How do you keep insulin cool in the Omnipod while working outdoors in the heat since the pod is on your body?
1 Like
Excellent question. What type of exposure will you be having to heat? I’m in the DC area, where summers are hazy, hot and humid; but since I’m not outside for extended periods of time and have access to AC, my insulin (in Omnipod and other pumps) has always been okay. It may be different if you’re going to spend extended time directly in the hot sun: I don’t have any suggestions for that - Insulet might advise you - us - on wearing a pod in that case. Don’t forget about your spare insulin - you should invest in a Frio case or similar insulator to keep it cool.
I have a Tandem t:slim with a Frio case that works great but my son who chose the Omnipod because of the tubeless feature has been having trouble with high blood sugar and thought his body couldn’t accept the Novolog any longer so he’s been trying different insulin’s to fix the problem.
He’s outdoors a lot in the Oklahoma heat and humidity. I told him about my problem with bad insulin that I think stopped working because it was exposed to heat while the clinic had it in storage waiting for me to pick it up. A box of 5 pens were damaged.
I recently found that the last day or so before changing my cartridge to new, fresh insulin, I would have to bolus twice as much insulin to keep my sugar out of the 200-300 range. I told him about that and he said ," That must be why my sugars are so high.". But, his Omnipod is stuck to his stomach and I don’t know how to help him with keeping it cool.
@gtanse , insulin is tested at 100F for 3 days, in a shaker, before it is cleared for use in a pump. Even if it’s hot, at night and inside/ shade it will be cooler, your body can also keep the pump cooled the way your body regulates temperature. I’ve worked in greenhouses in the summer and in machine rooms, where it can get hot I suppose if it was going to be extremely hot I would put less insulin in the pump and change them more often.
I just remembered I got my husband some cooling towels to help him stay cool when he’s outside: you soak them in water, wring them out, and snap to activate - they stay cold for a few hours (how long may vary by brand). Better suited for certain placements than others, and keeping it in place might require a little creativity. Available at Amazon and Home Depot/hardware stores.
I’ve often wondered about this. I use the T:slim and keep it in a Frio cooling pouch in the summer. Living in the desert, this is very important. I tried the Omnipod a while back, but didn’t like it. I did wonder when I first tried it how it would be in the summer when the temp is over 100 degrees F. Their rep tried to tell me that it would be fine, but I know that if I don’t cool my Tandem the insulin turns and I have major issues with that. I can tell when my insulin is bad. Some people say it doesn’t bother them, but it does bother me. I get sick to my stomach and my head is cloudy even if my blood sugar is not over 250mg/dl. It’s very unpleasant, so why take the chance?
I like the idea of the cooling towels, although we have used them and they only last for @ an hour in the dry heat. This might vary with more humidity though.
Pam K.
T1D 58.10 years and counting!
@gtanse There have been several studies done on temperature and insulin efficacy; the take away, counter to industry and FDA warnings, is that higher temperatures don’t degrade most insulins (I think Afrezza is not included) that much over short to medium periods of time. The Omnipod only lasts 3 days, so unless we’re talking VERY high temps and are referencing in-date range insulin’s, the likelihood of impact is minimal. In addition, other T1 participants in other fora (like FUD, LnL, etc.) show anecdotal situations of leaving insulin in a closed car, heavy runs (high body temp) in high heat environs, etc. have not indicated impacts for quite sometime (weeks, if not months). Like @wadawabbit, I personally use Dash pods while living in VA, part-time in WV, working outside in high temps and high humidity and have not noticed any impacts to the Novolog I use. That said, I do use a Frio pack or insulated case to carry my extra insulin supplies when traveling, solely out of an abundance of caution.