? Refrigerating open Lantus vials

[wade]

Hi all, question about storing Lantus. We use the vials and the pharmacist said NOT to refrigerate the vial once the seal has been punctured by a needle for the first use. He also said we need to throw the remains of the vial away after thirty days and start a new vial. Oregano may use 20% of a vial over the course of the thirty days so most of the Lantus in the vial gets thrown out/wasted if we follow the pharmacists guidance.

the vet, on the other hand, said we CAN refrigerate a vial we are using, and if we do so it can last a full 90 days without losing efficacy.

I am concerned though as I don’t want to make a mistake and keep insulin past the efficacy date but I can’t get the vet and pharmacist to agree here.

wondering what y’all’s suggestions/experience may be on this front.

thank you in advance.

Wade and oregano.

 

[Bandit's Mom]

Yes, you want to keep the pen/vial in the fridge (not in the fridge door though). I have used all my pens to the last drop. One pen would last around 3 months for Bandit. She used to be on a dose of around 1.5-2.5U.

 

[Angela & Cleo]

I use the vial and keep it in the fridge. I've never used the entire vial, but have used it for about 4-6 months before opening a new one.

 

[squeem3]

The pharmacist likely only knows what the Lantus storage conditions and use time for *Humans* is. The info is printed on the box and on the package insert. Ignore the pharmacist because you're not using the Lantus on a person. Keep the Lantus in the fridge and handle it gently. I don't see why the pharmacist and the vet both need to agree on storage conditions and when to replace?

The 10 ml bottle is kind of a waste since you can usually only get a month's use of it it, maybe a little more. Cats need tiny doses so you're basically throwing the nearly full bottle away when it loses effectiveness or has stuff floating inside. Consider buying the Lantus pens next time. The box keeps in the fridge until the expiration date printed on the box. Each pen can last to the last drop which can be two or three months or more depending on the cat's dose. Here's the info on how to get the box of pens for $35 (US only): https://www.felinediabetes.com/FDMB/threads/sourcing-insulin-more-economically.288053/

 

[Fistuk & Shelly]

Hi Wade
That's Bulloks! I keep the vile in the refrigerate and use it until it's finished, usually a few good months, depending on the dose.
As long as the insulin is clear and there are no floating pieces it's just fine.

 

[Karen and Chispa (GA)]

Yes, you want to keep the pen/vial in the fridge (not in the fridge door though). I have used all my pens to the last drop. One pen would last around 3 months for Bandit. She used to be on a dose of around 1.5-2.5U.

Hi Bhooma! This is news to me -- I never heard that you shouldn't keep the vial in the fridge door, so that's what I did (the butter compartment was officially the cat meds compartment in my house). Is that because it's not as cold there? Thank you for the information!

 

[Bandit's Mom]

Hi Bhooma! This is news to me -- I never heard that you shouldn't keep the vial in the fridge door, so that's what I did (the butter compartment was officially the cat meds compartment in my house). Is that because it's not as cold there? Thank you for the information!

Yes, that part of the fridge is more exposed to the higher outside temperature and also to more movement with the fridge door opening and closing. I think the L insulins might be hardy enough to survive that, but it's still recommended to keep them in the fridge itself rather than in the door.

 

[tiffmaxee]

Like the others I kept my Lantus in the back of the fridge and used pens to the last drop. I had to discard lots if Lantus when I bought vials after 5-6 months as they lost potency.

 

[squeem3]

I was never able to get a 10ml bottle of Lantus to last more than a month. Not fun buying a new $100+ bottle every single month. This was with my first diabetic.

Items stored on a door shelf tend to rattle as the fridge door opens and closes. Not sure if movement affects insulin but it wouldn't hurt to be safe and store insulin on an interior shelf. A padded container to put the bottle or pens in is an extra safeguard. You can buy protective sleeves for insulin bottles but there are none for pens.

 

[tiffmaxee]

I am surprised you only got a month with vials. @squeem3 was that because they were not refrigerated?

 

[squeem3]

No, I kept the bottle in the fridge but they still never lasted more than a month I think I got a month and a half with Cynthia and Cosmo's donated Lantus.

 

[Kobe (Dean and Lesley) MO]

Hi all, question about storing Lantus. We use the vials and the pharmacist said NOT to refrigerate the vial once the seal has been punctured by a needle for the first use. He also said we need to throw the remains of the vial away after thirty days and start a new vial. Oregano may use 20% of a vial over the course of the thirty days so most of the Lantus in the vial gets thrown out/wasted if we follow the pharmacists guidance.

the vet, on the other hand, said we CAN refrigerate a vial we are using, and if we do so it can last a full 90 days without losing efficacy.

I am concerned though as I don’t want to make a mistake and keep insulin past the efficacy date but I can’t get the vet and pharmacist to agree here.

wondering what y’all’s suggestions/experience may be on this front.

thank you in advance.

Wade and oregano.

I made a little nest for Kobe's pen in a drawer. It rests on a non-frozen ice pack to keep its temperature as constant as possible. Unused pens stored underneath. Kobe used his first pen until it was gone.

 

[wade]

Yes, you want to keep the pen/vial in the fridge (not in the fridge door though). I have used all my pens to the last drop. One pen would last around 3 months for Bandit. She used to be on a dose of around 1.5-2.5U.

ok sounds good. Thank you very much for your reply. Curious why not the door?

 

[wade]

I use the vial and keep it in the fridge. I've never used the entire vial, but have used it for about 4-6 months before opening a new one.

Ok. That’s good news. A vial would last us about two mos so that means I can stop throwing away perfectly good Lantus after 30 days. Thank you!

 

[wade]

Hi Wade
That's Bulloks! I keep the vile in the refrigerate and use it until it's finished, usually a few good months, depending on the dose.
As long as the insulin is clear and there are no floating pieces it's just fine.

Roger that. That is great news. Thank you so much for the reply.

 

[wade]

Hi Bhooma! This is news to me -- I never heard that you shouldn't keep the vial in the fridge door, so that's what I did (the butter compartment was officially the cat meds compartment in my house). Is that because it's not as cold there? Thank you for the information!

Same here. Got butter, Lantus, and probiotic in the door but will be moving it to its own shelf now.

 

[Kobe (Dean and Lesley) MO]

ok sounds good. Thank you very much for your reply. Curious why not the door?

Because our cats are on such small doses, we are extending the viability of the insulin as long as possible by minimizing temperature changes and jostling. The less excitement our pens and vials see, the greater their consistency for efficacy and duration. I minimize the time Kobe's pen spends outside of the fridge too, for the same reason. I draw the dose and pop that bugger right back in the fridge. No time hanging out on the counter.

 

[wade]

Like the others I kept my Lantus in the back of the fridge and used pens to the last drop. I had to discard lots if Lantus when I bought vials after 5-6 months as they lost potency.

Thank you for this info. You got 5-6 mos of use out of one vial bc you refrigerated it correct? I estimate that is about how long a vial would last me if I didn’t toss it in the trash after 30 days as I have been (apparently incorrectly) told to do by the pharmacist. Kicking myself a bit now. This is good intel. Thank you again.

Like the others I kept my Lantus in the back of the fridge and used pens to the last drop. I had to discard lots if Lantus when I bought vials after 5-6 months as they lost potency.

 

[Kobe (Dean and Lesley) MO]

I got 1.5 months for our first pen because I was so bad at drawing insulin at 5:30 am half asleep. But $22 for a month and a half of insulin isn't too bad. And I got better at drawing insulin.

Each Lantus pen contains 3 mL of insulin solution. Lantus is a U-100 insulin meaning each mL of the insulin solution contains 100 units of insulin. So... each pen has 300 units.

How long those 300 units last depends on how big your cat's dose is.

If kitty's dose is on average 1 U, you'd get 300 doses, 150 days of insulin if you didn't waste a drop (not really possible) so call it around 120 days or 4 months.

For an average dose of 2 units, you could use to pen for 2 months.

For an average dose of 0.5 units, 8 months.

If you look at our member's Spreadsheets, (linked in our signatures), you'll see that cats' insulin needs change. But this should give you an idea of why some say 2 months and others say 6.

Hope this helps.