
Insulin (medication)
"Insulin therapy" redirects here. For the psychiatric treatment, see Insulin shock therapy. Insulin is used as a medication to treat high blood sugar.[3] This includes in diabetes mellitus type 1, diabetes mellitus type 2, gestational diabetes, and complications of diabetes such as diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic states.[3] It is also used along with glucose to treat high blood potassium levels.[4] Typically it is given by injection under the skin, but some forms may also be used by injection into a vein or muscle.[3] The common side effect is low blood sugar.[3] Other side effects may include pain or skin changes at the sites of injection, low blood potassium, and allergic reactions.[3] Use during pregnancy is relatively safe for the baby.[3] Insulin can be made from the pancreas of pigs or cows.[5] Human versions can be made either by modifying pig versions or recombinant technology.[5] It comes in three main types short–acting (such as regular insulin), intermediate–acting (such as NPH insulin), and longer-acting (such as insulin glargine).[5] Insulin was first used as a medication in Canada by Charles Best and Frederick Banting in 1922.[6] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the most effective and safe medicines needed in a health system.[7] The wholesale cost in the developing world is about US$2.39 to $10.61 per 1,000 iu of regular insulin and $2.23 to $10.35 per 1,000 iu of NPH insulin.[8][9] In the United Kingdom 1,000 iu of regular or NPH insulin costs the NHS 7.48 pounds, while this amount of insulin glargine costs 30.68 pounds.[5] Medical uses[edit] Giving insulin with an insulin pen. Insulin is used to treat a number of diseases including diabetes and its acute complications such as diabetic ketoacid Continue reading >>

Why Humalog® U-100?
You may have been taking a long-acting insulin for a while now. So why did your doctor prescribe another insulin? Well, it’s to help control the blood sugar spikes that happen naturally when you eat. Everyone gets them, but when you have diabetes you may need extra help controlling them. That’s where Humalog comes in. Humalog is different than your long-acting insulin. Long-acting insulin helps control your blood sugar throughout the whole day. Humalog is fast-acting insulin—it helps control the blood sugar spikes that happen naturally when you eat. Humalog is available in the Humalog U-100 KwikPen, which is portable and easy to use. And, since it shouldn’t be refrigerated after the first use, you can take it just about anywhere. Continue reading >>

How I Find My Dose Of Hcg On An Injection Syringe
Finding the Right HCG Injection Dose. When you are new to the hCG diet, and HCG Injections, it can be pretty overwhelming. Phrases like “syringe” “iu’s” and “bac water” can really throw us off and make the HCG diet feel intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be that way. I guarantee if you take the time to continue to research and read up on the diet, things will start to click. To help you in that way, I thought I’d demonstrate how I go about getting the correction hCG injection dose. If you are here, you are most likely interested in learning other stuff like how to inject and such so you can you find all my hCG injection tutorials here, including a live demo where I stick myself with a needle for your benefit even though I’m no longer on the diet just to show you how not a big deal it is. How’s that for love?? And if you are still in the research phase for purchasing hCG, you can compare my current recommendations for RX pharmaceutical hCG that can indeed be purchased online (and comes in powder form, as it MUST if you are using the real hormone) here: On to the lesson folks! Lesson 1: What the numbers on the Syringe mean The “syringe” part of the injection is the barrel that will contain whatever you’re going to inject and it has little numbers and hash marks to indicate how much it holds. The numbers on the syringe are referred to use “units” and 100 units = 1cc or 1 ml. The most common syringe sizes I see come with the hormone diet kits are 30 unit syringes(.3 cc/ml), 50 units syringes (.5cc/ml) and 100 unit syringes (or 1cc/ml). Please note – some who are purchasing their injection kits from Escrow Refills are receiving different syringes that have 40 units per 1cc/ml syringe (instead of 100 units per 1 cc) and my following instruc Continue reading >>

Syringes - How Much Medication Is Needed?
Pets may be sent home with liquid medications. An oral liquid medication must be given by mouth to be effective. An injectable liquid medication must be given by injection beneath the skin to be useful. Some injectable medications require that the medication is inserted into the muscle to be most effective. It is important that you understand how to read the syringes that are sent home so your pet gets the proper amount of medication at each dose. There is some confusion about metric words like milliliter (ml) and cubic centimeter (cc). These are just different names for the same amount of volume. In other words, one milliliter (1 ml) is equal to one cubic centimeter (1 cc). There are different kinds of syringes that may be used. If your pet needs only a small amount of an oral medication, you may receive a syringe that looks like this: 0.3 ml syringe This is a three-tenths milliliter syringe. It may be called a “0.3 ml” syringe or “0.3 cc” syringe. It is also known as an insulin syringe. Although it is labeled in “units” at the bottom of the syringe, each unit actually is one-hundredth of a milliliter (0.01 ml or 0.01 cc). Each small black mark equals 0.01 ml. A larger black mark and a number is found every 0.05 ml (i.e.,five-hundredths of a ml). This syringe is provided when your pet’s liquid medication amount is between 0.01 ml and 0.3 ml. Close-up of the tips of two different 0.3 ml syringes The left syringe has a red label equal to 0.03 ml. The right syringe has a label equal to 0.02 ml. 1.0 ml syringe If your pet needs a liquid medication amount that is somewhere between 0.1 ml and 1.0 ml, you may be given a one milliliter syringe. It may be called a “1 ml” syringe or a “1 cc” syringe. Each small black mark equals one hundredth of a millilite Continue reading >>

Selected Important Safety Information
Selected Important Safety Information WARNING: RISK OF THYROID C-CELL TUMORS Liraglutide, one of the components of Xultophy® 100/3.6, causes dose-dependent and treatment-duration-dependent thyroid C-cell tumors at clinically relevant exposures in both genders of rats and mice. It is unknown whether Xultophy® 100/3.6 causes thyroid C-cell tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), in humans, as the human relevance of liraglutide-induced rodent thyroid C-cell tumors has not been determined. Xultophy® 100/3.6 is contraindicated in patients with a personal or family history of MTC and in patients with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). Counsel patients regarding the potential risk for MTC with the use of Xultophy® 100/3.6 and inform them of symptoms of thyroid tumors (e.g. a mass in the neck, dysphagia, dyspnea, persistent hoarseness). Routine monitoring of serum calcitonin or using thyroid ultrasound is of uncertain value for early detection of MTC in patients treated with Xultophy® 100/3.6. Indications and Limitations of Use Xultophy® 100/3.6 (insulin degludec and liraglutide injection) 100 units/mL and 3.6 mg/mL is a combination of insulin degludec and liraglutide and is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus inadequately controlled on basal insulin (less than 50 units daily) or liraglutide (less than or equal to 1.8 mg daily). Xultophy® 100/3.6 is not recommended as first-line therapy for patients who have inadequate glycemic control on diet and exercise. Xultophy® 100/3.6 has not been studied in patients with a history of pancreatitis. Consider other antidiabetic therapies in patients with a history of pancreatitis. Xultophy® 100/3.6 is not recommended for us Continue reading >>

Ask D'mine: New Basal Insulin Toujeo, New Dosing Math
Welcome back to our weekly diabetes advice column, Ask D’Mine — with your host veteran type 1, diabetes author and educator Wil Dubois. This week, Wil looks at the newest basal insulin to hit the market: Sanofi's Toujeo (aka the Son of Lantus). It was newly approved by FDA early this year and launched in early April, and it can be a little confusing since the unit-dosing is a bit different from what we're used to. Don't worry, Wil's got this... {Have your own questions? Email us at [email protected]} Matthew, type 2 from Oregon, asks: I’m confused about the new basal insulin Toujeo, I understand that it is U-300 and therefore should be more “concentrated,” but when I went to the webpage for this product, it talked about how Toujeo is a 1:1 dosing and conversion from Lantus. I thought that the dose would actually be less as it’s more concentrated. I also read about how people actually required a higher dose of Toujeo to allow the same blood sugar control as with Lantus. How on earth does this all work?! [email protected] D’Mine answers: It’s fuzzy math, Mathew, but you chose the right person to ask. However, a warning: It’s impossible to give a concentrated answer about concentrated insulin! So OK, let’s concentrate (get it?!)… Most modern insulins are what we call U-100, which means that there are 100 units of insulin per milliliter of fluid. That’s what they mean by its concentration. Back in the day we also had U-20, U-40, and U-80 insulins. I also had it in my head that there was a U-60 at one time, but I may be wrong about that, as a quick Google search only turns up articles about the German Sub U-60, which apparently had one of the least distinctive war records of the Nazi fleet -- and no discussions of insulin. Anyway, back in the many-conce Continue reading >>

1 Unit Insulin Lowers Glucose By How Much? Calculating Insulin/carb Ratio
Remember High School algebra? Problem after problem wondering, when am I EVER going to use this? I sure remember thinking that on more than one occasion. Well, it turns out math does have more practical application than balancing your checkbook, keeping a budget, and calculating tips for servers. If you have type 2 diabetes, simple math may be crucial to keeping blood glucose under control. Why? As it turns out, the total amount of carbohydrates is the single most significant factor in maintaining blood glucose control. While many other factors play a role – such as meal timing, quality of food choices, balance of food groups etc – consistently maintaining the proper number of carbohydrates at meal times is most significant. Foods Really Matter This means it is not only key to choose complex carbohydrate (not simple sugars) whole foods sources, but also to be conscientious of the amount of carbohydrates you regularly consume. The amount of carbohydrates to eat per day is a hot issue of debate, with recommendations ranging from 20 to 200+ grams per day! In most cases 200 grams is way too much for a diabetic, research indicating that a lower carb diet is best for glucose control. Still, what is best for you will depend on many factors including your height, weight, age, physical activity level, and how your body responds to carbs. Some people are much more sensitive than others. For example, some people can eat brown rice and oatmeal, while in many cases people find it difficult to control their blood glucose while still eating these high carb foods. It will take working with a team of trusted professionals and probably some trial and error to find out what works best for you as an individual. In theory, the more consistent your carbohydrate consumption is (all other Continue reading >>

Insulin
What is it? Insulin is a substance produced by the pancreas that is used by the body to break down sugars in the blood. While in a healthy adult it occurs naturally in the body, it can be manufactured from synthetic materials or harvested and refined from animal sources so that it can be given to patients who have a shortage of insulin in their bodies. What is it used for? Insulin is primarily used in the treatment of diabetes. Someone who has diabetes has too much sugar in their blood; to maintain lower blood sugar levels that are in the normal range, diabetics are often given insulin. What is the correct dosage? The correct dosing of insulin is very important: Giving a patient too little insulin does not adequately lower blood sugar so that they are still left with too much sugar in the blood; too much sugar the the blood can cause damage to blood vessels, leading to blindness, kidney failure, severe problems with limbs (especially the feet), stroke and heart disease. Giving a patient too much insulin can lower blood sugar too much and lead to dangerously low levels of sugar in the blood, which can cause seizures and coma, because the brain depends primarily on glucose (sugar) in the blood for fuel. Even before a person's blood sugar level drops low enough to cause seizure or coma, low blood sugar levels can lead to mood swings, impaired mental function, blurred vision, nausea and vomiting, heart palipitations and shakiness. How is it given? Insulin is given by injection because it cannot be taken orally - the stomach will break it down so that is is no longer effective in breaking down blood sugar. Insulin should always be dosed using special insulin syringes marked with insulin units. Common insulin U-100 syringes can hold 100 units; there are also Lo-dose syringes, Continue reading >>

Interactive Dosing Calculator
Lantus® is a long-acting insulin analog indicated to improve glycemic control in adults and pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Lantus® should be administered once a day at the same time every day. Limitations of Use: Lantus® is not recommended for the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis. Contraindications Lantus® is contraindicated during episodes of hypoglycemia and in patients hypersensitive to insulin glargine or one of its excipients. Warnings and Precautions Insulin pens, needles, or syringes must never be shared between patients. Do NOT reuse needles. Monitor blood glucose in all patients treated with insulin. Modify insulin regimen cautiously and only under medical supervision. Changes in insulin strength, manufacturer, type, or method of administration may result in the need for a change in insulin dose or an adjustment in concomitant oral antidiabetic treatment. Do not dilute or mix Lantus® with any other insulin or solution. If mixed or diluted, the solution may become cloudy, and the onset of action/time to peak effect may be altered in an unpredictable manner. Do not administer Lantus® via an insulin pump or intravenously because severe hypoglycemia can occur. Hypoglycemia is the most common adverse reaction of insulin therapy, including Lantus®, and may be life-threatening. Medication errors, such as accidental mix-ups between basal insulin products and other insulins, particularly rapid-acting insulins, have been reported. Patients should be instructed to always verify the insulin label before each injection. Severe life-threatening, generalized allergy, including anaphylaxis, can occur. Discontinue Lantus®, treat and monitor until symptoms resolve. A reduction in the Lantus® dose may be re Continue reading >>

Administering Insulin
Associated Topics || Dr. Math Home || Search Dr. Math Administering Insulin From: Lisa Subject: Pharmacy tech math If a doctor prescribes 30 units of insulin in 500 ml to be administered over 2 hours, how many drops per minute should be administered if the set is calibrated to deliver 20 drops per ml? From: Doctor Rick Subject: Re: Pharmacy tech math Hi, Lisa. This kind of problem is easy to get right if you keep the units with the numbers. The units can be "canceled" just like numeric factors in a fraction, and this shows you that you've done it right. It looks to me as if the information about 30 units of insulin is irrelevant to the problem. All you're concerned about is the 500 ml of solution. The rate we want is 500 milliliters over two hours, which we can write as a fraction: 500 ml ------ 2 hr We know that there are 20 drops per milliliter, so that 20 drops -------- = 1 1 ml since the numerator is the same amount as the denominator. If we multiply the rate by this fraction, we won't change the rate. We then have ml in the numerator and the denominator, so they will cancel: 500 ml 20 drops 500*20 drops ------ * -------- = ------------ = 5000 drops/hr 2 hr 1 ml 2*1 hr We're not done yet, because we need to know the number of drops per MINUTE. But that's easy using another "unit multiplier". Since 1 hour = 60 minutes, we can write 1 hour ------ = 1 60 min I chose to put the hour on top to cancel the hours in the bottom of our fraction, 5000 drops/hour, when we multiply: 5000 drops 1 hour ---------- * ------ = 5000/60 drops/min = 83.333 drops/min 1 hour 60 min Since this could have important consequences for a patient's health, we'd better check the answer! We can work backward. Each minute, we deliver 83.333 drops. Since 20 drops make 1 ml, each drop contains 1/20 m Continue reading >>
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- Calculating Insulin Dose

How To Read An Insulin Syringe
As with all medicine, it is important to take the right dose each time Injecting yourself with the right dose of insulin is very important. This is why you need to know how to read a syringe. Parts of an Insulin Syringe An insulin syringe has three parts: a needle, a barrel and a plunger. The needle is short and thin. It is made of a special material that allows the needle to slide through the skin easily with less pain. It comes with a cap to cover and protect it before it is used. The barrel is the plastic chamber that holds the insulin. It is marked with lines (calibrations) on the side. The lines show you how many units of insulin you are injecting. The plunger is the long thin rod that slides up and down the inside of the barrel. Its function is to either draw the insulin into the barrel or push the insulin out of the barrel through the needle. It has a rubber seal at the lower end to prevent insulin from leaking out. The rubber seal is fitted in such a way that it matches the line on the barrel. Syringes are meant for one-time use. Once used, they must be thrown away in special puncture-proof containers. How to Know What Syringe Size to Choose Insulin syringes come in different sizes. Syringe Size Number of Units the Syringe Holds 0.25 ml 25 0.30 ml 30 0.50 ml 50 1.00 ml 100 The larger the syringe size, the more insulin it can hold. When choosing the size of a syringe, consider: the number of units of insulin you need, and how well you can see the line markings on the barrel. Go for the smallest syringe size you can for the dose of insulin you need. This is because the lines on the barrel of small syringes are further apart and easier to see. How to Read a Syringe When measuring the amount of insulin, read from the top ring (needle side), and not the Continue reading >>

Insulin Syringes
An insulin syringe has three parts: a needle, a barrel, and a plunger. The needle is short and thin and covered with a fine layer of silicone to allow it to pass through the skin easily and lessen pain. A cap covers and protects the needle before it is used. The barrel is the long, thin chamber that holds the insulin. The barrel is marked with lines to measure the number of insulin units. The plunger is a long, thin rod that fits snugly inside the barrel of the syringe. It easily slides up and down to either draw the insulin into the barrel or push the insulin out of the barrel through the needle. The plunger has a rubber seal at the lower end to prevent leakage. The rubber seal is matched with the line on the barrel to measure the correct amount of insulin. Insulin syringes are made in several sizes. Syringe size and units Syringe size Number of units the syringe holds 1/4 mL or 0.25 mL 25 1/3 mL or 0.33 mL 30 1/2 mL or 0.50 mL 50 1 mL 100 Use the smallest syringe size you can for the dose of insulin you need. The measuring lines on the barrel of small syringes are farther apart and easier to see. When you choose the size of syringe, consider the number of units you need to give and how well you can see the markings on the barrel. A 0.25 mL or 0.33 mL syringe usually is best for children (who often need very small doses of insulin) and for people with poor eyesight. A 1 mL syringe may be best for an adult who needs to take a large amount of insulin. This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.© 1995-2015 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. 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 >>

U-500 Insulin: How Much Do You Know?
In the case of significant insulin resistance (defined as needing more than 200 units per day), multiple injections of insulin are needed throughout the day to keep the blood sugar in check. There is no written rule about the maximum volume of insulin that can be absorbed by the subcutaneous tissue at one time, but many prescribers will split an insulin dose into multiple injections when dose requirements are approaching 70 units in a single administration. An insulin pen can deliver 80 units, and the largest size insulin syringe can hold 100 units. So if your insulin dose is somewhere between 60 and 100 units, you might need more than one injection to deliver all of that insulin at one time. In order to avoid becoming a human needle cushion, concentrated insulins like Humulin R U-500 were developed. What is the difference in insulin concentrations? Most of the insulins on the market today are U-100 strength, meaning there are 100 units of insulin per mL. Examples are Regular insulin, NPH, 70/30 and other mixed insulin, glargine and detemir. U-500 concentrated insulin has 5 times the potency of U-100 insulin, giving 500 units per mL. By reducing the injected volume, better absorption, less injection discomfort and decreased number of injections can be experienced. Until recently, U-500 was the only concentrated form of insulin. Since 2015, two concentrated basal insulins U-300 {Glargine (Toujeo)} and U-200 {Degludec (Tresiba)} have become available in the US. These have a strength of 300 units per mL and 200 units mL, also resulting in smaller volumes injected. Dosing conversion charts are used to safely move from a U-100 insulin to U-500 insulin. Who needs U-500 insulin? Good candidates for U500 insulin are those whose total daily insulin dose exceeds 200 units per day Continue reading >>

Pet Syringe How To’s
I get many questions from owners of pets with diabetes. This month, I address pet insulin syringes. Dear Dr. Gary, My dog has been getting 5 units of insulin with U-40 syringes, but I ran out of syringes and I all have are U-100 syringes. Is 1 unit of insulin in a U-40 syringe equal to 1 unit in a U-100 syringe? George For George and other pet owners, I’m sure it gets confusing at times. Let’s back up a moment so I can explain the difference between U-40 and U-100. Always discuss your pet’s health with your veterinarian before administering any medication. A vial of insulin contains a sterile solution and an insulin source. The amount of insulin your dog or cat needs is measured in units. Veterinary insulin is available in different concentrations, commonly known as U-40 or U-100 vials. The “U” is an abbreviation of unit and the number after the unit represents the concentration, i.e. how many units (‘pieces of insulin’) are in one milliliter (mL). A U-40 syringe has 40 units (‘pieces of insulin’) per mL and a U-100 syringes has 100 units (‘pieces of insulin’) per mL. This means there is approximately 2.5 times more insulin (‘pieces’) in a unit of U-100 insulin compared to U-40 insulin or to put it another way the same amount of U-100 insulin is 2.5 times stronger than the U-40. U-40 and U-100 are the common insulin concentrations and syringe types used to treat dogs and cats. To give insulin to your animal, there are two types of syringes available, U-40 and U-100. A 1 mL syringe is universal, but the difference is a U-40 syringe has unit increments up to 40, whereas a U-100 syringe has markings up to 100. Looking at a ½ mL of insulin in each syringe, a U-40 will have 20 units and a U-100 will contain 50 units of insulin. It is essential for Continue reading >>