What Are The Side Effects Of Humulin R
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of insulin allergy: redness, swelling, sweating, itchy skin rash over the entire body, trouble breathing, fast heartbeats, feeling like you might pass out, or swelling in your tongue or throat.
- low potassium–leg cramps, constipation, irregular heartbeats, fluttering in your chest, increased thirst or urination, numbness or tingling, muscle weakness or limp feeling.
Common side effects may include:
- low blood sugar
- swelling in your hands or feet
- weight gain or
- thickening or hollowing of the skin where you injected the medicine.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
How Do Different Types Of Insulin Work
Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that allows your body to use sugar from carbohydrates in the food that you eat for energy or to store glucose for future use. Diabetes is a health condition in which the body is unable to regulate blood sugar on its own through insulin. There are two distinct types of diabetes:
Type 1 Diabetes :T1D, once known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. Different factors, including genetics and some viruses, may contribute to T1D.
Type 2 Diabetes :T2D is a chronic condition that affects the way your body metabolizes sugar. In T2D, the body either resists the effects of insulin or doesn’t produce enough insulin to maintain normal glucose levels. Genetics and environmental factors, such as being overweight and inactive, have been established as contributing factors.
All patients with T1D and patients with more serious forms of T2D need to take insulin medications to help their body regulate blood sugar.
There are many types of insulin medications available. Each kind has its own unique action and they are not interchangeable. The chart below will help you understand how the various insulin medications work and why your healthcare provider has prescribed them for you.
What Is The Half Life Of Regular Insulin
3.9/5halflifeRegular insulin
Insulin half–life was longer than it is generally assumed .
Also Know, is 30 units of insulin a lot? Generally, to correct a high blood sugar, one unit of insulin is needed to drop the blood glucose by 50 mg/dl. This drop in blood sugar can range from 30-100 mg/dl or more, depending on individual insulin sensitivities, and other circumstances.
Additionally, how long does regular insulin last?
Regular Human Insulin which has an onset of action of 1/2 hour to 1 hour, peak effect in 2 to 4 hours, and duration of action of 6 to 8 hours. The larger the dose of regular the faster the onset of action, but the longer the time to peak effect and the longer the duration of the effect.
What is regular insulin used for?
Regular insulin, also known as neutral insulin and soluble insulin is a type of short acting insulin. It is used to treat diabetes mellitus type 1, diabetes mellitus type 2, gestational diabetes, and complications of diabetes such as diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic states.
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How To Take Humulin R
Use Humulin R exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.
Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Use the medicine exactly as directed.
Regular insulin is injected under the skin. A healthcare provider can teach you how to properly use the medication by yourself. Regular insulin must not be given with an insulin pump. Do not inject regular insulin into a vein or a muscle.
Read and carefully follow any Instructions for Use provided with your medicine. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you don’t understand all instructions.
Prepare an injection only when you are ready to give it. Do not use if the medicine looks cloudy, has changed colors, or has particles in it. Call your pharmacist for new medicine.
Prepare your injection only when you are ready to give it. Do not use if the medicine looks cloudy, has changed colors, or has particles in it. Call your pharmacist for new medicine.
Your care provider will show you where on your body to inject insulin. Use a different place each time you give an injection. Do not inject into the same place two times in a row.
Do not inject this medicine into skin that is damaged, tender, bruised, pitted, thickened, scaly, or has a scar or hard lump.
After using regular insulin, you should eat a meal within 30 minutes.
Storing unopened regular insulin:
Storing opened regular insulin:
Disposal Of Used Insulin Syringes
Used syringes, pen needles, cannulas and lancets must be disposed of in an Australian Standards-approved sharps container, which is puncture-proof and has a secure lid. These containers are usually yellow and are available through pharmacies, local municipal councils and state or territory diabetes organisations such as Diabetes Victoria. Procedures to dispose of sharps containers vary from state to state.For sharps disposal information and help, you can contact:
- state or territory diabetes organisations, such as Diabetes Victoria
- state department of health
Insulin needs to be stored correctly. This includes:
- storing unopened insulin on its side in a fridge
- keeping the fridge temperature between 2 and 8°C
- making sure that insulin does not freeze
- once opened, keeping it at room temperature for not more than one month and then disposing of it safely
- avoiding keeping insulin in direct sunlight.
Extreme temperatures can damage insulin so it doesn’t work properly. It must not be left where temperatures are over 30 °C. In summer your car can get this hot so don’t leave your insulin there.
There are various insulated insulin carry bags available for transporting insulin.
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What Happens If You Use Expired Insulin
When insulin is not working properly, its akin to what happens upon an initial diabetes diagnosis when your pancreas is not producing adequate insulin for your bodys needs.
Blood sugars start to rise and can do so quite rapidly. When you see blood sugars go up and have ruled out other causes, such as illness, changes in diet and/or exercise, or new medications, start to suspect that your insulin has gone bad.
When you switch to a new vial or pen and your blood sugars magically go back to normal, you have verified that your insulin was in fact damaged.
Its important to note that insulin can go bad before its expiration date. This happens very rarely, but if you feel that your insulin isnt working as well as it should, try switching to a new vial or pen.
Background Or Basal Insulin Replacement
- Controls glucose overnight and between meals by keeping fat in fat tissue and curbing glucose production from the liver.
- Provides a low, continuous level of insulin.
- Can be a long-acting insulin, which you inject once or twice daily such as the insulin analogs, insulin glargine, insulin detemir and NPH.
- Or can be a rapid-acting insulin continuously infused under the skin, if you are using an insulin pump.
- Represents about 50% or half of the bodys daily insulin requirements.
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Why Insulin Should Be Refrigerated
Firstly, insulin is effectively proteins dissolved in liquid. So, like any other protein, insulin can spoil. This is why it needs to be refrigerated to keep it from spoiling. Think of insulin as a form of meal. If you keep it out for long enough, its going to spoil.
More clearly, what exactly happens within insulin kept outside is that bacteria starts growing. This bacterial growth will break down the protein. So, by keeping it cool through refrigerating, its easier to prevent bacterial growth. When dealt with in this way, the potency of the insulin will be retained.
Insulin kept out of the refrigerator will not poison you or even make you sick. It just means that your insulin will not work as well or deliver its full potential dose.
In simple terms, if your blood sugar is high, and you use the insulin that has been kept out, your blood sugar may not be lowered. You may still find the blood sugar higher than you expect even after taking the injection at the right amount at the right time.
That being said, its important to remember that keeping your insulin refrigerated doesnt mean it can be used for any period. Insulin has a lifespan, and it will expire after its lifespan regardless of refrigerating.
The next common question that comes with refrigerating is the temperature. So, lets focus next on refrigerating temperatures for insulin.
Can You Still Use Insulin After The Expiration Date
Using expired insulin is absolutely not recommended and should only be done if you have no other option.
The effectiveness of insulin degrades over time and its impossible to predict how well expired insulin will work or if it will even work at all!
Insulin is a bit unusual in that it had two expiration dates one is the expiration date if insulin is unopened and stored at the proper temperature. The second expiration date is the date the manufacturer suggests insulin is good for after opening and when kept at room temperature.
Be sure to check both dates so you know if your insulin is still safe to use.
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Insulin Types: Their Peak Times And Durations
Insulin is a hormone every living mammal needs in order to stay alive. In those of us with diabetes, insulin is either something we dont produce at all or something we struggle to produce enough of.
Without adequate insulin whether its from your pancreas, a syringe, a pen, or an insulin pump your blood sugar will rise to dangerously high levels. Without enough insulin, you will get very sick.
Lets take a closer look at insulin, how it works, and the many options available today for people with diabetes.
Characteristics Of Insulin Action
There are three characteristics that define how insulin medication function:
Insulin is prescribed by matching the characteristics of a particular insulin with the individual needs of the patient. Some people are on only one kind of insulin, while others take a combination of insulin medication to customize good glucose control.
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Response From Novo Nordisk
Thank you for sharing this letter regarding insulin storage guidelines. Novo Nordisk shares the commitment of health care professionals that insulin storage and handling should be appropriate to maintain consistent and predictable glycemic effects. We agree that storage and handling guidelines are essential for the patient to use insulin safely and effectively on a daily basis, in a variety of situations. We offer the following information regarding proper use of insulin formulations manufactured by Novo Nordisk.
What Is Insulin Used For
Insulins main job is to keep your blood sugar levels from getting too high. After a meal, your pancreas releases the hormone insulin into your bloodstream. Insulin travels through your body where it helps take sugar out of your blood and move it into cells for energy.
In some cases, your body may not make or respond to its own natural insulin the way it should. Therefore, you may need to use an insulin medication to manage your blood sugar levels.
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How Long Does Insulin Last After Injection
The duration of insulin effects depends on the type of insulin used. There are five types of insulin:
- Rapid-acting insulin: Onset is within 15 minutes and duration of effects last up to five hours.
- Short-acting insulin: Onset is in 30-60 minutes and duration of effects last up to 10 hours.
- Intermediate-acting insulin: Onset of two to four hours with duration of effects lasting 12-18 hours.
- Long-acting insulin: Onset of three to four hours with duration of effects lasting over 24 hours.
- Combination insulin: Mixture of rapid-acting and long-acting insulins, which has quick onset and long-lasting effect.
A protein obtained from fish, known as neutral protamine Hagedorn , is added to insulin to slow down its absorption and make the effects last longer. NPH also makes the insulin solution appear cloudy to the eye.
The long-lasting insulins are known as basal insulins and provide a constant, steady supply to bring down high resting blood sugar levels. Short-acting insulins are known as bolus insulins. They act fast to bring down blood sugar spikes that come with meals.
Determining The Right Insulin Doses For You
The most challenging part of living with diabetes and requiring insulin via syringe, pen, pump, or pod is determining just how much insulin your body needs at certain times of day, and for certain types and amounts of food.
This is a never-ending process of fine-tuning, adjusting, testing, andexperimenting. Simply losing 5 pounds or gaining 5 pounds can have a significant impact on the amount of insulin you need.
Making changes in how you eat can mean you suddenly need more or less insulin. A stressful day or an entire stressful year can have a tremendous impact on your insulin needs.
Thevariables are endless.
For assistance in adjusting your insulin doses to meet your bodys current needs and prevent frequent high and low blood sugars, its imperative that you work with your medical team.
Living with diabetes is no simple task, and the medical technology and pharmaceutical drugs we require in order to stay alive are complicated and expensive. Above all else, remember that no one does diabetes perfectly. Perfect blood sugars are something we might strive for, but without a healthy pancreas and immune system, no one should expect perfection.
Dothe best you can, and never give up.
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Insulin Forms Temperature Guide
Opened vials of these insulins and combinations are stable at room temperature for 28 days involving the temperatures 77 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit or below refrigeration between the temperatures 36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Insulin glargine
- Humulin-R
- Mixtures of insulin Novolog Mix 70/30, Humulin 70/30, Novolin 70/30, Humalog Mix 75/25, and Humalog Mix 50/50.
Compared to the, opened vials of insulin detemir are stable for up to 42 days in the above-recommended temperature states.
One common point to bear in mind when refrigerating any insulin brands or types is they shouldnt be permitted to freeze. However, when frozen, you ought to read our post about Frozen Drugs and consider the next.
Why Do I Need To Take Insulin
All people who have type 1 diabetes and some people who have type 2 diabetes need to take insulin to help control their blood sugar levels. The goal of taking insulin is to keep your blood sugar level in a normal range as much as possible. Keeping blood sugar in check helps you stay healthy. Insulin cant be taken by mouth. It is usually taken by injection . It can also be taken using an insulin pen or an insulin pump.
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Regular Hospitalization For Refrigerating Insulin
As previously mentioned, insulin could be held at room temperature to get a maximum approximation of 28 to 30 days.
The standard recommendation out of all insulin producers says a vial of insulin in use can be kept at room temperature for 28 days.
Space temperature for insulin in usage exerts a temperature range between 59 degrees and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Perhaps not in use, the temperature for insulin ought to be kept in a temperature between 36 degrees and 46 degrees Fahrenheit.
If the temperature gets warmer or colder than that, it will either freeze or even begin to break down because of becoming too hot. The expressionbreak down again describes if the germs start to grow, making the insulin lose its potency.
If you reside in a warmer climate, it is safer that you refrigerate your insulin once the temperature goes over approximately 80 degrees Fahrenheit, even when the full 28 days arent over.
What Insulin Can Be Given Intravenously
The only type of insulin that is given intravenously is human regular insulin. A rapid-acting insulin analog is unnecessary in intravenous insulin administration because the insulin is delivered directly into the bloodstream and takes immediate effect.
An insulin analog is human insulin genetically altered in the laboratory to make them rapid-acting or long lasting. A rapid-acting analog insulin may be used to increase the insulin absorption rate in subcutaneous insulin.
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How To Cope With Frozen Insulin
Insulin generally stinks only when theres extremely cold weather outdoors or if you have the equipment onto a chilly day and it remains out for some time, or when you leave it in the vehicle underneath the A/C.
According to research performed by the European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting in Berlin, it had been reported that dwelling refrigerators might experience sudden temperature changes.
Therefore, when refrigerating your insulin, ensure that your fridge maintains a constant temperature that does not go below the freezing point at any moment.
For this, you need to take a look at maintaining a thermometer in the refrigerator and check to get a steady temperature of 39° F .
If, at any stage, you wind up getting frozen insulin, dont use it. Primarily, you will not have the ability to inject insulin when it is frozen. Secondly, do not attempt to utilize insulin after thawing.
This is only because freezing temperatures will break the insulin down hence that the insulin wont operate well in lowering your glucose levels.
So discard frozen insulin and substitute it with new equipment. If you are struggling to manage your insulin, then we could help. Discover more info on this.