RebiSmart storage - kid safe?

[Footsie3110]

I just saw the video that came with the RebiSmart and the case it's in is a lot bigger than I expected. Where do you all store it? Obviously it has to go in the fridge, but we have a small-ish fridge and a family of 5 so on grocery day I'm lucky to find room to fit all the fruit and veg! I thought I only had to store the cartridges but apparently I also have to store the entire RebiSmart unit (with the current cartridge in it) in the fridge as well.

Also my youngest child is only 2 and she's a climbing, mischief-making little monkey and I'm worried she'll grab the case out of the fridge and drop it. My other two kids would never have been a problem at that age, but this little lass is unstoppable, short of duct-taping her to the wall. ;)

Those of you with young kids in the house, how do you safely store it away from kids? Do you padlock it? Have a separate small fridge just for your meds?

Any tips and suggestions will be welcomed. :)

Cheers,

Footsie XOXO

[Rcoles]

Same in the UK. Cartridges stay in the fridge, machine with cartridge in at room temperature. If I'm going on holiday (obviously abroad England doesn't know what sunshine is!)  I have a cool bag to put the whole machine in & must keep everything in the fridge. So your both right. If your lucky enough to have the weather you keep it all in the fridge, if not room temp is fine for machine & cartridge in use.

[Footsie3110]

It may be a different design for the Aussie climate Mike. I can't even store a block of butter out of the fridge here because it turns to a puddle of rancid liquid within a few hours. The good news is that apparently I now qualify for a rebate on my electricity account so If I need to run the fans 24/7 in summer to stay well then some of the extra cost is covered for me. :)

She didn't mention the Rebislide at all. Not sure why but even my neuro didn't mention any other treatment options. It seems RebiSmart is the number #1 "go to" med for MS over here (or perhaps the #1 med my neuro likes to recommend).

[Mike_Shuswap]

I'm happy to hear your injection went alright. The anticipation is always worse than the actual injection.

Sorry again for my wrong advice re Rebismart storage. I looked up my manual and it says not to put it in the fridge. I wonder if the unit has been updated to allow refridgeration.

Was there any mention of the Rebislide? It's brand new this year and I understand it's available in Canada, the UK, and Australia.

Mike

[Footsie3110]

I had my appointment today and was told absolutely that I had to store the entire unit in the fridge so I assume the case it comes in is designed in such a way to keep out moisture.

The instructions that came with it said:

"DO store RebiSmart in its storage box upright in the fridge when loaded with a Rebif multidose cartridge."

I was given sharps containers, needles etc...a whole heap of stuff that I now have in a bag up on top of the fridge out of the way of the kids, and the RebiSmart case and cartridges are in the fridge behind everything else out of sight so hopefully that will stop nosy little monkeys.

I'm very pleased to report that the first injection (only 20% of a full dose) was absolutely painless and nothing at all like I expected. I could feel the needle going in but it wasn't unpleasant at all.

All that worry about nothing! :)

[Mike_Shuswap]

So sorry I added to your confusion! I live in Canada so when they say room temp it would be pretty rare for it to be 30 - 35 C inside.

When I'm out in the hot weather for any length of time, I always remove the cartridge from the machine and put it in the fridge or in a small cooler with ice packs.

Then about half an hour before injecting I take out the cartridge and warm it up in the palm of my hand before reinstaling it in the machine.

I've had my Rebismart for almost three years, I wonder if they've changed their minds about possible damage from refridgerating  the unit, or if they simply have different instructions for hotter climates?

Good luck with the nurse, I'm sure you'll do fine. I'd be curious to hear what she/he says about refridgerating the unit, and if the Rebislide will be offered as an alternative.

Mike

[Footsie3110]

I'm confused now... the info I was given definitely said store the cartridges in fridge "including the one currently in the device". Room temp around here is pretty warm... usually 30 - 35 degrees C. I don't have aircon. Actually I don't even have a closet! LOL Can't wait until my little monkey grows out of this stage.

My appointment with the nurse is tomorrow morning, so I guess that's one more thing I need to clarify with them.

[Mike_Shuswap]

Hi Footsie,

Absolutely do NOT store your Rebismart in the fridge! It will kill the batteries and could cause moisture to damage the machine. Only store the multi-dose cartridges that haven't been loaded into the machine in the fridge.

The cartridge in the machine should be fine for the week outside of the fridge. Rebif can be kept at room temp for up to a month, maybe longer, I can't remember, but for sure at least a month.

There is a "safe" available at no cost that you can use to lock up your Rebif in the fridge. It's a plastic locking box, about 8" X 8" with a locking hinged door. Mine broke when I dropped it, but if I had little ones at home I'd get another one.

I just kept my Rebismart on top of my highboy dresser, but on a shelf in the closet would be out of sight of curious eyes.

Another option for you to look into would be the Rebislide. Rather than being an electronic injecting device like the Rebismart, it's completely mechanical. It's much more compact , and uses the same multi-dose cartridges. I just switched to using one a couple months ago and I'm quite pleased with it.

cheers,

Mike