“Insulin shot?”
I take a slow-acting insulin shot every night. I used the last dosage last night and forgot to get the next insulin pen out of the refrigerator. So now it's time to give myself a shot and the insulin is cold. When can I take my shot? How long do I have to wait until the insulin is not cold anymore?
Female | 68 years old
5 Answers
Hello dear,
You don’t need to wait for the insulin to get warm, you can inject it immediately, the body temperature will make it warm!
You don’t need to wait for the insulin to get warm, you can inject it immediately, the body temperature will make it warm!
You should take your insulin even if it’s cold. You can keep it in room temp for half hour to an hour or so, to warm it up a bit, but you should not skip your dose just because it’s cold
Rotate the pens until close to room temperature. The insulin should be effective.
Insulin an be safely stored in the refrigerator until its expiration date if unopened. Once used you may keep the vials or pens at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 30 days. For insulin taken from the refrigerator for use, briefly rubbing the insulin vial or pen between the palms warms up the liquid and ensures proper mixing for injection. 'Long-acting' insulin will appear uniformly cloudy when ready to inject.
Dear Patient: I tell my patients they can use their insulin within 10 to 15 minutes of taking it from refrigerator; the injection will be less painful then so please take your insulin.
Respectfully
Marvin A Leder MD FACP FACE
Respectfully
Marvin A Leder MD FACP FACE
