves, one would want them as sterile as possible.
Now, I just ignore it. LOL. if I get sick, I get sick.
__________________
●Blue Ash, Ohio Police Dispatcher
●Type 1 diabetic for 25 years (11 months old)
●Animas pumper since December of 2002
~IR 1000 (Dec. 2002-Jan. 2005)
~IR 1200 (Jan. 2005 - ?)
●LifeScan OneTouch UltraSmart Diabetes is an Art, NOT a Science. You must master the control by skills and not by knowledge alone. |
04-08-2007, 06:16 AM
| | Super Moderator
I am a: Type 2 | | Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Do Dah, OZ, aka Kansas
Posts: 4,639
| | | Show Me
Gone over my box 3 times and still do not see a date. What brand are we talking about? |
04-08-2007, 06:52 AM
|  | Senior Member
I am a: Type 2 | | Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Spotsylvania, VA (USA)
Posts: 1,436
| | | Not having read the other replies, I would have to say NO they do not expire. I have 100's of syringes (for horse shots) and never crossed my mind that they could expire. I would think the lancets would be about the same. I only change my in-use lancet when it gets dull (3-4 days?).
__________________  Visit Me Online @ www.whinny4me.com Diet (carb aware) and Daily Exercise (walking and working horses)
Byetta, Metformin, Lantus and Humalog • • • God Bless the USA • • • |
04-08-2007, 07:58 AM
|  | Senior Member
I am a: Type 1 | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Bucks County, PA, USA
Posts: 1,067
| | | The FDA requires that anything approved by them have an exiration date, so the company just decides on a set period of time beyond which they are sure they will be used by (like two years- hah- little do they know how infrequently we change lancets).
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Unless otherwise stated, the opinions expressed here are my own and are in no way intended to be considered as anything other than my opinion. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it. |
04-08-2007, 09:24 AM
|  | Member
I am a: Type 1 | | Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: SE Michigan
Posts: 196
| | Quote:
Originally Posted by Harold Gone over my box 3 times and still do not see a date. What brand are we talking about? | Hey Herold, I can't find an expiration date on my One Touch strips either.
__________________
Liz from Michigan
dxed 6/64 - pumping with Animas 1250 since 11/09/06 and using Dexcom7 since 2/15/08
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