HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR INSULIN IS NO LONGER GOOD?
When you lose regulation for no reason.
If you see any hint of "floaties"/"tiny particles"... discard the insulin.
If insulin is cloudy or discolored, or if rubber stopper is cracked... replace insulin immediately.
The manufacturer of Lantus recommends discarding the insulin after 28 days of use (in-use, unrefrigerated, for humans).
However, many Lantus users have been able to use a vial/cartridge/pen for as long as six months.
The manufacturer of Levemir recommends discarding the insulin after 42 days of use (in-use, unrefrigerated, for humans).
Many Levemir users have been able to use a vial/pen for four to six months... some to the last drop.
Think Tank Discussion: How Long Does Lantus/Levemir Last Once Opened?
Opened Lantus and Levemir vials, cartridges, and pens can last longer than many FDMB members seem to think. Some caregivers of diabetic cats have used Lantus/Levemir down to the last drop. Lantus users from the German Katzen Forum have reported using opened Lantus for up to six months and Levemir up to four months if kept refrigerated and handled properly. Lantus is NOT as fragile as we once thought.
From two of the leading researchers in the field of lantus use with feline diabetics, Jacquie S. Rand BVS, DVS and Rhett D.Marshall BVS (University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia):
"Glargine should be refrigerated because it has a shelf life of 4 weeks once opened and kept at room temperature. We have found that opened vials kept refrigerated can be used for more than 6 months. If using an insulin pen, the manufacturer recommends that once a vial of insulin is used, the pen be kept at room temperature because temperature changes associated with refrigeration alter the volume administered by the pen."
http://www.uq.edu.au/ccah/index.html?page=43599&pid=0
We use U100 syringes to draw Lantus from cartridges and pens. We do NOT use needle tips which can be attached to the pens to administer insulin. Therefore, refrigeration will not alter the volume administered by the pen apparatus. Refrigeration combined with the use of syringes to draw insulin (versus using the needle tip made for the pen) from the opened pen has been found to extend it's life well beyond the 28 days suggested by the manufacturer.
Unopened Lantus is good until the expiration date stamped on the box if refrigerated and handled properly.
Last edited by Jill & Alex on Mon Apr 25, 2011 4:28 am, edited 6 times in total.
Reason: update.
Jill & Alex
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