Mixed Alprostadil Shelf Life

[WestLad]

All the information I have found to date says that, once mixed, powder form Caverject / Viridal (Alprostadil) must be used within 24 hours, and not refrigerated.

My prescription is for 20mcg, but I only need 5mcg.
I would like make use of the rest of the ‘mix’ at a later date.

Can anyone tell me how quickly reconstituted Alprostadil actually loses its effectiveness?

[bldoink]

I won't answer your question directly as I have no experience with the Caverject / Viridal. I would suggest you follow doctors or pharmacist directions.

I do have experience with Edex cartridges. They are cartridges that contain two compartments in a glass cartridge separated by a rubber plug. One compartment contains saline and the other dry alprostadil. You place the cartridge in it's dispenser, attach a needle and depress a plunger to mix the compartments. At this point, in normal use, you would inject the contents. As the cartridges are designed to be used immediately after reconstituting the saline may contain no preservatives.

Contrary to the package insert instructions I have combined the ingredients of a Edex cartridge contents, removed the needle from the cartridge applicator, and then removed the cartridge from the applicator. I then used small diabetic syringes and drew up multiple doses from the cartridge through where the cartridge needle pierced the rubber plug. I then used one dose. I then drew air into the unused syringe containing the other dose, capped it, and put it in the freezer needle up and froze it. When I used the other dose days later it worked just fine.

I'll assume the Caverject cartridge is similar to the Edex cartridge. If I wanted 5mcg doses from the 20mcg cartridge, I'd draw four doses drawn into the appropriate sized diabetic syringes, as described above. Three of syringes I'd pull air into and freeze with the needle up. Make sure you expel the air before use.

What I posted above is what I've done in the past with Edex cartridges which are also alprostadil. It's certainly contrary to instructions and so clearly against medical advice. So don't do that!

Maybe that made sense.

[harvey6389@att.net]

Thank you for sharing expiriences. I have also used residual alprostadil with no problems or loss of effectiveness. I have my own opinion as to why they advise not to do this. But i think if you are careful not to introduce bacteria it should be ok and definately an ecomic consideration. But wouldn't withdrawng air be better, or was that done to allow for expasion in freezing? However if you get you get the kit not duel chamber you could leave the residual all in the ampule.

[bldoink]

...But wouldn't withdrawing air be better, or was that done to allow for expansion in freezing? However if you get you get the kit not duel chamber you could leave the residual all in the ampule.

I draw air into the syringe for two reasons, neither of which are based on my medical training or knowledge as I have none. 1) To allow room for expansion should it actually freeze solid. 2) I find that if the meds sit in a syringe for any appreciable time the plunger develops considerable resistance to initial movement complicating the injection process. If I have some air in the top of the syringe it allows me to push past the resistance point while expelling the air.

I suspect that with the Edex cartridge I could combine the saline and powder and then just remove the two part vial from the applicator and then treat it like any other vial, including freezing it.

That's what I'm currently doing with my Ozempic, except I don't freeze it. I just refrigerate it. I take the cap off of the Ozempic cartridge. I then use small sharp scissors and cut through both sides of the plastic cartridge where it has the windows and then just pull out the vial and use it like any other vial. I then put it back in the plastic cartridge and put the cap back on for storage in the refrigerator. Each Ozempic cartridge size says on the cartridge how many mg of drug per the volume of liquid in the cartridge. So you have to do the math to figure out your dose by diabetic syringe units.

Remember none of the information above is medical advice and is in fact contrary to any medical advice. So don't do it! I have absolutely no medical training or expertise. You'd be nuts to take anything I post as medical advice. I'm just another internet bubba typing on my keyboard.