Insulin Dilemma...What would you do?
OK so I dropped my bottle of three week old Humalog on the hard concrete yesterday. My heart skipped a beat as it fell in slow motion, but it didn't shatter, so I went ahead and used it for the rest of the day. Blood sugars were fine. I did notice a slight smell of insulin on my hands after I injected.
Yuck...I freekin hate that smell.
I didn't think nothing of it until today, when I noticed that putrid smell as my bottle rested on my desk at work. I took a closer look, and I notice a slight hairline fracture in the bottle. Damn it.
So now my bottle of H is back on my desk nicely patched up with the finest scotch tape money can buy. Yes...scotch tape.
The smell is noticeably lighter now, but I wonder if I should just chuck this vial and sacrifice it to the insulin gods. I hate losing insulin this way, and I am tempted just to hold on to it until I notice that it doesn't work.
I think I know what I "should" do, but what would you do?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Joe on
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haha I like the idea, and the tape is the bast part (I would have used duct tape)... but I would chuck the bottle. I only break bottles on tile floors, must be somthing in that grout crisscross that makes me fumble.
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Permalink Reply by Joe Dennis on -
Now , duct tape that puts some testoserone into fixing a problem!! I would go with the duct tape. My wife's solution was to seal it with clear nail polish.
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Permalink Reply by Johnben. on -
Depending on your finances ,maybe but...... I dispose of it right away. Get a new bottle, I always have an extra one in the fridge. I don't take chances. Injecting into the body is a serious thing to do! Just my opinion! I always keep all my insulin in the fridge summer or winter.
Johnben or JB only 49 years diabetic. Type-1
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Permalink Reply by Anthony Holko on -
Dear Dino. Ironic that we hate the smell of stuff that keeps us alive. Smell is everything to my belowed friend a very hairy one. It may be a ludicrous idea but as a former research engineer I would keep on using it. The fact that it ouzed out means the vial was under positive pressure and resealing it why my favorite repair stuff although duck tape is better for most other things may have save it's sterility. .Then again if the s==t is bad and you can go into Keto-acidosis if it does not work may be not a good idea. My bg would not likely go above 300.
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Permalink Reply by Megan on -
Sacrifice the vial! Chuck it from Mount DIA-BE-TUS! It has been chosen. If only sterility could be acheived through a scotch tape fix. I'm not a hyper-sensitive alcohol swabber (as in finger pricks), but I'm very picky about what I inject. Chuck it, Chuck it, Chuck it.
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Permalink Reply by Kristin on -
I would fill a bunch of syringes with insulin and leave them in the fridge. Or get a new vial and transfer the insulin into it (though I have heard that this is not super good for the insulin). I think that you are right about what you "should" do. But throwing away insulin feels like throwing away gold to me!
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Permalink Reply by Terry Keelan on -
Cheapskate that I am, I would use it, unless my scrip was ready for a refill.
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Permalink Reply by MelissaBL on -
Insulin smells like band-aids. But I've never really found it gross. A family member had a diabetic miniature pinscher who was never warm toward me until he had to start taking weekly insulin injections. I am still convinced he could smell it through my pump. He was always comfortable curled up next to me on the side where I was wearing it. Go figure.
I would probably keep using it but maybe see if the pharmacy and/or insurance co-pay plan would sell me another without having to pay full price for it. I don't know about you guys, but I use every drop of the two bottles my insurance will pay for each month.
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Permalink Reply by dino on -
"Insulin smells like band-aids" - MelissaBL
That is my new favorite tudiabetes.com quote of all time. I'm calling my T-Shirt guy right now to get it printed up...let me know your size and I'll send you one :)
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Permalink Reply by Mommy and the monkeys on -
Let me know how much a shirt is, I would love to pay for one! put a picture of a pump or a syringe on it :D
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Permalink Reply by Squibble on -
and here, I thought I was the ONLY one who thought that insulin smells like band-aids...... and I would love one of those tees too!! :D
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