Types of insulin 1
| Examples | Appearance | When it starts to work (onset) |
|---|
| NovoRapid (insulin aspart) | Clear | 9–20 minutes |
| Entuzity (insulin regular) | Clear | 15 minutes |
| Humulin R, Novolin ge Toronto (insulin regular) | Clear | 30 minutes |
| Humulin N, Novolin ge NPH(insulin NPH) | Cloudy | 1–3 hours |
Basal insulin is a slow-acting type of insulin. People take it between mealtimes and before bedtime to control blood sugar outside of eating. There are three types of basal insulin currently available: Glargine, detemir, and degludec.
They look cloudy because particles of insulin are not fully dissolved. When the insulin bottle or pen sits still for a few minutes, the particles of insulin settle out, and fall to the bottom of the container.
Lantus is a long-acting insulin that works for 24 hours and should be taken regularly at the same time each day. If you miss taking your dose at the regular scheduled time, your blood sugar levels may become high (hyperglycaemia).
Insulin's expensive because it can be. There's no limit to how high the price can rise. The FDA regulates and approves drugs and grants patents. In the US, a patent excludes others from making an invention for a limited time, usually 20 years.
When your
blood sugar level gets too
high — known as hyperglycemia or
high blood glucose — the quickest
way to reduce it is to take
fast-acting insulin. Exercising is another
fast, effective
way to lower blood sugar.
For a balanced diet, eat plenty of the following:
- whole grains.
- fruits.
- vegetables.
- lean proteins.
Rapid acting or Regular insulin is drawn up first, followed by intermediate/long acting insulin; use within 15 minutes.
Among the smart pens with memory functionality are the NovoPen Echo 5. Its half-increment dosing uses 3 mL Penfill cartridges of Novo Nordisk insulins, such as 300 units of fast-acting NovoLog insulin aspart per cartridge ($130 per cartridge, or $0.47 per unit, according to GoodRx).
Regular insulin (Novolin R) is also known as short-acting insulin. It is also used to cover your insulin needs at mealtime, but it can be injected a little bit longer before the meal than rapid-acting insulin. It also works in the body slightly longer than rapid-acting insulin.
Some insulins, like glargine (Lantus®) and detemer (Levemir®), cannot be mixed. Other insulins (NovoLog 70/30®, Humalog 75/25®) are already a combination of two types of insulin and should not be mixed. Wash your hands with warm water and soap.
NPH insulin is an isophane suspension of human insulin and categorized as an intermediate-acting insulin.
Short-acting insulins take effect and wear off more quickly than long-acting insulins. A short-acting insulin is often used 30 minutes before a meal so that it has time to work. These liquid insulins are clear and do not settle out when the bottle (vial) sits for a while.
Humalog Mix is a premixed insulin. It contains insulin lispro and insulin lispro protamine. Insulin lispro is a rapid-acting insulin, while insulin lispro protamine is an intermediate-acting insulin. So Humalog Mix has the properties of both types.
Insulin lispro begins to exert its effects within 15 minutes of subcutaneous administration, and peak levels occur 30 to 90 minutes after administration. Duration of activity is less than five hours.
Massage the area. Anything that increases blood flow to the skin surface will accelerate the absorption of insulin. Massage is one such thing. Rubbing the area for several minutes within 15 minutes after injecting will help the insulin reach the bloodstream just a bit quicker.
