On average when it is time to change your site, how much insulin are you guys throwing away? I usually throw away about 10-15 units bc I need to change it before a long shift at work or something. Just wondering how much others were throwing away
i throw it all away. i fill up the reservoir with 200u then laugh as i dump it all in the garbage. then i swim laps in a pool of insulin. then i bathe in insulin. then i wave goodbye as it all goes down the drain. i rather enjoy throwing away money. in fact, when it gets cold, i light a big pile of money on fire to warm myself.
didn't we already cover this question here http://juvenation.org/forums/p/8682/85372.aspx#85372 ?
WHy does it get thrown away? Can't you change sites without throwing it away? We are applying for a pump now and don't know about such things.
It seems that would be an expensive waste.
haha. i had a bad night last night and was using some EXTREME sarcasm when i posted that. i don't really throw any insulin away. if you click on the link, you'll see that i run it down to zero before i change my pump site. sorry for confusing you :D
[quote user="Terry"]
WHy does it get thrown away? Can't you change sites without throwing it away? We are applying for a pump now and don't know about such things.
It seems that would be an expensive waste.
[/quote]
I always just use mine until it's gone or I'm going somewhere and don't have enough to get by. I don't change my cartridge when I change my site, and my doc said that was fine.
Terry- You take an insulin bottle, and fill up a cartridge to it's maximum amount (say 200 units). The rest of the bottle goes back in the fridge. You need to change out your site every three days. It's best to change out your cartridge at the same time. Many times you haven't used up all the insulin in the cartridge, but you need to throw it out because : A) Insulin should not be unrefrigerated for more than 3 days B) It is nearly impossible to get the leftover insulin out of the cartridge. It's usually not very much, and I would encourage you to ask your endocrinologist to add in some fudge factor to the amount in your insulin prescription so there is never a problem.
If you find that you have an unusually large amount of insulin leftover in the cartridge after three days and you want to change it and the set. Just put less insulin in the cartridge next time and you will have less waste.
[quote user="Lia Hollander"]
A) Insulin should not be unrefrigerated for more than 3 days
[/quote]
i don't refrigerate my insulin at all. it goes from the pharmacy to my closet.
yea, I keep my "in use" bottle out of the fridge, mostly because I hate bubbles. ambient insulin, once you punch the seal, is good for a month.
after a year or 5 on the pump, I pretty much know how much insulin to put in the reservior, so it's empty at reservior change time, so I guess zero is my number.
We started out putting 100 units in Sarah's cartridge, but have moved that down to about 70. We probably throw away 5-10 units every 3 days, but she just barely goes through a vial in a month, so it works out. With my insurance it's $30 for a three month supply if I use mail order, so it's only $10 per month. We keep the extra vials in the fridge (I order as soon as I can so I keep a good stock), but keep the one we're using on the counter. I've heard insulin is good outside the fridge for 30 days, so when I open a new vial, I write the date on it with a sharpie so I know when to toss it.
I've heard that insulin in a pump is often only good for about 3 days because it warms up if you keep the pump close to your body, and this makes it go bad much faster than it does at room temperature. Sarah wears hers outside her clothing (clipped to the outside of her pants), so I don't imagine it would go bad that quickly.
Unopened insulin should be kept in the fridge. Once you have opened a vial it is only good for 30 days at room temperature - obviously less if exposed to extreme temperatures.
I do a site change every 3 days, with a full cartridge (i.e. 200 units). I usually end up wasting about 50 units - my endo advised me not to reuse the "left over" insulin, something to do with sitting in the cartridge for greater than 3 days?
For clarification:
From the paper booklet that comes in the Humalog box:
"Unopened Humalog should be stored in a refrigerator [2 degrees to 8 degrees C (36 degrees to 46 degrees F)] but not in the freezer. Do not use Humalog if it has been frozen. Unrefrigerated [below 30 degrees C (86 degrees F)] vials, cartridges, Pens and KwikPens must be used within 28 days or be discarded, even if they still contain Humalog. Protect from heat and light
(Table)
10mL vial: Unopened/room temp: 28 days, Unopened refrigerated: Until Exp Date, Opened, Room Temp/28 days
3 mL cartridge: Unopened/room temp: 28 days, Unopened refrigerated: Until Exp Date, Opened/Room Temp: 28 days
3mL Pen: Unopened/room temp: 28 days, Unopened refrigerated: Until Exp Date, Opened/Room Temp: 28 days
... Humalog in the external insulin pump reservoir should be discarded every 48 hours or less.
i have no problems using my unrefrigerated insulin in 28 days :o)