2006-08-12 23:02:53 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Diabetes
The following facts are known...
1. The potency of insulin decreases very gradually over time and the degree of reduction depends on the storage conditions.
2. Insulin should be stored in the dark as exposure to sunlight decreases its biological activity. The optimum storage is in the dark at temperatures between 2 and 8 C. and freezing should be avoided.
3. If there is a loss of potency as a result of storage at high temperatures for long periods, then the breakdown products of insulin are not harmful in any way – unlike expired antibiotics, for example. So the insulin is safe to use but it may not be fully effective.
2006-08-12 23:09:56 · answer #1 · answered by the truth 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it is six months or less out of date, probably no affects. More than that, the strength tends to degrade. So, if you are a "brittle" diabetic, you won't be getting the blood sugar control you need.
Another thing: You don't say if the bottle has been open for a long time and been used. Once a needle has been stuck into the bottle, you need to toss the bottle after a month...empty or not. You have a risk for contamination from the needle. You don't want bacteria growing in your insulin...or anything else you are injecting into yourself.
2006-08-13 01:56:23 · answer #2 · answered by kathy_is_a_nurse 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
like any drug it has a use by date for it to be affected if you take an out of date out you are just asking for trouble and that's not something you should be playing around with ... you should already know all the stuff that can happen to someone who is diabetic so wise up and get some new supplies in
2006-08-14 02:32:51 · answer #3 · answered by carol p 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would think it depends on how out of date it is. - I would phone a few pharmacists and ask. If you need to take your injection now, maybe the hospital will do something for you. It's not advisable to take out of date medicine.
I hope if you are due your injection, and you need to use the out of date insulin, your local hospital will talk you out of doing so and give you an injection to tide you over.
2006-08-12 23:18:37 · answer #4 · answered by Curious39 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2016-05-02 11:30:40 · answer #5 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It would not have the full effect you were expecting, its potency would be reduced so you would need more to have the same effect. As you would have no idea just how reduced its potency would be you could either find yourself going hyper because it didn't work as well, or, if you increased the dose, find yourself going hypo if the potency hadn't decreased. This is one field where the use by date MUST be adhered to, otherwise it could be very dangerous for you.
2006-08-12 23:24:03 · answer #6 · answered by mike-from-spain 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you need it, it's not worth the risk taking abything out of date.
2006-08-12 23:13:52 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It would not have the same effect of working in your body. Like all medicines, if you find something out of date, just get rid of it in a sensible way.
2006-08-12 23:11:01 · answer #8 · answered by bingolil 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1
2017-02-09 12:41:42 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wouldn't that be like drinking out of date milk? Probably very inadvisable!
2006-08-12 23:09:27 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋