
April 15, 2000
Insulin
Question from Provo, Utah, USA:
I am a freshman in college, and since winter has hit, I have been having trouble keeping my insulin at the right temperature. I take it with me everywhere in case I don’t eat meals at home and it’s hard to tell if it’s been frozen by accident. I keep it at room temperature when at home, and usually keeping it in my pockets gets it too warm. Do you have any suggestions on how I can keep it with me without freezing it all the time? It gets expensive.
Answer:
You bring up a very important challenge. When my friends and patients travel for skiing they have discussed the same problem. Their solution has been to keep the insulin in an insulated “fanny pack” inside their coat or to keep a spare in the locker room to avoid the possibility of freezing that you mention.
KS