Health Tip: Storing Your Insulin

(HealthDay News) -- Diabetics must not only take their insulin correctly, they also need to make sure that it''s stored properly.

The American Diabetes Association offers these suggestions:

• Never store insulin in the freezer. It clumps at temperatures below 36 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Any insulin that won''t be used in a month or less should be stored in the refrigerator.
• Insulin that you are currently using can be stored at room temperature (no higher than 86 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to a month.
• Check the color and consistency of your insulin before you use it. Rapid- and short-acting insulin should be clear, and intermediate-acting insulin should be cloudy, but never with large clumps floating in it.
• Never use insulin that is past its expiration date.

-- Diana Kohnle

Last Updated: Nov. 20, 2008

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