There are many different medications used in the treatment of diabetes. For people with type I diabetes insulin injections are the difference between life and death. People who have type I diabetes depend on insulin injections to help their body move glucose to the cells for growth and energy. Without the insulin they will become very ill and die. There is different insulin for different needs.
Humalog and Novalog are both very fast acting insulin. These begin to act within 15 minutes of injection and by 45 to 90 minutes they are reaching their peak. They continue to work on your blood sugar for approximately 4 hours. After a very fast acting insulin injection the diabetic will need to eat within 15 minutes to avoid hypoglycemia.
Many people prefer this type of insulin because it makes it easier to coordinate their meals and better control their blood sugars. These are usually given in a dose determined by a “sliding scale”. A sliding scale is a chart in which your doctor has prescribed an amount of insulin determined by the glucose reading at that time.
The next type of insulin is fast acting. This type of insulin is referred to as Regular insulin. Humulin R and Novolin R are examples. With regular insulin the diabetic usually must wait 30 to 45 minutes before eating their meal. It peaks in approximately 2 to 5 hours and lasts up to 8 hours. Again, the dose of this type of insulin is usually given on a sliding scale, but may be a set amount at a certain time of day. Your doctor will make the decision.
The other type of insulin is the intermediate acting. A few examples of this are Lente and NPH. These do not begin to work immediately. They usually begin to work in about 1 to 3 hours after injection. The peak time for its benefit is between 6 to 12 hours. They can remain working in the body for up to 24 hours.
Sometimes the doctor after studying your blood sugar results will determine that you need a mixture of insulin. This is common and beneficial, but only a physician should make this determination. Usually if you are requiring fast acting insulin and a long acting insulin they can be given in one injection. Check with your pharmacists before mixing them in the same syringe.
Please always remember that your doctor is the only one who can decide what type of insulin is right for you and what dose you should take. Never make changes to your insulin type or dose without your doctors’ knowledge or order
