Insulin and Power Loss

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dtoomey

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Hi,
I'm in New England and am looking at the possibility of loosing power this weekend bec of the hurricane. The insulin bottle I'm using now is 4 months old and is working fine. I've asked my pharmacist how long the bottle will be good for if it reaches room temp if the power is lost. However, he can only repeat the standard "it's good for 28 days once opened, regardless of refrigeration." So that doesn't tell me anything practical at this point. Can anyone shed some light on how long I've got till the insulin looses potency?
Thanks,
Diane
 
Diane,

How long do you anticipate being without power? Like you, I'm in New England (South Shore, MA). Let's hope it misses us completely.

What I would do is pack a cooler with ice and keep the insulin wrapped in a towel in a baggie. You want to keep it cold, not freeze it.

You make me think that I should do this with my stash of Lantus before Saturday. I am a diabetic using a pump, but have Lantus for my backup as well as for my 5 diabetic kitties.

Good luck,

Claudia
 
Thanks for the tip Claudia.
Who knows how long we'll be without power, if it goes out. I'm in Belmont, near Cambridge. I was in a Cat 1 hurricane in North Carolina and was w/o power for a full week. yuck. good luck to you too!
 
Bubble wrap (or a towel) and an ice pack will keep it cold several days. Put the insulin in a separate cooler, if you can, so that you only need to open it when you need a dose. Avoid the temptation to check up on it. I am just east of DC, so we preparing too.
 
I am in Eastern North Carolina! We are expecting to begin feeling effects from Irene tonight.

Prayers to everyone, that Irene isn't as bad as projected.

Stay Safe.
 
You can freeze water in 2-litre coke bottles. This makes a nice solid block of ice that lasts a long time in a cooler.

I also freeze a few of the 20-ounce bottles (all plastic) and these make great cooler packs for the lunch-carriers. You can also do this for insulin storage.

Good luck!
Pam and Layla
 
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