We discuss the most common concerns people have about their insulin medication's side effects as well as tips to tell if insulin has gone bad and how to keep the shelf life longer.
October 9, 2015
We discuss the most common concerns people have about their insulin medication's side effects as well as tips to tell if insulin has gone bad and how to keep the shelf life longer.
Diabetes medications are generally safe and work quite well.
Is it cloudy? Past the expiration date? You need to know when not to use a vial of insulin. If you use insulin, you probably know already that some types — rapid-acting, regular and long-acting — should be clear, while intermediate-acting insulin and insulin mixtures should look cloudy.
But did you know that even a bottle that looks right shouldn't be used after it's been open for a certain amount of time? This can be four weeks for many types, but as little as 10 to 14 days for some types and as much as 42 days for others. In one recent report, using expired insulin led to fasting blood-sugar readings 50 points higher.
Follow these storage and safety tips:
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