Traveling With Lantus

[dougpatton]

My wife and I own a motorhome and travel extensively in it. Of course our diabetic cat, Ingerbod, goes with us. Does the jarring in the refrigerator reduce the effectiveness of the Lantus? I buy it in a vial. Should the vial be insulated to reduce the "sloshing" of it in the refrigerator?

 

[Ella & Rusty & Stu(GA)]

Hi guys,
Anything you can do to minimize vibrations will help. Wrap the vial in bubblewrap and keep it in a small cardboard box. This will allow it to stay cool in the 'fridge (if you put it into an insulated foam case or bag, it will be "protected" from the cooling action of the 'fridge). You may find that the pens will work better in your situation because the insulin is under pressure and does not slosh around. But even with the pens, I would keep them wrapped in bubblewrap and inside a small cardboard box.

Good luck! Welcome to Lantus Land!!

Ella & Rusty

 

[Dyana]

I think if the next time you buy Lantus, if you buy it in the pens there may be less sloshing as they are vacuum sealed.

You also don't want to keep it in the door of the refrigerator as that has more variance in temperature. I buy pens or cartridges and try to treat them gently and store them in a cup stuffed with cotton, on the top shelf of my refrigerator where they don't get jostled. Besides, the cost is less for the pens, you also waste less if one pen seems to go bad for some reason.

 

[fun2doimpossible]

Hi dougpatton welcome to lantus land!

I will let other more experienced people speak on how to minimize vibrations in a moving refrigerator. :smile: Seriously though anything you can do to minimize vibrations will help extend the life of the vial.

If you want to have a backup in case you can't use a fridge, you may want to look at something like a Frio mini. It appears to be a popular choice for diabetic frequent fliers who may be away from refrigeration for 24-36 hours. It's my understanding you dunk it in cold/ice water and you are all set.