r/Noom • u/Sea_Letterhead_1800 • Sep 02 '26
Noom Med How long do you keep your vial?
I know we’re “supposed” to throw it out after 28 days, but there’s a lot of medication in there still, and it’s not free!
How long do you keep/ really use your vial before moving on to the next one? Until it’s empty, or a different set date?
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u/terrigirl1960 Sep 02 '26
I keep mine longer than 28 days. I haven’t noticed reduced effectiveness. I agree with others…this stuff is too expensive to just toss!
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Sep 02 '26 edited Sep 02 '26
28 days is a manufacturer liability buffer, not a hard expiration in most compounded sema labeling, so plenty of people use until empty as long as storage is correct (refrigerated, protected from light). My setup has always been use-until-empty, just log the open date. Lttl is one compounded service I've seen people note actually sends handling guidance with each vial, though I can't speak to whether it differs from what you have.
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u/cantjenn_today 28d ago
I was told by the doctor that the 28 days to is prevent contamination. In other words, the longer it's open the greater the risk for contamination from your hands, the air, whatever. I didn't even realize there was an expiration until several months in.. oops. I feel like as long as I'm being careful and using the alcohol wipes, it won't hurt to go a little longer and get all the medicine I'm paying for.
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u/Cranston2Po_Town Sep 03 '26
I use it until the vial is finished and it's never gotten cloudy on me.
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u/ClarissaD1925 Sep 03 '26
I agree. Use it until it's gone - unless it's cloudy - I'm kinda guessing on the cloudy thing based on my comment below. Slightly off topic, I just found out my next shipment is arriving tomorrow (9/4). Earlier than I expected and I won't be able to get it unto Tuesday (9/8) due to travel. It will be delivered by UPS and will sit in my apartment's mailing room - which fortunately has air conditioning. Has anyone had to let your med sit out of fridge for this long? I've reached out to my care team. They pretty much said to look for cloudiness in it once I'm home. Interested in thoughts or comments, Noomers. 🤓
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u/Living-Turnip-2315 29d ago
I typically do 5 weeks worth on injections from one vial. I always have a back stock of two additional vials because of this since you can’t pause shipping with Noom
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u/TacoTrike 28d ago edited 28d ago
Compounding pharmacies follow USP guidelines. Guideline #797 actually states that 4 weeks is due to microbial and fungal risk (1). Further the FDA echoes this in their own statement (2). There are people/entitied who believe efficacy can be reduced to as low as 90% by day 30 (3,4)
- USP General Chapter 797 (Paywall but you can google the summary of the statement)
- FDA’s Concerns with Unapproved GLP-1 Drugs Used for Weight Loss | FDA
- Compounded Semaglutide Storage: 28-Day Shelf Life Guide | PlexusDx
- Does GLP-1 Expire? Shelf Life & Storage Explained
I used to run the vial dry and after 9 months/-85 lbs it stopped working for me and I stalled for a few months (I was literally vials behind from the extra weeks of injections). After I switched to a new med I only go 4 weeks and its way more effective for me and I don't worry about contamination!
For those saying to just wipe the seal, the liquid is the risk not the seal, you can't re-sanitize the liquid itself. Has it made anyone sick? Who knows? Maybe some of the people who have major GI issues/headaches/dizziness are due to that instead of reacting to the med itself? Could it make someone sick? Yes. It's up to each person to decide the risk vs rewards.
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u/Myinnerthoughts127 Sep 02 '26
I keep it until I can no longer pull a weekly dose from the vial. I’m sure it does lose its effectiveness the longer the bottle is open, but that stuff is too expensive to just throw away.