Unrelenting heat can wither your meds, too

[Northerner]

This has been a difficult summer for Aylssa McDermott. The Maplewood 12-year-old, who wears an insulin pump for diabetes, has landed in the emergency room three times after softball tournaments in which hot, humid air combined with her body heat to destroy her medication.

"This never happened before this summer," said her mother, Callie McDermott. "Now we've started carrying a backup reservoir of insulin to have ready for when the insulin in the pump deactivates."

The McDermotts' situation isn't unique. Excessive heat and humidity can make your medicine less effective, and worse, the heat can adversely affect how your body reacts to the medicine.

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/163361126.html

 

[Austin Mini]

My insulin (Humalog) didnt work at all well when we were on Gozo last month either, forever getting high readings. I put it in the fridge and opened a new vial then placed it back in the fridge only bringing it out when needed. When we arrived home I started to use it up and this time it worked OK. Humalog DOES NOT like temps over 30deg C.