Last bit in the bottle - how effective

[Nancey]

Does anyone know if the effectiveness of insulin can be less as you get to the last bit in the bottle? Seems every time I get down to the last bit in there Frodo's numbers start going back up. Then after a couple of doses on a new bottle he is back where he tends to run, which could be better, but he is being difficult. Makes me wonder if I should just throw it out once it gets so low. I have seen this across several bottles, was looking to see if anyone else has seen this with Prozinc.

 

[Stacym20]

I've seen some people that have been able to use every last drop in their vial, and then some say you can maybe get 6 months out of a vial if you're lucky. If you're using 4 units a day, then a vial would last 100 days if you were able to get every last drop out, theoretically of course. I would *think* it wouldn't go bad in 100 days. What length of time are you getting out of a vial? How are you storing it? How are you mixing it?

I have not gotten that low in a vial yet, so I couldn't really answer your question, but thought maybe we could see if something else was going on with it.

I noticed your title has "GA" in it. Frodo hasn't left us since you posted this has he? Sure hope not.

 

[Nancey]

Stacy,
Oh goodness my bad , Frodo is still with me, sorry about the GA, I looked at the little drop down and did not realize I had actually picked something, and I didn't know what GA stood for either sooo...

The current bottle I am using I purchased and started using on 11/17/14, so I have been using for 3 weeks. I do keep in the fridge, of course, my refrigerate is nice and cold so don't think I have an issue there. I roll the bottle slowly to mix and I very promptly put back into the refrigerator as soon as I have the syringe filled.

I know my question is odd, but thought was worth asking, was hoping someone else might have the same question or wondered this also. And it could just be my imagination running wild, as it does that on occasion.

 

[Stacym20]

Whew! Glad Frodo is still with us! I have a Frodo myself, he's a ginger.

I opened a vial 11/1/2014 and thought after 3 months that it might have lost some potency so I bought a new one. I have been getting better numbers on Bud lately, but I have also increased his does so unfortunately I couldn't tell you if it was the increase in dosage or the new vial helping his numbers. Maybe it's both. I was storing mine in the door, and I had read you weren't supposed to do that because of the jostling. Don't know how big of a deal that is, but I don't keep it in the door anymore... Also I was worried about after drawing the syringe up and putting the needle in the vial, the vet had shown me to displace the air into the vial after inverting it into the insulin. The ProZinc video shows displacing the air into the vial before inverting it. So basically what I am saying is I've often wondered what I was doing was making my ProZinc less effective. I'm tempted to use the old vial again and see if there's a difference in his numbers. Then maybe I would have a better answer for you... So definitely worth asking because I'm curious, too!