How should insulin be kept at “normal temperature”?

Can insulin only be stored in the refrigerator? How can you carry it with you when you are out without a refrigerator? Did you know that it is okay to store insulin outside the refrigerator after opening it? Here are some tips on how to store insulin correctly!

First of all, how should unopened insulin be stored?

Unopened insulin should be stored at 2-8℃ for a long time. Generally speaking, insulin is not taken out of the refrigerator and used immediately. It needs to be injected at room temperature. Even if it is taken out of the refrigerator, it should be placed at room temperature for about 60 minutes to allow the temperature of the insulin to return to room temperature before injection. Low-temperature insulin is more painful to inject. In other words, even in summer, the insulin pen with a refill can be placed in a cool place in the house.

How should opened insulin be stored?

The opened insulin injection can be stored at room temperature. If the temperature does not exceed 30°C, it can be stored for about 28 days. Moreover, if the insulin injection is repeatedly placed in a hot or cold environment, it is more likely to cause the insulin to become ineffective, so it does not need to be refrigerated. It should be noted that the insulin pen with the refill cannot be placed in the refrigerator and repeatedly put in and out.

Because if the needle is not removed, the insulin will absorb air during the process of thermal expansion and contraction, forming bubbles, causing inaccurate injection volume. Therefore, after each insulin injection, just remove the needle and store it at room temperature. Generally speaking, at refrigerated temperature, as long as it does not exceed the expiration date specified for the drug, insulin can always maintain its proper efficacy.

Can I check in insulin when traveling on business or vacation?

Diabetic patients should remember to prepare enough insulin before going on business trips or traveling to avoid unstable or elevated blood sugar control due to missed insulin. For those patients who need to take an airplane, they should also remember to bring their medical certificates to avoid airport security treating insulin as contraband. One thing that needs special attention here is "do not check in insulin", because the temperature in the airplane luggage compartment is very low, which can easily cause the insulin to become ineffective.

What else should I pay attention to while using insulin?

The injection site of insulin is particular, and it must be injected subcutaneously. The commonly used injection sites are the abdomen: the area outside the 5cm around the navel; the front and outer sides of the thigh. If someone else assists in the injection, the upper arm can be selected. The buttocks are rarely injected. In order to avoid fat atrophy and hyperplasia at the injection site, it is best to rotate different sites for injection, with each rotation being at least 2cm away from the previous site.

Finally, I would like to remind everyone that patients who use insulin should closely monitor their blood sugar and never increase the amount of insulin at will. When going out, you should carry sugar cubes and emergency cards with you so that you can deal with hypoglycemia in time.