insulin prices
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Ry & Scooter
Member Since 2011
Okay a few things.
1. Are you keeping the insulin in the fridge?
I know the site and package says it's good for 28 days. But that's mostly direction for humans, who will use a whole vial up before it goes bad when kept at room temperature. But since our cats use much smaller doses, we keep insulin in the fridge so it keeps longer. A 10ml vial should last you 3+ months if cared for properly and kept in the fridge. Unfortunately you will not be able to use the whole vial before it goes bad and you will still be throwing some insulin away. You'll want to put it near the center of the fridge, not in the door. Make sure it is in a box or something so it can't roll around or fall out of the fridge. Never shake, drop, or roll the insulin and do NOT ever inject insulin back into the vial as this will contaminate it - shoot excess insulin into the air or a paper towel. Here is the sticky on proper Lantus storage. You will want to warm up the insulin after you draw it into a syringe or it will sting your cat - just hold the syringe barrel with insulin in it between your fingers for 20-30 seconds to warm it up a bit.
2. OptiClik/SoloStar Pen cartridges are more cost effective than a 10ml vial.
The pen cartridges are basically 5 mini vials that hold 3ml of insulin each (15ml or 1500 units in total). Because they are divided into smaller containers you can use an entire pen cartridge up before it goes bad - I get 2-3 months on average out of mine. So 5 pen cartridges are roughly a year's worth of insulin if your cat is on a reasonable dose (1-3u). They cost slightly more upfront ($225+ the USA or $105+ in Canada) but you will not have to throw away insulin and you are not completely out of luck if one cartridge accidentally gets contaminated or broken. The pen cartridges are sold with a pen device that draws insulin but you do NOT want this - you want to draw from a pen cartridge with a syringe, just like a vial, except you do NOT want to inject air into cartridges as you do with a vial, because they have a stopper that moves as you draw your dose out. Same storage rules apply.
Hope that helps to save you some money!!
1. Are you keeping the insulin in the fridge?
I know the site and package says it's good for 28 days. But that's mostly direction for humans, who will use a whole vial up before it goes bad when kept at room temperature. But since our cats use much smaller doses, we keep insulin in the fridge so it keeps longer. A 10ml vial should last you 3+ months if cared for properly and kept in the fridge. Unfortunately you will not be able to use the whole vial before it goes bad and you will still be throwing some insulin away. You'll want to put it near the center of the fridge, not in the door. Make sure it is in a box or something so it can't roll around or fall out of the fridge. Never shake, drop, or roll the insulin and do NOT ever inject insulin back into the vial as this will contaminate it - shoot excess insulin into the air or a paper towel. Here is the sticky on proper Lantus storage. You will want to warm up the insulin after you draw it into a syringe or it will sting your cat - just hold the syringe barrel with insulin in it between your fingers for 20-30 seconds to warm it up a bit.
2. OptiClik/SoloStar Pen cartridges are more cost effective than a 10ml vial.
The pen cartridges are basically 5 mini vials that hold 3ml of insulin each (15ml or 1500 units in total). Because they are divided into smaller containers you can use an entire pen cartridge up before it goes bad - I get 2-3 months on average out of mine. So 5 pen cartridges are roughly a year's worth of insulin if your cat is on a reasonable dose (1-3u). They cost slightly more upfront ($225+ the USA or $105+ in Canada) but you will not have to throw away insulin and you are not completely out of luck if one cartridge accidentally gets contaminated or broken. The pen cartridges are sold with a pen device that draws insulin but you do NOT want this - you want to draw from a pen cartridge with a syringe, just like a vial, except you do NOT want to inject air into cartridges as you do with a vial, because they have a stopper that moves as you draw your dose out. Same storage rules apply.
Hope that helps to save you some money!!
Helene & Cleo
Member Since 2012
Maybe show your mother Ry's post, it explains very well how much of a false economy it is to purchase the 10ml vials.1truHP said:
Do you mind if I ask how old you are? Could you contribute to the upfront cost of the insulin pens initially, perhaps pay the difference between the cost of the vial and the pens. Then maybe this would be enough for your mum to see that at the end of three month period money has actually been saved, and then she would be more inclined to continue to purchase the pens?
How many units a day is your cat on? And did you notice what Ry said about the insulin actually lasting longer than a month, if you keep it refrigerated?
Alternatively, I know I've read that insulin seems to be cheaper if ordered from Canadian pharmacies; perhaps a US/ Canadian board member could provide you with some info regarding this.
H
"2. OptiClik/SoloStar Pen cartridges are more cost effective than a 10ml vial.
The pen cartridges are basically 5 mini vials that hold 3ml of insulin each (15ml or 1500 units in total). Because they are divided into smaller containers you can use an entire pen cartridge up before it goes bad - I get 2-3 months on average out of mine. So 5 pen cartridges are roughly a year's worth of insulin if your cat is on a reasonable dose (1-3u). They cost slightly more upfront ($225+ the USA or $105+ in Canada) but you will not have to throw away insulin and you are not completely out of luck if one cartridge accidentally gets contaminated or broken. The pen cartridges are sold with a pen device that draws insulin but you do NOT want this - you want to draw from a pen cartridge with a syringe, just like a vial, except you do NOT want to inject air into cartridges as you do with a vial, because they have a stopper that moves as you draw your dose out. Same storage rules apply."
my cat gets 7u (major insulin imunity this has kept him alive a long time)
The pen cartridges are basically 5 mini vials that hold 3ml of insulin each (15ml or 1500 units in total). Because they are divided into smaller containers you can use an entire pen cartridge up before it goes bad - I get 2-3 months on average out of mine. So 5 pen cartridges are roughly a year's worth of insulin if your cat is on a reasonable dose (1-3u). They cost slightly more upfront ($225+ the USA or $105+ in Canada) but you will not have to throw away insulin and you are not completely out of luck if one cartridge accidentally gets contaminated or broken. The pen cartridges are sold with a pen device that draws insulin but you do NOT want this - you want to draw from a pen cartridge with a syringe, just like a vial, except you do NOT want to inject air into cartridges as you do with a vial, because they have a stopper that moves as you draw your dose out. Same storage rules apply."
my cat gets 7u (major insulin imunity this has kept him alive a long time)
Where are you located, maybe some people near you have some suggestions.1truHP said:
Maybe you can compare the cost of Lantus to Levemir; they are very similar and if Levemir is cheaper from your source, you would do well to switch.... Levemir is a much smoother insulin and there have been some cats who get better BG numbers and also need a slightly smaller dose on Levemir.
Melanie and Smokey
Member Since 2010
The vial is likely the cheaper alternative for you at 7U b.i.d. since you will probably use it all before it goes bad -Yes? We have not thrown out any of a vial in a very long time. I think a lot of people on the board assume people do not use a vial before it goes bad and therefore the pens are more economical, for some of us they are not.
Unfortunately with the reduction in the sale of insulin to the US from Canada the insulin prices have gone up and what you are paying for Lantus is pretty reasonable. I use Levimir and when I switched (switched because it is thought to be possible to use lower doses than Lantus and is cheaper) it was about $30 cheaper for the vial of Lev than Lantus. Unfortunately the last 3 refills have all came with price increases and the last one was about $159 before tax so it has well surpassed what I paid for Lantus before the switch.
Some people have luck with Craiglist in their area. I've seen some very low prices for Lantus on CL. I don't trust it myself and it wouldn't matter because its not something that can be sold on CL here.
Good luck with your kitty.
Unfortunately with the reduction in the sale of insulin to the US from Canada the insulin prices have gone up and what you are paying for Lantus is pretty reasonable. I use Levimir and when I switched (switched because it is thought to be possible to use lower doses than Lantus and is cheaper) it was about $30 cheaper for the vial of Lev than Lantus. Unfortunately the last 3 refills have all came with price increases and the last one was about $159 before tax so it has well surpassed what I paid for Lantus before the switch.
Some people have luck with Craiglist in their area. I've seen some very low prices for Lantus on CL. I don't trust it myself and it wouldn't matter because its not something that can be sold on CL here.
Good luck with your kitty.
Harley and Pattie
Member Since 2010
Just jumping on quickly here and confess that I have not read all the posts. If you are in the US, try Craigslist. I buy from people advertising on Crags list and buy 5 pens for $50. You need to check it out and make sure the box is not opened and the person has kept it refrigerated.
pattie
pattie
hmjohnston
Member Since 2011
Or- if you have a script for Lantus see if there is another FD user in your area who can sell you a pen for just the cost of a pen out of the pack. I did that for someone who needed Lev before.
Yes, that would mean stating which city/state you live in but after that you could converse by PM and be private.
Yes, that would mean stating which city/state you live in but after that you could converse by PM and be private.
sorry i have not replied every one school has been hectic so i have not had much time to look at the board. my mom already bought the insulin so don't worry for now guys when the issue comes up i will re post. For now I am asking something else. it has nothing to do with diabetes and i do apologize for that but it does worry me. recently my cat got some fleas and i just applied some revolution around 7 pm. Anakin has licked up some of it. now revolution is a flea poison so I'm worried if his ingesting the revolution will have any negative effects I'm not looking for recommendations of other flea meds I'm just worried about him ingesting the current med.
hmjohnston
Member Since 2011
I have no idea about that. I usually put it on her neck so she can't lick it but sometimes I rub there and she could get it off my hands if I don't wash them right away.
Others will need to chime in or you might need to start a new topic that asks "Cat licked flea stuff- what are the effects?" if no one sees this as the topic has changed.
Others will need to chime in or you might need to start a new topic that asks "Cat licked flea stuff- what are the effects?" if no one sees this as the topic has changed.
squeem3
Member Since 2009
Cats: In safety studies, REVOLUTION was applied at 1, 3, 5, and 10 times the recommended dose
to 6-week-old kittens. No adverse reactions were observed. The safety of REVOLUTION administered
orally also was tested in case of accidental oral ingestion. Oral administration of the recommended
topical dose of REVOLUTION to cats caused salivation and intermittent vomiting. REVOLUTION also
was applied at 4 times the recommended dose to patent heartworm infected cats, and no adverse
reactions were observed.
https://www.revolution4cats.com/docs/pdf/FullInfill.pdf
How long after the application did your cat start licking at the area? Topical preventatives usually dry up within a few minutes so there's not much left on the fur for the cat to inest. Any residue that your cat licks won't cause any harm. But if you're worried, keep an eye on the cat for a couple of days.
I use Revolution on my civies and apply it near the base of the ears instead of the neck where they can't reach to lick at it. Occasionally the civies will lick at each other but have never gotten sick from ingesting Revolution residue.
to 6-week-old kittens. No adverse reactions were observed. The safety of REVOLUTION administered
orally also was tested in case of accidental oral ingestion. Oral administration of the recommended
topical dose of REVOLUTION to cats caused salivation and intermittent vomiting. REVOLUTION also
was applied at 4 times the recommended dose to patent heartworm infected cats, and no adverse
reactions were observed.
https://www.revolution4cats.com/docs/pdf/FullInfill.pdf
How long after the application did your cat start licking at the area? Topical preventatives usually dry up within a few minutes so there's not much left on the fur for the cat to inest. Any residue that your cat licks won't cause any harm. But if you're worried, keep an eye on the cat for a couple of days.
I use Revolution on my civies and apply it near the base of the ears instead of the neck where they can't reach to lick at it. Occasionally the civies will lick at each other but have never gotten sick from ingesting Revolution residue.
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