Lantus (insulin Glargine) Side Effects
What Is Lantus (Insulin Glargine)? Lantus is the brand name of insulin glargine, a long-acting insulin used to treat adults and children with type 1 diabetes mellitus and adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus to control high blood sugar. Lantus replaces the insulin that your body no longer produces. Insulin is a natural substance that allows your body to convert dietary sugar into energy and helps store energy for later use. In type 2 diabetes mellitus, your body does not produce enough insulin, or the insulin produced is not used properly, causing a rise in blood sugar. Like other types of insulin, Lantus is used to normalize blood sugar levels. Controlling high blood sugar helps prevent kidney damage, blindness, nerve problems, loss of limbs, and sexual dysfunction. Proper control of diabetes has also been shown to reduce your risk of a heart attack or stroke. Lantus is meant to be used alongside a proper diet and exercise program recommended by your doctor. Lantus is manufactured by Sanofi-Aventis. It was approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2000 as the first long-acting human insulin administered once a day with a 24-hour sugar-lowering effect. Lantus Warnings You will be taught how to properly inject this medication since that is the only way to use it. Do not inject cold insulin because this can be painful. Always wash your hands before measuring and injecting insulin. Lantus is always clear and colorless; look for cloudy solution or clumps in the container before injecting it. Do not use Lantus to treat diabetic ketoacidosis. A short-acting insulin is used to treat this condition. It is recommended that you take a diabetes education program to learn more about diabetes and how to manage it. Other medical problems may affect the use of this Continue reading >>
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Page 1 of 7 KATHY: Hi, I’m Kathy and I’m a diabetes educator. Welcome to today’s webinar. Your blood sugar levels may rise and fall for different reasons such as changes in diet and weight, variations in exercise routine, lifestyle changes and increases in stress and general changes in the body. Even when people living with diabetes follow the diabetes management plan set by their physician, their diabetes and body can change over time. They may need to work with their doctors to change their treatment plan over time as well. So it’s important for you to talk with your doctor about changes in your diabetes. Exploring different treatment options along with adjustments in diet and physical activity levels can help to find a treatment plan that works best for you. One treatment option for patients with diabetes is long-acting insulin, Toujeo®. So what is Toujeo® (insulin glargine injection) 300 units per milliliter? Prescription Toujeo® is a long-acting insulin used to control blood sugar in adults with diabetes mellitus. Toujeo® contains three times as much insulin in one milliliter as standard insulin 100 units per milliliter. Toujeo® is not for use to treat diabetic ketoacidosis. Toujeo® should not be used in children. Do not take Toujeo® if you have low blood sugar or if you are allergic to insulin or any of the ingredients in Toujeo®. Long-acting insulin Toujeo® can play a role in managing blood sugar levels in adults with diabetes. This type of insulin is designed to help replace your body’s natural basal insulin production which, in patients with diabetes, can be lost over time. When choosing a long- acting insulin with your doctor, it’s important to consider your options. Some of my patients asked Continue reading >>
Lantus Theory - Hold Sugar Steady Or Lower To Point Of Counter-resistance By Liver?
Lantus Theory - Hold sugar steady or lower to point of counter-resistance by liver? Lantus Theory - Hold sugar steady or lower to point of counter-resistance by liver? (I posted this on 1 other forum I like too, sorry if you see it there) For the sake of argument, lets pretend Dawn Phenomenon doesnt exist. If a person is on 45 units of Lantus and goes to bed at 150 and wakes up 8 hours later at 150, is that dose of Lantus set right and that person just needs to get bedtime number down with rapid, or should Lantus lower the glucose to a point of counter-resistance by the liver? If that same person dropped to 100, would you say they are on too much Lantus because it dropped more than 30 like all the books out there say it shouldn't. We talk about Lantus should not lower but that seems to go against the reason we are titrating. We are titrating to a dose that keeps us at around 100 or whatever your goal is. If it's incorrect that Lantus shouldn't lower, then everyone that titrates their Lantus dose needs to be 100 or lower for the titration to have any validity. I see posts by people that said their sugar drops 70 points after taking Lantus which makes perfect sense to me if their sugar is high. Theoretically, when your sugar is high, the liver isnt pumping out sugar and as Lantus frees up each hour it should lower serum glucose until it meets counter-resistance by liver, right or wrong? If a person is doing daytime basal testing and they are watching their sugar fall hourly from a high number like 140 down to say 90 a few hours later but it doesn't go lower, is that person taking too much Lantus? It dropped more than 30, but didn't go below 90 which for some people is a number still too high. So more Lantus, or is that too much and they need more bolus? I'm asking these Continue reading >>
Compare Novolog Vs. Lantus
When used correctly, this medication will l lower blood sugar every time you use it and prevent the harmful, long-term effects of high sugar levels on your organs and blood vessels. You can easily change the dose of Novolog (insulin aspart) to fit your individual needs. Starting insulin early in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes can maintain your body's insulin-producing cells and slow down disease progression. Can use Novolog (insulin aspart) even if you have liver or kidney problems, unlike many other blood sugar-lowering medicines. Insulin is one of the most effective blood sugar-lowering medication and can lower your A1c (average blood sugar over time) by up to 2-3%. Lantus (insulin glargine) is a long-lasting insulin that provides consistent, all-day sugar control with just once or twice daily dosing. Dose can be easily adjusted to make a customized regimen that's tailored to your body's needs. Lantus (insulin glargine) can be used with liver or kidney problems. 177 reviews so far Have you used Novolog (insulin aspart)? Leave a review 584 reviews so far Have you used Lantus (insulin glargine)? Leave a review The Novolog (insulin aspart) FDA package insert doesn’t have numbers about how common side effects are. Continue reading >>
Calculating Insulin Dose
You'll need to calculate some of your insulin doses. You'll also need to know some basic things about insulin. For example, 40-50% of the total daily insulin dose is to replace insulin overnight. Your provider will prescribe an insulin dose regimen for you; however, you still need to calculate some of your insulin doses. Your insulin dose regimen provides formulas that allow you to calculate how much bolus insulin to take at meals and snacks, or to correct high blood sugars. In this section, you will find: First, some basic things to know about insulin: Approximately 40-50% of the total daily insulin dose is to replace insulin overnight, when you are fasting and between meals. This is called background or basal insulin replacement. The basal or background insulin dose usually is constant from day to day. The other 50-60% of the total daily insulin dose is for carbohydrate coverage (food) and high blood sugar correction. This is called the bolus insulin replacement. Bolus – Carbohydrate coverage The bolus dose for food coverage is prescribed as an insulin to carbohydrate ratio. The insulin to carbohydrate ratio represents how many grams of carbohydrate are covered or disposed of by 1 unit of insulin. Generally, one unit of rapid-acting insulin will dispose of 12-15 grams of carbohydrate. This range can vary from 6-30 grams or more of carbohydrate depending on an individual’s sensitivity to insulin. Insulin sensitivity can vary according to the time of day, from person to person, and is affected by physical activity and stress. Bolus – High blood sugar correction (also known as insulin sensitivity factor) The bolus dose for high blood sugar correction is defined as how much one unit of rapid-acting insulin will drop the blood sugar. Generally, to correct a high bloo Continue reading >>
Lantus Side Effects Center
Lantus (insulin glargine [rdna origin]) Injection is a man-made form of a hormone that is produced in the body used to treat type 1 (insulin-dependent) or type 2 (non insulin-dependent) diabetes. The most common side effects of Lantus is hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. Symptoms include: hunger, sweating, irritability, trouble concentrating, rapid breathing, fast heartbeat, seizure (severe hypoglycemia can be fatal). Other common side effects of Lantus include pain, redness, swelling, itching, or thickening of the skin at the injection site. These side effects usually go away after a few days or weeks. Lantus should be administered subcutaneously (under the skin) once a day at the same time every day. Dose is determined by the individual and the desired blood glucose levels. Lantus may interact with albuterol, clonidine, reserpine, or beta-blockers. Many other medicines can increase or decrease the effects of insulin glargine on lowering your blood sugar. Tell your doctor all prescription and over-the-counter medications and supplements you use. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant before using Lantus. Discuss a plan to manage blood sugar with your doctor before becoming pregnant. Your doctor may switch the type of insulin you use during pregnancy. It is unknown if this drug passes into breast milk. Insulin needs may change while breastfeeding. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding. Our Lantus (insulin glargine [rdna origin]) Injection Side Effects Drug Center provides a comprehensive view of available drug information on the potential side effects when taking this medication. 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. Continue reading >>
Will Using Lantus Help Keep My Blood Sugar Down? Jean Hennessy
Will using Lantus help keep my blood sugar down? Jean Hennessy Here is my problem. I have no insurance right now. Im out of my humalog and cant afford to buy more. I do have lantus left. Is there a way for me to just use it right now to keep my BG down? Q:Here is my problem. I have no insurance right now. I'm out of my humalog and can't afford to buy more. I do have lantus left. Is there a way for me to just use it right now to keep my BG down? I'm sorry to hear that you currently have no health insurance. You didn't mention whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes. If you have type 1 diabetes, you must take a rapid-acting insulin such as humalog at meals in order to prevent high blood sugar. Lantus is a basal insulin that helps control your blood sugar throughout the day but isn't sufficient to control post-meal blood sugar. If you have type 2 diabetes, you may be able to avoid taking mealtime insulin if you cut back your carbohydrate intake to less than 20 grams of carb per meal and continue taking Lantus once a day as your basal insulin. However, if you stop taking insulin, it's important to test your blood sugar after meals to make it isn't rising excessively. If your pancreas is no longer producing insulin or producing only minimal amounts, you may need to take a small amount of humalog even if you keep your carb intake low. Answered By dLife Expert: Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE Certified diabetes educator and registered dietitian living in Southern California. The content of this website, such as text, graphics, images, and other material on the site (collectively, Content) are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for, and dLife does not provide, professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advi Continue reading >>
Lantus
How does this medication work? What will it do for me? Insulin is a naturally occurring hormone made by the pancreas that helps our body use or store the glucose (sugar) it gets from food. For people with diabetes, either the pancreas does not make enough insulin to meet the body's requirements, or the body cannot properly use the insulin that is made. As a result, glucose cannot be used or stored properly and accumulates in the bloodstream. Insulin injected under the skin helps to lower blood glucose levels. There are many different types of insulin and they are absorbed at different rates and work for varying periods of time. Insulin glargine is an extended, long-acting insulin. It takes about 90 minutes to begin working after injection, and it stops working after about 24 hours. After injection, insulin glargine is released slowly and constantly into the bloodstream. This medication may be available under multiple brand names and/or in several different forms. Any specific brand name of this medication may not be available in all of the forms or approved for all of the conditions discussed here. As well, some forms of this medication may not be used for all of the conditions discussed here. Your doctor may have suggested this medication for conditions other than those listed in these drug information articles. If you have not discussed this with your doctor or are not sure why you are being given this medication, speak to your doctor. Do not stop using this medication without consulting your doctor. Do not give this medication to anyone else, even if they have the same symptoms as you do. It can be harmful for people to use this medication if their doctor has not prescribed it. What form(s) does this medication come in? Vial Each mL of sterile solution contains 100 u Continue reading >>
Lantus
NOTICE: This Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) is intended for persons living in Australia. (lant-us) What is in this leaflet It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor, pharmacist or diabetes educator. All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you using Lantus against the benefits they expect it will have for you. If you have any concerns about using this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist. What Lantus is used for Lantus is used to reduce high blood sugar (glucose) levels in people with diabetes mellitus. Lantus is a modified insulin that is very similar to human insulin. It is a substitute for the insulin produced by the pancreas. Lantus is a long-acting insulin. Your doctor may tell you to use a rapid-acting human insulin or oral diabetes medication in combination with Lantus. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why Lantus has been prescribed for you. Before you use Lantus When you must not use Lantus Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction may include: If you have a lot of hypos discuss appropriate treatment with your doctor. After the expiry date printed on the pack or if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering. If you use Lantus after the expiry date has passed, it may not work as well. If it has expired or is damaged, return it to your pharmacist for disposal. If the product appears cloudy, discoloured or contains particles, or if the injection pen/cartridge/vial appears damaged. If you are not sure whether you should start using this medicine, talk to your doctor. There is no experience with the use of Lantus in children less than 6 years. Before you start to use Lantus Tell your doctor if you have allergies to any other medicines, foo Continue reading >>
Lantus Dosing
Well, I never thought I’d say this, but it’s a great week to be a person with Type 1 diabetes. With all of the bad news surrounding the Type 2 drug Avandia (rosiglitazone), it’s a relief to know I don’t have to worry about it. I recommended you read my colleague Tara’s blog entry (“Type 2 Drug Avandia Linked to Increased Risk of Heart Attacks”) for the full story. That’s one of the first times in my life I’ve referred to someone as a colleague. What can I say? It’s just not a word in my describe-a-friend/coworker vocabulary. While all of the controversy surrounds Avandia, I’m way over in Type 1 land contemplating whether or not to lower my daily dose of Lantus (insulin glargine). I’ve just started a brand new bottle of Lantus and I’ve been taking my normal 15 units in the morning and then eating a rather normal breakfast and lunch, but I’m still going low in the midmorning and early afternoon. This happened Monday after eating Brussels sprouts and whole-wheat pasta for lunch and only taking one unit of rapid-acting NovoLog (insulin aspart) to help out the Lantus. I’ve known for a while that my body is sensitive to insulin, but lately it’s been a little more sensitive than usual. I took 13 units of Lantus yesterday and my blood glucose was 86 mg/dl before lunch. I often wonder how much of an adjustment two units of Lantus is. While I’m very much locked in on an insulin-to-carbohydrate ratio with my NovoLog, it’s a bit tricky to judge how much the longer-lasting insulins affect your blood glucose. Is there a chart for your Lantus dose? I seem to remember something from when I was diagnosed. I wonder what Google will tell me to do. I realize that Lantus doesn’t have a true peak the way some of the other insulins do, but sometimes it su Continue reading >>
Reasons Your Blood Sugar Levels Can Change
There are many reasons why blood sugar levels can vary. And each person faces challenges that are unique to them. If you have questions, speak to your healthcare professional. Download and print this Doctor Discussion/Q&A Guide to check off concerns you have about effects on your blood sugar levels and talk with your doctor about your concerns. Not getting the right dose of insulin Your body has unique needs. Even if you've been taking insulin for an extended period, many variables, including the reasons listed below, may lead to a need for a change. Additional diabetes medication, as well as medicine that you may take for other conditions you have, can have an effect on your glucose levels. Sickness as common as a cold can change the amount of sugar in your blood. The more severe the illness is, the greater the potential for change. It's important to get plenty of liquids. When not properly hydrated, your body's level of glucose can rise. A woman's menstrual cycle has various effects on her system, including a possible drop in her blood sugar levels. Short or long-term pain or injury can cause your body to release hormones. This release can lead to an increase in your glucose levels. Day to day drama that you might not consider substantial can have a real physical effect, resulting in a change in the amount of glucose in your blood. Alcohol can have a definite effect on sugar, especially when it's consumed on an empty stomach. This can lower your blood glucose levels. Whether you're taking more trips to the gym, or simply running more errands, any increase in physical activity can make your body more sensitive to insulin, and affect your glucose. Make notes on your printed out Doctor Discussion Guide about the issues you would like to discuss with your doctor. Continue reading >>
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Basal Insulins | Diabetesnet.com
Lantus and Levemir are long-acting insulins that supply the background insulin needed to supply cells with glucose around the clock while preventing release of excess glucose from the liver and excess fat from fat cells. The waking glucose level best measures the activity of these insulins. All Type 1s and many Type 2s also require a faster insulin (Humalog, Novolog, or Apidra) to cover meals and lower any high glucose. Some Type 2s who have adequate insulin production do well with one of these long-acting insulins, plus oral medications or a daily or weekly injection of a GLP-1 agonist. Lantus insulin (glargine) made by Sanofi-Aventis is promoted as a once a day background insulin. However, many users find that it does not last a full 24 hours for them and these users often notice a peak in activity about 6-8 hours after the injection. If once a day injection is giving you good control, there is no need to change and a bedtime injection is typically best. For others, splitting the dose and injecting twice a day (usually at breakfast and bedtime) often works better, lessens peaks and gaps in activity, and helps those who cannot inject Lantus within one hour of the same time each day. Lantus is slightly acidic and some may notice slight discomfort at the injection site. Levemir insulin (detemir) made by Novo Nordisk works for about 18 hours and may have a peak in activity 4-6 hours after the injection. It is taken twice a day. Different people react to each insulin differently. The best advice is trying the other insulin if one does not seem to be working well for you. Both insulins generally work quite well, but neither can be mixed in a syringe with fast-acting insulin, and neither should ever be used in an insulin pump. Keep in mind that an older insulin called NPH c Continue reading >>
Long-acting Insulin: How It Works
When you eat, your pancreas releases a hormone called insulin. Insulin moves sugar (glucose) from your blood to your cells for energy or storage. If you take insulin, you may need some at mealtime to help lower your blood sugar after you eat. But even between meals, you need insulin in small amounts to help keep blood sugar stable. This is where long-acting insulin comes in. If you have diabetes, either your pancreas can’t produce enough (or any) insulin, or your cells can’t use it efficiently. To control your blood sugar, you need to replace or supplement the normal function of your pancreas with regular insulin injections. Insulin comes in many types. Each type differs in three ways: onset: how quickly it starts working to lower your blood sugar peak: when its effects on your blood sugar are strongest duration: how long it lowers your blood sugar According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the five types of insulin are: Rapid-acting insulin: This type starts to work just 15 minutes after you take it. It peaks within 30 to 90 minutes, and its effects last for three to five hours. Short-acting insulin: This type takes about 30 to 60 minutes to become active in your bloodstream. It peaks in two to four hours, and its effects can last for five to eight hours. It is sometimes called regular-acting insulin. Intermediate-acting insulin: The intermediate type takes one to three hours to start working. It peaks in eight hours and works for 12 to 16 hours. Long-acting insulin: This type takes the longest amount of time to start working. The insulin can take up to 4 hours to get into your bloodstream. Pre-mixed: This is a combination of two different types of insulin: one that controls blood sugar at meals and another that controls blood sugar between meals. Lo Continue reading >>
The Limitations Of Lantus
There's a common error revealed by many emails I get as well as what I see posted on discussion boards. It has to do with the failure of medical staff to explain to patients for whom Lantus is prescribed what it is that Lantus does and what it is that Lantus cannot do. Lantus is a basal insulin. Basal insulin are slow long-acting insulins that attempt to mimic a specific function of the healthy beta cell. Normal people's beta cells secrete tiny pulses of insulin every couple minutes throughout the day and night. These pulses allow healthy cells to take in blood sugar and use it any time they need to. This slow steady release of tiny bits of insulin is called Basal Insulin Release. It is a failed basal insulin Release that Lantus attempts to replace. But basal insulin production is a completely separate function from the much more powerful insulin release that happens when you eat foods that contain carbohydrates. That is because the influx of a large amount of carbohydrate into the digestive system stimulates two more insulin releases--first phase and second phase insulin release. These fast, large insulin releases are much more powerful than the tiny pulses of insulin produced during basal insulin release. The problem patients run into when they are prescribed Lantus is that they do not understand that there are these different kinds of insulin release and assume that if they are injecting insulin to replace the insulin their bodies no longer make, these injections should be enough to give them normal blood sugars. But if Lantus is what they are injecting, it will be impossible for most people with Type 2 to get normal blood sugars when they eat any significant amount of carbohydrate. Though they inject a large dose of Lantus, that Lantus will be absorbed very slowly o Continue reading >>
Lantus Lows
Can Lantus insulin cause serious lows? It can. Lantus (insulin glargine) is a long-acting basal insulin that is supposed to be released slowly and evenly throughout approximately 24 hours. The actual time it last varies in different patients. Bolus, or prandial, insulins are fast-acting insulins, and if you inject too much of them, or don’t eat as much as you thought you were going to eat when you calculated the bolus dose, the result can be serious low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), because the insulin works quickly. People don’t expect Lantus to cause hypoglycemia because it’s supposed to be released slowly, a little bit at a time. However, although this is rare, Lantus can cause serious hypoglycemia if it’s injected into a blood vessel. This happened to me once and several times to a good e-mail friend whose observational skills I trust. Neither of us uses bolus insulin. At least several people I don’t know have reported similar episodes on various Internet lists. There are probably even more instances in which people who use bolus insulin in addition to the Lantus assumed they’d injected the wrong insulin – or calculated the bolus insulin dose incorrectly – because Lantus isn’t supposed to cause lows. These Lantus lows occur between 30 and 45 minutes after injecting the Lantus. In my case, I’d injected and went out to my office in the barn to work at the computer and started to feel peculiar about 30 minutes later. Just to be safe, I went back in the house and tested. I was 25 I couldn’t believe it, so I retested and the meter said 35. At this point I could tell my brain wasn’t working right, but my first thought was to have lunch (fish and cauliflower). Then it occurred to me that cooking fish and cauliflower might not be the best way to treat Continue reading >>
