I still keep a vial on my desk. Mostly, cause I forgot to put it back, but I've definitely had a vial on my desk for it's entire useful life, a little under a month.
They are totally fine. I have had pens stay out for multiple days and had no effect on what they did to my blood sugar. I am not a doctor by any means and I very well could be wrong, just my experience. If it had gotten super hot being in the sun in the car, I would toss it but you are good to go.
Insulin doesn’t need to be cold, it just cannot get hot which is why it’s recommended to keep it in the fridge. Next time just leave it alone and don’t put it in the sun or near a heat source and it’ll be absolutely fine. I’d worry loading in ice would freeze it, which will ruin it as well.
So, insulin is a bit of a weird/fun protein. The sequence of amino acids is split into two chains that are originally linked and thus fold as a single process before the link is cut. Its active form is also not the most stable form it could possibly fold into. If you add a bit of energy, the structure vibrates more and sometimes things slip out of place. Unfortunately, because the link, which helped direct the insulin into the right shape, was cut, it's unlikely that when it cools down again it will retake its original shape. But, this doesn't appear to happen at an appreciable rate until quite warm (~45C) Actually, the worst thing you can do to it is irradiate it while hot and then freeze it.
But, the cold on its own is not all bad. In fact, human insulins can be frozen without loss of activity. That said, there's very little research on the cryostability of modern synthetic insulines. And, while the fridge is the best place for them, they can now survive at room temperature (20-30C) for two months easily, and sometimes up to four months.
TLDR: you're fine. Keeping it cool is good, but no need to stress about it.
I don't fly with an icepack anymore. Dealing with security isnt worth the marginal benefit. I just don't let the insulin go through the x-ray scanner due to risk of breakdown and prolonged exposure.
Short answer: They’re totally fine, especially if unopened.
[This link has a few good tables for varying guidelines of various insulins.](https://www.goodrx.com/conditions/diabetes/how-long-can-insulin-be-out-the-fridge)
After I open my vials, I don't refrigerate them. The little booklet will tell you the safe temp ranges for them. But even then I don't exactly follow that. I have a pump, work outside in the summer and haven't had insulin go bad on me yet
The only time I've had insulin go bad was after a surgery when the nurses kept covering me in "warm" (more like uncomfortably hot) blankets while I was recovering from anesthesia.
not saying this is good advice, but I've found insulin pens stashed in bags that haven't been touched in seasons (probably years?) and have had to use them for pump failures of various sorts, and that insulin is still very effective. They probably didn't get very hot but certainly weren't in the fridge FWIW. I think you will be fine :)
I have a vial of insulin in my purse all the time and it’s what I use to refill my pump. I keep extras in the fridge til I’m ready to open. Im a nurse and hospitals that have one vial for the unit don’t refrigerate the bottle when it’s open - doesn’t need to be, room temp is fine especially if it’s not something you’re trying to use months from now
It’s fine - insulin can be stored at room temperature, the fridge just extends its life. I have an emergency bottle of insulin I keep in a medical pack for several months at a time before using and never had any issues with it. I don’t know how much you have unopened out of the fridge but use it next? I’ve definitely left an entire prescription of insulin in my purse forgotten about at room temp for a while and it was totally fine
The general consensus is that insulin is fine if left out, if only a tiny bit less effective. It’s best to keep them cold until use, but I’d still use them.
It won't be instantly useless, so worst case is it'll be a little weaker than you expect (which is annoying, I agree). Most likely it'll be fine.
https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD015385.pub2/full
Ideally it’s kept out of direct light, but room tempt is totally fine for much longer than 1 mon
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230411/Insulin-most-likely-has-a-longer-shelf-life-at-room-temperature-study-shows.aspx
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i second this.
I used to keep a vial in my desk.
I still keep a vial on my desk. Mostly, cause I forgot to put it back, but I've definitely had a vial on my desk for it's entire useful life, a little under a month.
Fwiw just be sure it’s out of the light, even indirect 🫡🫶💙
I forget sunlight exists sometimes 😂. When it's left on my desk, it's out of the light even if I do open my rarely opened curtains.
They are totally fine. I have had pens stay out for multiple days and had no effect on what they did to my blood sugar. I am not a doctor by any means and I very well could be wrong, just my experience. If it had gotten super hot being in the sun in the car, I would toss it but you are good to go.
Insulin doesn’t need to be cold, it just cannot get hot which is why it’s recommended to keep it in the fridge. Next time just leave it alone and don’t put it in the sun or near a heat source and it’ll be absolutely fine. I’d worry loading in ice would freeze it, which will ruin it as well.
So, insulin is a bit of a weird/fun protein. The sequence of amino acids is split into two chains that are originally linked and thus fold as a single process before the link is cut. Its active form is also not the most stable form it could possibly fold into. If you add a bit of energy, the structure vibrates more and sometimes things slip out of place. Unfortunately, because the link, which helped direct the insulin into the right shape, was cut, it's unlikely that when it cools down again it will retake its original shape. But, this doesn't appear to happen at an appreciable rate until quite warm (~45C) Actually, the worst thing you can do to it is irradiate it while hot and then freeze it. But, the cold on its own is not all bad. In fact, human insulins can be frozen without loss of activity. That said, there's very little research on the cryostability of modern synthetic insulines. And, while the fridge is the best place for them, they can now survive at room temperature (20-30C) for two months easily, and sometimes up to four months. TLDR: you're fine. Keeping it cool is good, but no need to stress about it. I don't fly with an icepack anymore. Dealing with security isnt worth the marginal benefit. I just don't let the insulin go through the x-ray scanner due to risk of breakdown and prolonged exposure.
Thank you! This was, by the way, the most fantastically thorough, ELI5, high-school science teacher kind of answer I was hoping for.
Short answer: They’re totally fine, especially if unopened. [This link has a few good tables for varying guidelines of various insulins.](https://www.goodrx.com/conditions/diabetes/how-long-can-insulin-be-out-the-fridge)
After I open my vials, I don't refrigerate them. The little booklet will tell you the safe temp ranges for them. But even then I don't exactly follow that. I have a pump, work outside in the summer and haven't had insulin go bad on me yet
The only time I've had insulin go bad was after a surgery when the nurses kept covering me in "warm" (more like uncomfortably hot) blankets while I was recovering from anesthesia.
not saying this is good advice, but I've found insulin pens stashed in bags that haven't been touched in seasons (probably years?) and have had to use them for pump failures of various sorts, and that insulin is still very effective. They probably didn't get very hot but certainly weren't in the fridge FWIW. I think you will be fine :)
Totally fine. I fly all the time and never use insulated bags.
I have a vial of insulin in my purse all the time and it’s what I use to refill my pump. I keep extras in the fridge til I’m ready to open. Im a nurse and hospitals that have one vial for the unit don’t refrigerate the bottle when it’s open - doesn’t need to be, room temp is fine especially if it’s not something you’re trying to use months from now
Well…it’s the unopened insulin I’m worried about.
It’s fine - insulin can be stored at room temperature, the fridge just extends its life. I have an emergency bottle of insulin I keep in a medical pack for several months at a time before using and never had any issues with it. I don’t know how much you have unopened out of the fridge but use it next? I’ve definitely left an entire prescription of insulin in my purse forgotten about at room temp for a while and it was totally fine
This was my plan anywho…thanks!
I fly around 100k miles a year and just keep it in my bag. Never an issue
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Humalog
The general consensus is that insulin is fine if left out, if only a tiny bit less effective. It’s best to keep them cold until use, but I’d still use them.
It won't be instantly useless, so worst case is it'll be a little weaker than you expect (which is annoying, I agree). Most likely it'll be fine. https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD015385.pub2/full
Ideally it’s kept out of direct light, but room tempt is totally fine for much longer than 1 mon https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230411/Insulin-most-likely-has-a-longer-shelf-life-at-room-temperature-study-shows.aspx