# back-up supplies?



## heasandford (May 29, 2015)

How do other pump users get on with emergency supplies of basal insulin? 

I store the old Lantus at the back of the fridge. I usually take the pen and a cartridge away with me if I'm going on holiday, but looking now the last box in the fridge is out of date and I suppose I'll have to throw it away. How much do I order to have as emergency? How long is the usual datelife? My pump insulin seems to be about 18 months. If I go away from home I throw away the Lantus cartridge once I'm back as it will have been out of the fridge

All this seems horribly wasteful - anyone got any thoughts or suggestions please?


----------



## everydayupsanddowns (May 29, 2015)

You could ask your clinic what they recommend I suppose. They might have some good tips/ideas.

Not as a recommendation, but this is what I decided to do:
My emergency supplies are all syringe-based (I find those easier to carry than faffing about with pens).

So for long periods away/holiday etc I would take Lantus (vial) and keep cool during transport then keep in fridge while away. I wouldn't risk too far at the back of our fridge for fear of freezing. I prefer to keep in the door. I would be happy to assume insulin is perfectly viable until use-by date, but after that I ditch it and order a new vial. I've only needed 2 since starting on pump.

Similarly when away from base for whole day etc I'd take a spare set and vial of rapid-insulin along with a syringe in case of pump failure.

If pump failed on a day out I would micro-bolus every hour or two to cover basal until I got back. Reusing the syringe as many times as necessary


----------



## trophywench (May 29, 2015)

I've been giving thought to this quite a lot recently, heasandford.

I always used Levemir (and Novorapid) pen cartridges in re-usable Novopens of whatever vintage was in use when I had them.  So, when they expired last summer I got a one-off scrip for some more.  When they expire in November I'll do the same - although if we aren't going abroad for a while at tht time I won't bother till I do - like Mike I can micro-mage for 24 -36 hours using Novorapid, NP.

EXCCEPT !!!!  being as I will no longer be using vials of Novo, but the teeny Insight Pumpcarts instead - I suppose when I get it I'll have to order some Novo pen cartridges too.  Or, can you fill a syringe successfully from a pen cartridge?  It was a hell of a job trying to fill the Combo pump reservoir from one I recall as I hadn't the strength to get a lot into it but I expect just enough for a bolus or 10 wouldn't be such a fight - anyone know ?


----------



## Pumper_Sue (May 29, 2015)

I have a my old pump to fall back on so would use that


----------



## heasandford (May 29, 2015)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> Similarly when away from base for whole day etc I'd take a spare set and vial of rapid-insulin along with a syringe in case of pump failure.


so you just put the vial back in the fridge every night? I have been treating my pen like I always did, but of course I'm not using the insulin! It might be as simple as that!


----------



## heasandford (May 29, 2015)

trophywench said:


> Or, can you fill a syringe successfully from a pen cartridge?  It was a hell of a job trying to fill the Combo pump reservoir from one I recall as I hadn't the strength to get a lot into it but I expect just enough for a bolus or 10 wouldn't be such a fight - anyone know ?



I filled a syringe from my pen cartridge when my pen failed, no problem. It's only Lantus insulin I was thinking about, presumably I could syringe fast acting (Apidra in my case) from the pump insulin


----------



## heasandford (May 29, 2015)

Pumper_Sue said:


> I have a my old pump to fall back on so would use that



Do you carry a spare pump everywhere?


----------



## Pumper_Sue (May 29, 2015)

heasandford said:


> Do you carry a spare pump everywhere?



nope just a syringe so if pump stops I can draw insulin from the pump cartridge.
I don't have holidays or go away anywhere to stay so no need to carry extra gear with me.


----------



## Maryanne29 (May 29, 2015)

I have back up pen cartridges of Levimir and Novorapid which I keep in the fridge. If I'm away from home all day not locally I take the pens with me. As I work 10 minutes from home, I could go home if I had pump problems at work. When going on holiday I take spares of everything and put all insulin in the fridge on arrival.

When I had the Combo I found it better to fill the cartridge from the pen cartridges as it was exactly the right amount and I got less bubbles. The pump rep recommended this and it worked well for me. But life is wonderfully simply now with the Insight!

I have realised how heavy the pens are when I'm carrying them around all day. I guess this is because I carry one for Levimir and one for Novorapud but before never carried the Levimir one. I've never had to use them but if I didn't have them Sod's law would show up and I would need them.


----------



## everydayupsanddowns (May 29, 2015)

heasandford said:


> so you just put the vial back in the fridge every night? I have been treating my pen like I always did, but of course I'm not using the insulin! It might be as simple as that!



I leave the Lantus vial in the fridge permanently (apart from short periods of transit). My NovoRapid 'in use' vial is used within 28 days so can happily stay at room temp, all my spare NR vials stay in the fridge until I need them 

But yes, I would happily put something back in the fridge to maintain shelf life if it was only for occasional use. Just need to keep tabs to make sure it hasn't been out of the fridge for very extended periods, or got too warm I guess?


----------



## trophywench (May 29, 2015)

I tried to fill a syringe once from a Combo cartridge - didn't need to do it, just thought I'd see how easy it was.

It's actually impossible with the standard length needle on the standard 0.5ml syringes supplied by my pharmacy - and they are 12.7mm long!!! I was as they say - gobsmacked.


----------



## heasandford (May 30, 2015)

trophywench said:


> I tried to fill a syringe once from a Combo cartridge - didn't need to do it, just thought I'd see how easy it was.
> 
> It's actually impossible with the standard length needle on the standard 0.5ml syringes supplied by my pharmacy - and they are 12.7mm long!!! I was as they say - gobsmacked.



Well at least I have learnt that then! 

Looks like I shall keep carting the pens round with me - but remember to fridge them every night to extend their lives

and it would definitely be sod's law if I forgot them.

Thanks as usual!


----------



## ingrid (May 30, 2015)

I do exactly the same as Mike. 

I hate the waste of throwing away a vial of lente when it goes out of date, though in 3 years of pumping I've only done this once so far at least. When I last handed in my script for lente, I asked them to obtain the longest date poss, explaining why, and obliging friendly folk that they are (been going to the same pharmacy 25+ years which helps), they did, and do that anyway for any of my insulin. They know me well! 

I always have my 'in use' vial of Humalog + syringe/s in my day bag (+ infusion sets) which comes everywhere with me, even a local pop to the shops, so I never have to give it any thought. It's only when away overnight (like now!) I stick in the extra vial of lente. And yes - always store in the door of the fridge, never near the back as I've had far too many food items with a frozen edge to them from touching the back of a fridge.


----------



## trophywench (May 30, 2015)

Hey Ingrid - are you really still on Lente?  LOL


----------



## Pumper_Sue (May 30, 2015)

trophywench said:


> Hey Ingrid - are you really still on Lente?  LOL



What's wrong with that?


----------



## ingrid (May 31, 2015)

trophywench said:


> Hey Ingrid - are you really still on Lente?  LOL



Beef lente, couldn't tolerate long acting analogs :/ thank goodness it's still made but I suspect its days are numbered and hopefully I'll never need to use it again.


----------

