Any one know if it is really unusable if your sumatriptan vial freezes?  (The vial did not break)

The zipper on my bag busted and my last shot fell out and was left in the car last night, when I woke up it was -6 outside.  I read that it is supposed to be stored no lower than 36 degrees and not to use it if it has been frozen and I'm wondering if that is complete BS. 

I hope so, cause I really can't shell out $150 for the second time in 6 months just to get through these friggin clusters.

I found one a post from our old board, back in 98 from Paul98 that said this "If they are injectable, ...autoinjectable (stat dose) you cannot freeze them!  If they are single dose VIALS with septum top, you can freeze these.  You can freeze oral medications for longer storage.  I would think you can freeze the nasial but try with one pack.  Any frozen liquid medication MUST be thawed and well mixed before use!!! 

IF this is true it makes me think the only reason you should not freeze Sumatriptan is that the drug could come out of suspension, and the only reason not to freeze the autoinject vials is that they could break.  BUT I really don't know.

It's not cloudy and not broken, I'm tempted to use it. 

Anybody have any info or experience with this?

-Ricardo

Drugs.com is a dependable site. Found this there:

Ask Drs: Medicine Storage - A Doctor Will Answer in Minutes‎Questions Answered Every 9 Seconds.‎medicine-storage.justanswer.com/

Bob Johnson wrote on Feb 28^th, 2014 at 9:05am:

Drugs.com is a dependable site. Found this there: Ask Drs: Medicine Storage - A Doctor Will Answer in Minutes‎Questions Answered Every 9 Seconds.‎medicine-storage.justanswer.com/

Thanks.  I figure I could also cal my doc or a pharmacist, but I'm pretty sure that they will just look it up and tell me what I have already read, that you are not supposed to use it if it gets to that low of a temp.

I guess I was hoping for someone who had a little more info than that, or someone who said they've done it and did not die.

Guess I'll have to be that person :)

If I use it (hard to believe I won't once I get hit by a heavy cluster) I'll report back.

-Ricardo

Not particularly helpful info from GSK, but I cannot find any reason why it will have degraded.
My specialist, perhaps the one man contactable by patients, who could definitively answer this question is on holiday, or I would ask him for you.

Just because ambient temperature was low, does not mean the either the product actually froze, that it has been taken outside of acceptable tolerances, or that it is unstable, or unusable. My guess is, most anyone mid CH attack would use it anyway.

We covered this once before on expiry dates etc.
Biodegradation is slow and it would seem, mostly caused by light. I've tested the upper temperature and storage limits, using out-of-date injections that have been stored in temperatures up to 46 Degrees Celsius (144F), worked fine, no problems.

From the Imitrex MSDS:
Glaxo Smith Kline. MSDS

SAFETY DATA SHEET

Product identifier IMITREX INJECTION

9. Physical and chemical properties
Appearance:

Physical state: Liquid.
Form: Solution.
Color: Not available.
Odor: Not available.
Odor: threshold Not available.
pH: 4.5 - 5
Melting point/freezing point: Not available.
Initial boiling point and boiling range :Not available

START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

I will try to attach the page here.

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Hi Ricardo,
There's truly one way to find out, try it when needed! 

Temperature, sensitivity to light, oxygen, moisture, time, etc has been known to change the composition of medicines; which is why there are "warnings" on the lable for proper storage.

However, many CH'ers use expired meds we have stockpiled for our next cycle, etc and post questions such as "Will it still be good as it's 5 years expired, etc?"

...again, one way to find out...try it when needed. 

Please post/share your findings...
Good luck ;)

-Gregg in Las Vegas

If you do use this previously frozen vial, and you're able to post about it sometime afterwards, please let us know if it worked. I've never had a vial freeze on me before.

I4B

Quote:

if it has been frozen

That's a big if.

Ever put a bottle of Vodka in your freezer?
It won't freeze there, or in a Russian Winter.

Since GSK's Material Safety Data Sheet does not list an actual freezing point for Sumatriptan injection, without conducting an experiment to find out, I don't suppose anyone knows the actual freezing point of Sumatriptan injection... Somewhere above a Bose–Einstein condensate, but below an ambient Zero degrees C, one could surmise...  ;)

Whether or not it is still safe, is another issue entirely and one I certainly cannot answer.

I posted my own anecdotal experience on Sumatriptan injection taken through the upper temperature tolerances.
It's still not conclusive evidence for safety, or efficacy.

I agree Trex4, a post on how it went would perhaps be useful to some...

wrote on Mar 1^st, 2014 at 1:09am:

freezing point: Not available

Well, we at least know that the freezing point is somewhere above -5 because the vial was frozen solid.  Now it is thawed out and looks no different than before.  Definitely planning on using it, but luckily I haven't had to use it (thanks to Clusterbusters :) ).

I'll report back once I use it. 

-Ricardo

Quote:

the vial was frozen solid.

-6 F?, that's -21C, not surprised it was solid!

Aha! The clue I was after.
I have absolutely no medical grounds for this comment - but I would happily use it. I would not think twice.
Actually, mid CH attack - I can't think once...

Used it, found no difference or problems with it.

-Ricardo