Quick Answer: Insulin can quickly go bad if not stored or managed correctly. Unrefrigeration, heat exposure, light exposure, or even contamination can spoil your insulin. Never use bad insulin and familiarise yourself with the signs of bad insulin.
If you're among the many in the UK who rely on insulin to manage their type 1 or type 2 diabetes, you're likely aware of how crucial this medication is and how damaging it can be if it goes bad.
Not only can spoiled insulin compromise your health, but it can also lead to significant financial loss. Fortunately, by grasping a few storage practices, you can sidestep such issues.
In this article, we'll delve into what can make insulin go bad and the signs and symptoms you need to watch for. Specifically, we'll cover:
- What factors can cause insulin to spoil?
- What are the signs and potential dangers of using bad insulin?
- How to tell if your insulin has gone bad?
- What steps can you take to ensure your insulin remains effective?
Related article: Does Insulin Need to Be Refrigerated? Essential Storage Tips!
Does Insulin Go bad?
Absolutely, insulin can go bad if not stored or handled correctly, and this is particularly true given its sensitivity to storage conditions like temperature and light. Ensuring insulin is stored at the correct temperature is critical to maintain its efficacy and to prevent it from going bad, which can be costly both financially and health-wise.
Here are some insulin storage tips to remember:
- Insulin should be refrigerated between 2°C and 8°C prior to opening.
- Once opened, it can generally be kept at room temperature, ideally between 13°C and 26°C, for up to about a month.
Not adhering to these storage instructions can rapidly deteriorate insulin's quality. Although different types of insulin may have varying tolerances when not refrigerated, ranging from 14 to 56 days, common brands such as NovoLog, Lantus, and Humulin, among others, all risk spoiling under improper conditions.
Temperature fluctuations aren't the only concern; exposure to light and potential bacterial contamination can also spoil your insulin. Even the natural expiry process needs consideration.
What Can Make Insulin Go Bad
- Insulin can go bad if unrefrigerated for too long. If left unrefrigerated for too long (typically a month, but varies depending on your insulin brand), it can lose potency and go bad faster than expected, well before the expiration date provided by its manufacturer.
- Insulin can go bad if exposed to heat. Heat poses a significant threat to insulin, often accelerating the spoiling process. For example, an insulin vial or pen left in a car on a warm day can reach temperatures that may rapidly spoil the insulin.
- Insulin has an expiration date. Like all medications, insulin also has a shelf life and should be used before the expiration date to ensure effectiveness.
- Freezing temperature can also make insulin go bad. Insulin should never be frozen. Freezing changes the structure of the insulin protein, rendering it ineffective even if it thaws completely later.
- Light exposure can also damage your insulin. Exposure to light can lead to photodegradation of insulin, which can seriously and irreversibly affect its therapeutic properties. To protect insulin from light, always store it in its original container with the opaque cap on (for insulin pens), and avoid leaving it in direct sunlight.
- Biological contamination of insulin is unlikely but possible. Improper handling of your vials or pens can lead to your insulin going bad because of bacterial contamination. Always use a new sterile needle for injections, and never share your insulin pen with anyone to avoid contamination risks.
Related article: Can You Use Expired Insulin or Will it Make You Sick? How to Dispose of it?
At What Temperature Does Insulin Go Bad?
Insulin needs to be stored properly to maintain its effectiveness and prevent it from going bad, with specific temperature guidelines to follow.
Ideally, insulin should be kept in a fridge at temperatures ranging from 2°C to 8°C. Once opened, it's generally safe to store insulin at room temperature, up to a maximum of 25°C, for up to 30 days depending on the insulin type.
It's crucial to avoid exposing insulin to temperatures above these limits as it can quickly go bad.
Do bad batches of insulin happen?
Although rare due to stringent manufacturing and quality control standards, bad batches of insulin can happen. Issues like breaches in the cold chain during shipping or handling might lead to insulin going bad.
For instance, Novo Nordisk had to recall bad batches of insulin cartridge holders in 2017. So, if you have doubts about a bad batch of insulin, it's always a good idea to bring it to your pharmacist and ask for advice.
Related article: How to Travel With Insulin That Needs Refrigeration or Cooling!
Risks, Symptoms and Side Effects of Using Bad Insulin
Now, the real question is: Can bad insulin make you sick and what are the risks? Using insulin that has gone bad and spoiled or has lost efficiency can pose significant risks for your health.
When insulin goes bad, it loses its efficacy and significantly hinders the ability to manage blood sugar levels effectively. This can lead to severe diabetes-related complications, one of the most acute being diabetic ketoacidosis, which is a potentially life-threatening condition.
High Blood Sugar Levels
One of the first symptoms that your insulin may have gone bad is persistently high blood sugar levels. If insulin isn't effective, it's akin to not taking any at all.
If you notice that your blood sugar levels remain elevated even after administration, it's crucial to check the insulin's quality.
Bad insulin can also cause blood sugar levels to fluctuate between high and low. This unpredictability not only complicates diabetes management but also heightens the risk of both immediate and long-term health issues.
Using a fresh supply from your fridge might help you ascertain if the previous one was ineffective. Should your blood sugar levels not normalize, it's important to consult your GP or diabetes specialist without delay.
Other Side Effects of Bad Insulin
Another side effect of using bad insulin includes increased skin reactions at the injection site, such as redness, swelling, or irritation. These could be caused by breakdown products in the insulin that irritate the skin.
If you experience any symptoms of using bad insulin, check the insulin's appearance and efficacy and consult with your doctor if you have doubts. Immediate action can help prevent the more severe side effects and ensure uninterrupted diabetes management.
Related article: What Happens if Insulin Get Warm?
Can bad insulin make you sick?
Utilising ineffective insulin itself isn't directly harmful, yet failing to properly manage blood glucose levels can result in severe complications. While it won't directly make you sick, prolonged high blood sugar levels from bad insulin can lead to serious health issues.
Persistent high blood sugar, or hyperglycaemia, resulting from bad insulin could lead to prolonged hyperglycaemia and a host of medical complications, including diabetic ketoacidosis, neuropathy, and cardiovascular diseases, among others.
Diabetic ketoacidosis can present symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, confusion, rapid breathing, and a fruity scent on the breath-these symptoms demand urgent medical care as they could progress to coma or even be fatal if left untreated.
Moreover, if your insulin is compromised due to contamination from bacteria or due to mishandling, this poses additional risks. Using such contaminated insulin can introduce harmful bacteria directly into your body, leading to severe infections. Despite the rarity of contamination owing to stringent manufacturing and packaging standards, the possibility of such occurrences still exists, posing grave health risks.
How To Know if Your Insulin is Bad
Suspecting an issue with your insulin? If you're feeling uncertain about the integrity of your insulin, a visual inspection is a good first step. However, it's not infallible. If you notice unusual blood sugar levels despite usual insulin dosing, consider swapping your current insulin with a fresh supply from your fridge and consult with a healthcare professional.
What does bad insulin look like?
Insulin should typically be clear and colourless. Any deviation from this norm might indicate a problem:
- Colour change: If your insulin has taken on a yellowish hue or any abnormal colour, it's likely compromised.
- Cloudiness or particles: While some insulin types are naturally cloudy, any unexpected cloudiness or visible particles like strings or clumps suggest it's time to dispose of the insulin.
- Frost or crystallisation: The presence of frost or crystals within the insulin container is a definite sign of freezing at some stage, damaging the insulin irreversibly.
However, not all cloudy insulin indicates a problem. Some types of insulin, such as NPH insulin (e.g., Novolin N, Humulin N, and Insulatard), are naturally cloudy. However, any signs of separation, like clumps or a frosted look inside the container, are red flags that the insulin has gone bad.
Related article: Insulin Storage: 10 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Storing Your Insulin Pens and Vials.
How To Prevent Your Insulin From Going Bad?
Fortunately, there are countless measures you can take to prevent your insulin from going bad. We're not just talking about safeguarding your health, but also avoiding the costly loss of your vital medication. Here's what you can do to ensure your insulin remains potent and safe for use:
Store Your Insulin Correclty
Proper insulin storage is key here! Insulin pens, vials, or cartridges must be refrigerated between 2°C and 8°C until they are ready to be used. Once opened, they should be kept at room temperature but must remain below 25°C, and ideally used within a month.
Here are additional tips to help avoid common insulin storage mistakes:
- Prevent freezing: Keep insulin away from the freezer compartment of your fridge to avoid accidental freezing.
- Track expiry dates: Make a note of when you first open your insulin to ensure it's used within its safe period.
- Avoid heat: Never leave insulin in places like a hot car, near cookers, or fireplaces, and definitely do not microwave it.
- Protect from light: Insulin should be stored in its original container away from direct sunlight to prevent degradation.
- Organise your insulin storage: Use specific sections of your fridge for new and currently used insulin to avoid mixing them up, which could lead to using insulin past its prime.
- Inspect before injection: Always check insulin for signs of crystallisation, discolouration, or unusual particles before use. Discard any insulin that doesn't look right.
- Plan for power failure: Have a contingency plan such as a backup generator or a secondary cooler to keep insulin cool during a power outage.
- Educate others: Make sure all household members know the importance of proper insulin storage and handling to maintain its efficacy.
Use an insulin case cooler
If you're living in or travelling to places where temperatures rise above 25°C, always carry your insulin pens and vials in a reliable cooling case.
While insulated lunch bags with ice packs can be temporary solutions, they're not recommended for medical use, as temperature may fluctuate a lot inside and the set-up isn't reliable enough for insulin.
For more consistent temperature management, consider investing in a specialised insulin cooler. Brands like 4AllFamily offer products specifically designed to keep insulin cool, whether it's stored at fridge temperature or at room temperature.
Use an insulin vial protector
To safeguard your insulin vials from contamination and breakage, consider using an insulin vial protector equipped with a sanitary cap.
These protective silicone sleeves are designed not only to maintain the cleanliness of the vial's surface but also to provide added security against damage if the vial is accidentally dropped. This is an effective way to ensure your insulin remains sterile and intact.
We'd Love to Hear Your Thoughts!
Your insights are incredibly valuable to us and could greatly benefit others dealing with the challenges of bad insulin. Have you ever had an experience with insulin that turned out to be bad? Please share your experiences, questions, and stories about dealing with bad insulin in the comments below!
