Humalog vial and Hotel MiniBars

N

nekromantik

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
hi
So I am going to NYC for a week in a months time and in choosing hotels I been asking them about the mini bars in the rooms. Majority of them say the mini bars dont go as low as 40 degrees F or lower and I can keep the humalog insulin in the staff fridge. Do most people not risk keeping it in hotel staff fridge and just keep AC on and hope it does not get too hot? haha
or would minibar be fine even though it does not go to 43F or below?
Thanks
 
Given insulin is fine at room temperature for a month and you are going away for a week, why do you need to store it in a fridge?
How hot do you expect your hotel room to get?
 
helli said:
Given insulin is fine at room temperature for a month and you are going away for a week, why do you need to store it in a fridge?
How hot do you expect your hotel room to get?
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well it says un-opened vial should be stored at fridge temperature. Of course you need to take spares so I will take a opened bottle I am using and a spare.
 
nekromantik said:
well it says un-opened vial should be stored at fridge temperature. Of course you need to take spares so I will take a opened bottle I am using and a spare.
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That's fine.
If you return the unopened vial to the fridge when you get home, it will have 3 weeks of life outside of the fridge next time you need it.
I would feel safer doing that than risking an unreliable mini bar or heaven knows what will happen to your insulin in a staff fridge where someone may take it out without you knowing and you wouldn't have easy access to it.
 
helli said:
That's fine.
If you return the unopened vial to the fridge when you get home, it will have 3 weeks of life outside of the fridge next time you need it.
I would feel safer doing that than risking an unreliable mini bar or heaven knows what will happen to your insulin in a staff fridge where someone may take it out without you knowing and you wouldn't have easy access to it.
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yeah true
I would still keep it in mini bar as it wont be hotter in there then the room so no harm really
 
nekromantik said:
yeah true
I would still keep it in mini bar as it wont be hotter in there then the room so no harm really
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I would have thought it safer to keep it with you as you never know who might poke around in the minibar. I know you have to trust people with your belongings in a hotel but medication is expensive in the US.
 
nekromantik said:
yeah true
I would still keep it in mini bar as it wont be hotter in there then the room so no harm really
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Providing the minibar fridge doesn't malfunction and accidentally freeze your insulin as happened to a member here last year at a holiday let.
 
nekromantik said:
hi
So I am going to NYC for a week in a months time and in choosing hotels I been asking them about the mini bars in the rooms. Majority of them say the mini bars dont go as low as 40 degrees F or lower and I can keep the humalog insulin in the staff fridge. Do most people not risk keeping it in hotel staff fridge and just keep AC on and hope it does not get too hot? haha
or would minibar be fine even though it does not go to 43F or below?
Thanks
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I’d leave the insulin in my suitcase or in a drawer, and the in use insulin in my backpack. I wouldn’t put it in any fridge in case it froze it.
 
nekromantik said:
yeah true
I would still keep it in mini bar as it wont be hotter in there then the room so no harm really
Click to expand...
But can you be certain that a minibar won't malfunction and freeze your insulin?
I consider it safer not to use one and have been following this approach for the last 20 years.

I am at a hotel today and my insulin and backup up insulin are in my bag. The minibar has not been opened.
 
nekromantik said:
yeah true
I would still keep it in mini bar as it wont be hotter in there then the room so no harm really
Click to expand...
My insulin got frozen in a hotel fridge in our hotel ONCE. The freezer compartment door was broken.

I never rely on it now. We simply don’t go away for longer than 28 days. I keep my vials etc in a thermos flask in the minibar, having checked that there is no freezer bit anywhere. If I am not sure I just keep it out of the fridge. I would never chance someone else looking after it in a staff fridge. It stays with me in our room.

You are only away one week so you could simply discard the vials 28 days after you took it out of the fridge. When I go away I write the discard date on the vials that I take (28 days on). If our holiday is shorter than 28 days I just use them when I get back. I usually end up discarding my the insulin in my backup pens on our return. I rarely use them as I only take them when I am more than an hour from home.
I have syringes and can draw up quick acting from my pump cartridge if necessary to get me home if a bit further away.

You will have no problem with just one week. A fabulous place to go. Have you been before? Iwouod recommend walking The High Line.
 
SB2015 said:
My insulin got frozen in a hotel fridge in our hotel ONCE. The freezer compartment door was broken.

I never rely on it now. We simply don’t go away for longer than 28 days. I keep my vials etc in a thermos flask in the minibar, having checked that there is no freezer bit anywhere. If I am not sure I just keep it out of the fridge. I would never chance someone else looking after it in a staff fridge. It stays with me in our room.

You are only away one week so you could simply discard the vials 28 days after you took it out of the fridge. When I go away I write the discard date on the vials that I take (28 days on). If our holiday is shorter than 28 days I just use them when I get back. I usually end up discarding my the insulin in my backup pens on our return. I rarely use them as I only take them when I am more than an hour from home.
I have syringes and can draw up quick acting from my pump cartridge if necessary to get me home if a bit further away.

You will have no problem with just one week. A fabulous place to go. Have you been before? Iwouod recommend walking The High Line.
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Nope never been before. Will check out the High Line 🙂
Thanks
 
nekromantik said:
Nope never been before. Will check out the High Line 🙂
Thanks
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A fabulous walkway following old railway at about second floor level: gardens sculptures and fabulous views
 
trophywench said:
Buy a Frio!
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I second this. Just ordered a new one for our holiday in August, lost my outer wallet and they only sell them as one purchase. Bit annoying, I know when we move house I will likely find the outer wallet, but no harm having two.
 
I use a Frio for vials when camping, and they are amazingly effective. I would also be very nervy of a hotel minibar fridge - if it gets a bit warm that’s one thing and might reduce its lifespan a little, but once it’s frozen that’s game over. 😱

The vial I’m currently working through was my ‘festival spare’ and was kept from overheating in a hot tent for almost a week.

It’s showing no signs of degradation. 🙂
 
Must admit used those mini fridges before to store insulin when away, not nowadays more in past must add.

Those Frio pouches mentioned are great mind, they last fair while at keeping pens insulin cool when newish but longevity gets shorter over time where you have to reactivate them sooner with fresh water.
 
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