How Many Types Of Insulin Are There

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:

• Store unopened insulin on its side in a fridge.
• Keep the fridge temperature between 2 and 8 °C.
• Make sure that insulin does not freeze.
• Once opened, keep it at room temperature for not more than one month and then dispose of it safely.
• Avoid 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.

The Importance Of Using The Right Syringe

Syringes are used very various medications from insulin to bacteriostatic water for injection. Choosing the right syringe does matter when it comes to insulin injection. The basic rule of thumb when it comes to syringes is to choose the smallest size that is large enough to hold the biggest dose you take.

When the syringe is smaller, it makes it easier to read the markings so you can draw up the most accurate dose.

Comparing Human Insulin And Insulin Analogues

Insulin analogues were introduced to the market in the 1990s. Compared to human insulin, they start lowering blood sugar somewhat sooner after being injected. For many years now there has been a debate about whether people with diabetes benefit from this. But research has not found any to suggest they do.

If, for instance, a particular type of insulin were shown to prevent complications caused by poorly controlled blood sugar levels, that type of insulin would offer a clear advantage. It would also be an advantage if the insulin prevented strong fluctuations in blood sugar levels that lead to noticeably low or high blood sugar . Or if it made it easier for people to follow their daily treatment plan. But studies in this area suggest that insulin analogues and human insulin are equally effective in the treatment of diabetes.

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What Severe Complications Can Occur Because Of Rationing Or Running Out Of Insulin

Diabetic ketoacidosis is an emergency condition that results if you dont have enough insulin to regulate your blood sugar. DKA causes your body to break down fat for energy in the absence of insulin. This leads to a dangerous accumulation of acids known as ketones in your blood that can cause your brain to swell and your body to go into shock.

Signs of diabetic ketoacidosis include:

• Thirst or a very dry mouth
• Frequent urination
• High levels of ketones in your urine
• Fatigue
• Nausea, vomiting, or stomach pain
• Difficulty breathing
• A fruity or acetone odor on your breath
• Confusion or acting drunk while sober

DKA is so common and can come on so quickly that it is the first sign of Type 1 diabetes in 20% of cases, and the way many type 1 diabetics are first diagnosed with the condition. If you go into diabetic ketoacidosis, dont try to hide it or make light of it. Treat it as the emergency it is and get to a hospital as soon as possible to recover. Ive had people tell me theyre tired of taking insulin, or that theyre rationing it due to cost. In type 1 diabetes, thats all it takes to end up in a life-threatening situation, says Dr. Zilbermint.

Types Of Insulin Administration With Needles Pumps Pens And Why Insulin Is So Expensive

What does insulin do? Help your body turn food into energy, for starters. When you have diabetes, and youre either not producing insulin or your insulin function is off, all sorts of things can go wrong. From needles to pens to pumps to types of insulin, were here to empower you with clear answers to all your pressing questions.

In This Article:

Alvin Powers, MD, Mihail Zilbermint, MD, and Irl Hirsch, MD

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What Type Of Insulin Is Best For My Diabetes

Your doctor will work with you to prescribe the type of insulin that’s best for you and your diabetes. Making that choice will depend on many things, including:

• How you respond to insulin.
• Lifestyle choices. The type of food you eat, how much alcohol you drink, or how much exercise you get will all affect how your body uses insulin.
• Your willingness to give yourself multiple injections per day
• Your age
• Your goals for managing your blood sugar

Your doctor may prescribe more than one type. You might need to take insulin more than once daily, to space your doses throughout the day, or to add other medicines.

Afrezza, a rapid-acting inhaled insulin, is FDA-approved for use before meals for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The drug peaks in your blood in about 15-20 minutes and it clears your body in 2-3 hours. It must be used along with long-acting insulin in people with type 1 diabetes.

The chart below lists the types of injectable insulin with details about onset , peak and duration . These three things may vary. The final column offers some insight into the “coverage” provided by the different insulin types in relation to mealtime.

Insulin A To Z: A Guide On Different Types Of Insulin

Elizabeth Blair, A.N.P., at Joslin Diabetes Center, helps break down the different types of insulin and how they work for people with diabetes. Types of Insulin for People with Diabetes Rapid-acting: Usually taken before a meal to cover the blood glucose elevation from eating. This type of insulin is used with longer-acting insulin. Short-acting: Usually taken about 30 minutes before a meal to cover the blood glucose elevation from eating. This type of insulin is used with longer-acting insulin. Intermediate-acting: Covers the blood glucose elevations when rapid-acting insulins stop working. This type of insulin is often combined with rapid- or short-acting insulin and is usually taken twice a day. Long-acting: This type of insulin is often combined, when needed, with rapid- or short-acting insulin. It lowers blood glucose levels when rapid-acting insulins stop working. It is taken once or twice a day. A Guide on Insulin Types for People with Diabetes Type Brand Name Onset Peak Duration Rapid-acting Humalog Novolog Apidra 10 – 30 minutes 30 minutes – 3 hours 3 – 5 hours Short-acting Regular 30 minutes – 1 hour 2 – 5 hours Up to 12 hours Intermediate- acting NPH 1.5 – 4 hours 4 – 12 hours Up to 24 hours Long-acting Lantus Levemir 0.8 – 4 hours Minimal peak Up to 24 hours To make an appointment with a Joslin diabetes nurse educator, please call 732-2400.Continue reading > >

• How to use basal insulin: Benefits, types, and dosage

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Regulator Of Endocannabinoid Metabolism

Insulin is a major regulator of endocannabinoid metabolism and insulin treatment has been shown to reduce intracellular ECs, the 2-arachidonoylglycerol and anandamide , which correspond with insulin-sensitive expression changes in enzymes of EC metabolism. In insulin-resistant adipocytes, patterns of insulin-induced enzyme expression is disturbed in a manner consistent with elevated EC synthesis and reduced EC degradation. Findings suggest that insulin-resistant adipocytes fail to regulate EC metabolism and decrease intracellular EC levels in response to insulin stimulation, whereby obese insulin-resistant individuals exhibit increased concentrations of ECs. This dysregulation contributes to excessive visceral fat accumulation and reduced adiponectin release from abdominal adipose tissue, and further to the onset of several cardiometabolic risk factors that are associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Hypoglycemia, also known as “low blood sugar”, is when blood sugar decreases to below normal levels. This may result in a variety of symptoms including clumsiness, trouble talking, confusion, loss of consciousness, seizures or death. A feeling of hunger, sweating, shakiness and weakness may also be present. Symptoms typically come on quickly.

Factors That Speed Insulin Absorption

Variation in insulin absorption can cause changes in blood glucose levels. Insulin absorption is increased by:

• injecting into an exercised area such as the thighs or arms
• high temperatures due to a hot shower, bath, hot water bottle, spa or sauna
• massaging the area around the injection site
• injecting into muscle this causes the insulin to be absorbed more quickly and could cause blood glucose levels to drop too low.

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How Do You Inject Insulin

When injecting insulin, always make sure youre giving yourself the correct insulin type and dosage according to your prescription. Injecting too much insulin can lead to low blood sugar and can turn into a medical emergency quickly . Also, never mix or dilute insulin unless your doctor tells you to, and never use expired insulin.

Your doctor or pharmacist can explain how to properly inject insulin. But here is an overview of the steps you should follow if you are using a vial and a syringerather than an insulin pento inject your insulin:

What Is An Insulin Pump

Letâs start with the basics: what is an insulin pump?

Well, an insulin pump is a relatively small electronic device , that is easily attached to a belt, or your clothing such as trousers or a bra, so it can be as visible or as invisible as you want it to be!

Itâs attached to your body via an infusion set, which is basically a thin tube that your insulin is delivered through.

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People With Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is typically a progressive disease and most do not require insulin when first diagnosed. Blood glucose levels are often manageable with lifestyle changes such as more careful meal planning and exercise. Antidiabetic drugs, such as oral medications like metformin or non-insulin injectables, may be added if blood glucose level goals are not being met. Because Type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease, at some point the production of insulin in the pancreas may not be sufficient and insulin injections may be necessary.

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Type 1 Diabetes: Types Of Insulin

Insulin therapy is essential for everyone who has type 1 diabetes and some people who have type 2 diabetes. Various types of insulin are available. They differ in terms of how quickly and how long they are effective, as well as in their chemical structure.

Some types of insulin work quickly , while others only start to work after a certain amount of time, and then work over a longer time period .

Insulin can be extracted from the pancreas cells of pigs or cattle and prepared for use in humans. But nowadays most people use genetically engineered insulin for the treatment of diabetes. There are two types of genetically engineered insulin, known as human insulin and insulin analogues. Human insulin is similar to the insulin made in the human body. Insulin analogues have a different chemical structure, but they have a similar effect.

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Are You On The Right Kind Of Insulin

Karena Yan

Learn about the different forms of insulin and how to choose the best types for you.

Insulin is a critical hormone in the body. A hormone is a substance produced by one of the glands of the body that is carried in the blood to cause a change in a distant tissue or organ. Insulin is produced by the beta-cells of the pancreas and travels to the liver, muscles, and fat cells to cause those cells to take up glucose to use as energy. The pancreas releases insulin when blood glucose levels rise, which often occurs after absorbing sugar from our food. When the liver, muscle and fat cells absorb glucose, blood glucose levels return to a normal range. For people without diabetes, natural insulin brings their glucose levels back down after a meal.

People with type 1 diabetes and some people with type 2 diabetes need to take insulin because their bodies either cannot produce enough insulin or cannot respond well to their own insulin . The goal of taking insulin by injection, pen, pump, or inhalation is keep blood glucose levels as near to the non-diabetes range as possible. Click to learn more about type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.

Were you recently diagnosed with diabetes? Check out our diagnosis article series.

Characteristics of Insulin

The main types of insulin used today are human insulin preparations and insulin analogs well get into the differences between the two types. These types are further differentiated by a few characteristics:

Analog vs. Human Insulin:

How To Take Long

Usually, you inject long-acting insulin once a day to keep your blood sugar levels steady. You use a needle or pen device to give yourself the injection. Be sure to inject your long-acting insulin at the same time every day to avoid lags in insulin coverage or stacking your insulin doses. Stacking means taking your doses too close together, causing their activity to overlap.

Your doctor might recommend adding short-acting insulin before a meal to prevent a blood sugar spike after you eat.

If you change brands of long-acting insulin, you may need a different dose. Talk to your doctor for advice if you change brands of any insulin.

As with any medicine you take, insulin injections can cause side effects.

One possible side effect is low blood sugar . Symptoms of low blood sugar include:

• dizziness
• headache
• fainting

Other possible side effects of insulin injections include pain, redness, or swelling of the skin at the injection site.

Sometimes insulin is given in combination with thiazolidinediones. This drug group includes oral diabetic drugs like Actos and Avandia. Taking insulin with thiazolidinediones increases the risk of fluid retention and heart failure.

For those taking degludec, precautions may be necessary because of its long effect in the body. You doctor may need to increase your dose at a very gradual rate, at least three to four days apart. It will also take longer to clear the drug from your body.

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Types Of Diabetic Patients

Type 1 Diabetes

People with type 1 diabetes make very little or no insulin in their bodies. They must take insulin every day to stay alive.

Type 2 Diabetes

People with type 2 diabetes do not make enough insulin or do not use it well enough. Some individuals with type 2 diabetes can use pills or other medicines that are injected into the body. Other people with type 2 also need insulin to help control their diabetes.

Gestational Diabetes

Some women develop diabetes for the first time when they become pregnant. This is called gestational diabetes. Some women with gestational diabetes need to use insulin to control their blood sugar.

How often should I inject my insulin?

Each person is different. Some people need to inject insulin one time each day. Others need to inject insulin more often. Many things affect how much insulin you need each day:

• Type of Insulin You Use
• What You Eat

Your doctor will tell you how often you should inject your insulin.

In 2013, African Americans were twice as likely as non-Hispanic Whites to die from diabetes.

Insulin Activity And Duration

Insulin has a period of activity that affects when it must be injected and how long it will continue to work in the dog’s body. Insulin also has a peak of activity, making it critical that the dog be fed at an appropriate time in order for there to be enough sugars in the dog’s system for the insulin to burn, avoiding hypoglycemic reactions. The broadest selection of insulin activity and duration is found in Novolin, providing short, intermediate, mixed and long-term activity insulin. Vetsulin/Caninsulin currently offer intermediate-acting insulin.

Short duration insulin reaches its peak activity in a very short period of time and drops off to no activity very quickly. Short-acting insulin is frequently mixed with intermediate or long-acting insulin to provide peaks of activity at meal times. Short-acting insulin can also be used to control high blood sugars that can occur when a dog is sick.

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