# Insulin Storage Question



## Rainbow (Nov 20, 2010)

Hi fellow pumpers....

After having amazingly perfect control for a good few months a fortnight ago everything annoyingly went to pot. I tried to track where it was going wrong but the evidence showed it was all up the creek at every point throughout the day. I wasn't running "totally out of control high" but a couple of mmol's per test, and correction doses were not reducing my BG at all  I rided the storm scratching my head wondering if some illness or other was going to appear eventually..... but nothing. Hormones seemed in check from what I could tell!  I changed my cannula and site more often than the three day rule but still no better.  I put it down to a seasonal change and braced my self for the dreaded basal testing regime.

Last night I changed set etc and started a new vial of NovoRapid, two hours later (after a small correction) I was back in range  and have been all through the night and today so far. No corrections, TBR needed.

The only thing I can think of was it the insulin??? Am I do something to harm it.  I keep my vial in the fridge between changes and bring it to room temp 30 mins or so before and then return it to the fridge.  Is this what you all do or do you keep the vial youre using out of the fridge, somewhere cool as its last a month or so. Does warming it up and cooling again damage it in some way?

I have had this problem once before when I was quite new to pumping, I blamed myself at the time for not knowing enough to control my BG. But now I'm wondering if it was the insulin that time too.

Just a thought and wondering if I'm doing right by my insulin?

Thank You
Sue x


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## tracey w (Nov 20, 2010)

Sue, I do the same as you. I was told to store insulin in the fridge, but like you say it should last 4 weeks out of the fridge anyhow.


From what you say it does sound indeed like you had a faulty vial. You have done nothing wrong, dont blame yourself. 

Glad you are back on track now, its awful being constantly high, I know


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## shiv (Nov 20, 2010)

I keep the vial I am using out of the fridge (I go through a vial *roughly* every 3 days, so if I get 6ish reservoirs out of a bottle [180u reservoirs], then I'm keeping it out for 18 days at a time, give or take).

I was always told to keep my 'in use' insulin out of the fridge and obviously keep the rest in it. Insulin is good until its end date unopened in the fridge - when opened I have been told it is good for 3 months


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## Ellie Jones (Nov 20, 2010)

Can you look back and see if the problem persisted for the entire vial, or was it different on the cartridge change?

As I wonder if you've got the insulin in the cartridge too warm at some point, sitting too near a heater perhaps, or perhaps you did what I did last year rendring my insulin in the cartridge a bit useless, I went to be with an hot water bottle due to a sore back, and well sort of cooked my insulin sightly

But does sound like a duff vial


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## tracey w (Nov 21, 2010)

shiv said:


> I keep the vial I am using out of the fridge (I go through a vial *roughly* every 3 days, so if I get 6ish reservoirs out of a bottle [180u reservoirs], then I'm keeping it out for 18 days at a time, give or take).
> 
> I was always told to keep my 'in use' insulin out of the fridge and obviously keep the rest in it. Insulin is good until its end date unopened in the fridge - when opened I have been told it is good for 3 months



Shiv, when you say opened is good for three months, do you mean if its in the fridge. I know its only good for 1 month out of the fridge?

Do you think it makes a difference then that i keep my opened in the fridge, this is what i was told


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## Freddie99 (Nov 21, 2010)

I have the vial I am currently using out in my room and the rest are stored in the fridge. They last about ten or so days with me so there's no need to be scared of it going funny really.

Tom


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## shiv (Nov 21, 2010)

tracey w said:


> Shiv, when you say opened is good for three months, do you mean if its in the fridge. I know its only good for 1 month out of the fridge?
> 
> Do you think it makes a difference then that i keep my opened in the fridge, this is what i was told



Yeah, I was always told it keeps for 3 months when opened as long as it is kept refrigerated. I'm talking back to the days of when I used to use Humilin M3, but I've always stuck to the advice and have never had dodgy insulin!


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## Cate (Nov 21, 2010)

My in use insulin vial lives in my handbag, along with a spare set, syringe, and quick-serter thingy "just in case"   I've never had a problem with it like this, and was always told to keep my in use stuff out of the fridge.  Mind you, that advice goes back to 1984 using actrapid or velosulin and insulatard...nobody's said anything different so I'm still doing it!

I'm not sure about warming and cooling repeatedly - I know we're not meant to do it to food because it increases the bacteria etc, but no idea about insulin.  Have we got a HCP on here who might know?  Pharmacy people?


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## tracey w (Nov 21, 2010)

It seems were all told different then. I know i was told on mdi to keep pen out of fridge so really dont see the problem with the vial being kept out so long as we use it within 28 days?

Maybe my dsn just thought it has to be kept in fridge? I think im going to check the leaflet see what that has to say


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## Rainbow (Nov 21, 2010)

I'm going to keep the vial in use out of the fridge from now on and see how I go. I have looked back in my log book and my BG started to rise from about 4 hours after I first used the suspect vial and carried on for the next four set changes until I decided to give it a go and open a new one. 

I'm also wondering what that particular vial had been through before I received it. Had it been transported to the pharmacy quickly had my pharmacist stored it correctly. I'm going to contact them just to make them aware. everything has been good over the weekend, levels text book perfect again and I'm so relieved!

Just shows you can't ever quite sit back and let it tick along. Best to be vigilant at all times!  Thanks everyone for your advice x


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## Northerner (Nov 21, 2010)

Glad to hear you (seem to!) have got to the bottom of it! Another variable to throw into the equation!


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## tracey w (Nov 22, 2010)

Seems we are all right regarding storage whether in or out of the fridge!

this is what it say on my humalog leaflet regarding storage.

Before the first use store your Humalog in a refridgerator (2 -8 C). Do not freeze. Keep your vial in use in a refridgerator (2-8 C) or at room temperature up to 30C and discard after 28 days.


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