Frio pouches

[lauraw1983]

I emailed Frio about this, and someone called me back last week but she didn't really answer the question, and I haven't had a minute to call her back yet! Thought someone here might be able to answer faster anyway....

If I store insulin in a Frio pouch for travelling (we are away for 2 nights at the end of the month), then does whatever I have taken still need thrown within a month?? Or because it has been kept cool in a Frio pouch, can it be put back in the fridge when I am home and used as normal when I need it?

It confuses me because my DSN said to take double stuff with me to be on the safe side when travelling away from home, but it feels so wasteful if it ends up being thrown out when I am home if you see what I mean?

Help please!

 

[DeusXM]

I think it can be put back in the fridge and then used as if it had never left the fridge. The month guideline refers to the number of days at room temp. Take it out for two days, then you get to keep it out for a further 26 days at room temp whenever you want.

It's also worth noting that insulin is a lot tougher than people give it credit for. The 28 days margin errs on the side of caution, and contrary to popular belief, insulin doesn't even need to be kept that cool anyway. I used to live in the Middle East where summer temps hit 40-50C every day. Didn't have any problems with insulin in my pocket for a few days, although I was dashing from air-con bubble to air-con bubble.

 

[lauraw1983]

I think it can be put back in the fridge and then used as if it had never left the fridge. The month guideline refers to the number of days at room temp. Take it out for two days, then you get to keep it out for a further 26 days at room temp whenever you want.

It's also worth noting that insulin is a lot tougher than people give it credit for. The 28 days margin errs on the side of caution, and contrary to popular belief, insulin doesn't even need to be kept that cool anyway. I used to live in the Middle East where summer temps hit 40-50C every day. Didn't have any problems with insulin in my pocket for a few days, although I was dashing from air-con bubble to air-con bubble.

That's interesting, thank you.

so if it was out for 2 days at room temp the whole time, then put back in the fridge and it's not used for say, 2 months, it still has 26 days left on it from when I then take it out to 'reuse' it?!

Sorry to be dim, it's all new to me and this travelling part makes me quite anxious!

 

[DeusXM]

I would think so. As far as I know, insulin is always in a state of 'decay' so at room temp it takes 28 days to decay. In the fridge, this rate of decay essentially comes to a stop. So you've had 2 days of decay (technically less actually, if it's been in a Frio), and then you put it back in the fridge and it stops. This is sorta speculation though. I suspect you won't get a straight answer from insulin manufacturers as their go-to position is always to throw it out, because then they sell more.

The exception to this would be if the cart has been used at all - once you stuck something through the plastic at the top, I think then it's 28 days regardless of how it's stored as you've introduced a contaminant.

 

[Ellie Jones]

Should be fine to put back in the fridge and used in the same way as usual...

When I went camping 3 weeks in the New Forest, with no access to a fridge, no shop on camp shop to refreeze cool box, ice blocks... And at one stage no Frio pouch either... So used to keep all our insulin in a airtight container, in cool water tucked under the trailer part of our trailer tent where is was cool...

Yes we took extra insulin with us, and when we got home all unused insulin returned to our fridge, then used in the same manner as normal..

In reality the 'use within 28 days' if keep at room temperature, is based on the vial/cartridge being open and in use, not a still sealed vial/cartridge...

If the vial/cartridge remains sealed then the contents remain sterile, and it's opening the vial/cartridge means that unsterilised air can get into the bottle and contaminate the contents, which at room temperature would breed quicker causing problems..

It really extreme heat/cold that knocks it out within 28 days..