Keeping medications cold in the heat
February 17, 2018 11:17 PM Subscribe
I have medication that needs to be kept at room temperature (under 25 C). It cannot be stored in the fridge. Complication: My air conditioning is broken, it's summer, and my apartment is very hot.
My various temperature gauges have told me the usual recommended places to store medications (in the back of a closet or drawer) are still getting to around 28 degrees. I've tried Eskys, cooler bags, everything I can think of.
I've got a fan so I'm okay, but my meds aren't.
For anyone wanting to know, the drug is Synarel, a liquid nasal spray. Clinic just kept repeating "Keep in a cool dry place" when I called them for advice.
How on earth do I keep my medication at room temperature?
My various temperature gauges have told me the usual recommended places to store medications (in the back of a closet or drawer) are still getting to around 28 degrees. I've tried Eskys, cooler bags, everything I can think of.
I've got a fan so I'm okay, but my meds aren't.
For anyone wanting to know, the drug is Synarel, a liquid nasal spray. Clinic just kept repeating "Keep in a cool dry place" when I called them for advice.
How on earth do I keep my medication at room temperature?
And if the problem with an esky is that is not cold enough, get a small one (they sell little lunch boxes that are insulated and have freezer packs) and put it in the fridge or freezer to pre chill it, then take it out to get it up to a better temperature before putting the drugs in. If you have two, you can alternate, with one prechilling while the other is in use.
posted by lollusc at 11:41 PM on February 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by lollusc at 11:41 PM on February 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
If you have a fan, you can make a mini "swamp cooler" or evaporative cooler. Use bowl filled with water, wrap your meds in a damp terry cloth face cloth (terry has more surface area) stand the facecloth/meds up in the water.
You only need enough water to wick into the cloth and keep it wet, but you want as much of the cloth exposed to the air as possible.
Put the whole thing in the path of the fan and let evaporartive cooling give it a go. You'll have to replenish the water from time to time.
posted by Zedcaster at 12:02 AM on February 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
You only need enough water to wick into the cloth and keep it wet, but you want as much of the cloth exposed to the air as possible.
Put the whole thing in the path of the fan and let evaporartive cooling give it a go. You'll have to replenish the water from time to time.
posted by Zedcaster at 12:02 AM on February 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
If you don't mind spending money wine coolers have an upper set point of around 14C.
posted by Mitheral at 1:14 AM on February 18, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by Mitheral at 1:14 AM on February 18, 2018 [3 favorites]
Get an ice pack or two and put it in a drawer with your medication. Refreeze as needed.
posted by Autumnheart at 6:16 AM on February 18, 2018
posted by Autumnheart at 6:16 AM on February 18, 2018
If you live in a dry area you can try a pot-in-pot cooler but they don't work in high humidity. I tried.
posted by Botanizer at 6:33 AM on February 18, 2018
posted by Botanizer at 6:33 AM on February 18, 2018
If you don't mind spending money wine coolers have an upper set point of around 14C.
This was going to be my suggestion as well. We have put medication in our (small and very cheap) wine cooler during the summer before and it has worked well.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:50 AM on February 18, 2018
This was going to be my suggestion as well. We have put medication in our (small and very cheap) wine cooler during the summer before and it has worked well.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:50 AM on February 18, 2018
The website you linked says: Do not put your spray in the freezer or refrigerator. If you have accidentally stored Synarel in the refrigerator, take it out and leave it at room temperature for at least 1 hour before using it.
That makes it sound like fridge temp wouldn’t hurt for storage as long as it has time to come up to room temp before you use it, so I wonder if you could store it in the fridge and just take it out an hour before using it. I’d definitely ask your doctor or pharmacist before doing this, though!
posted by insectosaurus at 8:47 AM on February 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
That makes it sound like fridge temp wouldn’t hurt for storage as long as it has time to come up to room temp before you use it, so I wonder if you could store it in the fridge and just take it out an hour before using it. I’d definitely ask your doctor or pharmacist before doing this, though!
posted by insectosaurus at 8:47 AM on February 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
I've had to take medication with this kind of warning on it for about half my life now, what they are really saying is keep it out of sunlight and super hot areas.
I'm not familiar with this one in particular, but every other medication I've had was fine being kept on a shelf in a bathroom cupboard. They are very conservative with the temperature estimates. Best of luck.
posted by smoke at 12:25 PM on February 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
I'm not familiar with this one in particular, but every other medication I've had was fine being kept on a shelf in a bathroom cupboard. They are very conservative with the temperature estimates. Best of luck.
posted by smoke at 12:25 PM on February 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
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My clinic advised that a few degrees higher would be fine (and it was). Just don't leave it in direct sun or a car or something. 28 degrees is probably lower than mine was.
But I would have thought an esky would work. If its getting too cold in there, try pre cooling the esky, opening it until the temperature creeps up a bit and then removing the ice pack and closing it with the drugs inside.
posted by lollusc at 11:38 PM on February 17, 2018 [3 favorites]