Vicky

I have a friend who is flying to Las Vegas on Southwest Airlines on Thurs. He has just started taking insulin so has not flown before while using it. If anyone has experienced this situation, how do you keep your insulin cold while traveling? Do you give it to the flight attendant to put in a refrigerator on the plane? Carry a small cooler? Does it need to be refrigerated? Thanks

lisettemac

No personal experience, but doesn't the meter he has have an insulated pouch or area for insulin?

bardo1

My MIL has a zippered insulated travel pack that came with a tiny freezer gel pack. I think any drugstore would have that or something similar.

pollyvw

Your friend needs to check with the company that makes the variety of insulin he uses or with his pharmacist. There are different varieties which have different refrigeration requirements; different amounts of time they are stable when not refrigerated. For instance, my mother uses one that is refrigerated until the time the bottle is opened. After that it is to be 'non-refrigerated.' There was a time when she was using a different type and was in ER with my dad for an extented period of time. I asked the nurse about a place where she could keep her insulin and was told that the type she was using then would remain stable for an extended period of time.

So, the answer to the question is "it depends." Check with drug company or pharmacist regarding your friend's particular kind.

gail

Please check with pharmacist. Most insulin does not have to be refrigerated. That said, I doubt it could stand prolonged heat of parked car in Las Vegas, so also get range of safe storage temperatures.

Make sure he has label, prescription, etc. for the syringes.

mamajo

We have gone on several driving vacations in the South and West in the summer, and I had to keep my Procrit refrigerated.

I bought an insulated lunch bag/box, put the Procrit in a small container wrapped in paper towels (to keep it from bouncing around in the container) and then I double bagged two plastic zip-lock bags and filled them with ice cubes, put that in the bottom, then the medicine container, then filled two more bags with ice and put that on top and sealed the bag. It lasted all day that way and never ruined the Procrit. When we reached the motels, I would just fill up the bags again for the night. Some motels had the little 'fridges, so I could use those at night. I never had any problems.

We even took a two week bus trip into Northern Mexico (temps got up over 105) and I still had some cubes left at the end of the day. But my RX HAD to be kept cold...do as others suggest...ask the Pharmacist.