03/17 General question about Lantus shelflife

Hi

Is anyone needing to change their cartridge really often?

Lily has had several days of apparent resistance. I've held off increasing her dose because she went so low on only an eighth of a dose more a week and a bit ago, and have been waiting for her to break although she's having no signs of infection and has no co-morbidities like pancreatitis. This morning (day 9) I decided to try changing her Lantus cartridge even though it's only been open a month (I note on my spreadsheet when I change it) and I keep it in the fridge at all times, and she's come down like a dream at AM+3. She could of course have just broken of her own accord but if she stays responsive to it and I get a few days of nice numbers without any too-lows I think I'll test my theory that it was the insulin that was the problem by giving her a morning dose of the previously opened cartridge.

Thanks

Liz

 

I use my pens to the last drop - I recently started a new one but my previous pen lasted from December to March (of course this depends on dosing...yours may last even longer on small doses). I believe unless you haven't been storing your insulin correctly or if see floaties in it that the insulin should be fine.

Have you seen the insulin handling sticky - lots of good info in there.

Hope that helps

 

Lantus is designed for human usage. It is suggested that it can be good for 28 days off the fridge. So in the fridge it can last a really long time. Most of us use the vial until the last drop. I haven't yet seen abig difference when I get a new vial (although it does happen sometimes). It is quite possible just a coincidence.

 

Thanks both. I will conduct my experiment with more confidence in its ethicalness. I swear she just threw me those days of yellows because the vet asked me for a curve! In any event hopefully I was right not to increase her dose this time. I wonder why she was resistant? She was also happier despite having got used to being in the blues. Lying in the middle of the bedroom floor now looking quite groggy poor baby. Will keep an eye on her in case she carries on down.

 

I do not give dosing advice, but if it was my cat I would give another day on the new vial, and if not that different I would increase, lots of yellows...

Wish I knew why they completely change behavior when dose and food remains the same..... Drives me nuts! Perhaps is their way to get back to us for all the poking....

 

If following TR she is way overdue for an increase. You hold the dose for 3-5 days. I would take a full .25 increase.

 

The longer you hold onto a dose that isn't giving you numbers you want (ie. greens), their body becomes used to it. It's called glucose toxicity. Feline Diabetes and Glucose Toxicity links The way to get around it is to increase.

 

I agree with above posters....

Insulin has never gone bad for me - I've used cartridges until there's nothing left in them - disregard the dates and keep it in the fridge (not the door) the entire time.

Just when I start to 'suspect' the insulin isn't working, Luci proves me wrong, every single time. SO in our case, it's always the cat, never the juice that's misbehaving.