Guest guest Posted October 16, 2004 Report Share Posted October 16, 2004 What Are the Different Types of Insulin? There are many forms of insulin. They are classified by how fast they start to work and how long their effects last. The types of insulin include: · Rapid acting · Short acting · Intermediate acting · Long acting · Pre-mixed What Type of Insulin Is Best Suited For Me? Your doctor will work with you to prescribe the type of insulin that is best for you. Deciding what type of insulin might be best for you depend on many factors, including: · Your body's individualized response to insulin (how long it takes insulin to be absorbed in the body and remain active in the body varies slightly from individual to individual) · Your own lifestyle choices - for instance, the type of food you eat, if/how much alcohol you drink, or how much exercise you get - factors that influence your body's processing of insulin · How willing you are to give yourself multiple injections per day · How frequently you are willing to check your blood sugar level · Your age · Your blood sugar management goals As you can now better understand, the type of insulin your doctor may prescribe for you takes many factors into account and must be individualized for you - based on your own body's metabolism of insulin, your lifestyle, treatment goals, and to some degree, your personal preferences (your willingness to tightly monitor your blood sugar and give yourself multiple injections). The following chart lists the types of insulin with details about onset (the length of time before insulin reaches the bloodstream and begins to lower blood glucose), peak (the time period when the insulin is the most effective in lowering blood glucose) and duration (how long insulin continues to lower blood glucose). These three factors may vary, depending on your body's response. The final column provides some insight into the " coverage " provided by the different insulin types in relation to mealtime. Type of Insulin & Brand Names Onset Peak Duration Role in Blood Glucose Management Rapid Acting Humalog or lispro 15-30 min. 30 min to 2½ hours 3-5 hours Rapid-acting insulin covers insulin needs for meals eaten at the same time as the injection. This type of insulin is used with longer-acting insulin. Novolog or aspart 10-20 min. 1-3 hours 3-5 hours Short Acting Regular ® humulin or novolin 30 min. -1 hour 2-5 hours 5-8 hours Short-acting insulin covers insulin needs for meals eaten within 30-60 minutes Velosulin (for use in the insulin pump) 30 min.-1 hour 2-3 hours 2-3 hours Intermediate Acting NPH (N) 1-2 hours 4-12 hours 18-24 hours Intermediate-acting insulin covers insulin needs for about half the day or overnight. This type of insulin is often combined with rapid- or short-acting insulin. Lente (L) 1-2½ hours 3-10 hours 18-24 hours Long Acting Ultralente (U) 30 min.-3 hours 10-20 hours 20-36 hours Long-acting insulin covers insulin needs for about 1 full day. This type of insulin is often combined, when needed, with rapid- or short-acting insulin. Lantus 1-1½ hour No peak time; insulin is delivered at a steady level 20-24 hours Pre-Mixed* Humulin 70/30 30 min. 2-4 hours 14-24 hours These products are generally taken twice a day before mealtime. Novolin 70/30 30 min. 2-12 hours Up to24 hours Novolog 70/30 10-20 min. 1-4 hours Up to 24 Humulin 50/50 30 min. 2-5 hours 18-24 hours Humalog mix 75/25 15 min. 30 min.-2½ hours 16-20 hours * Premixed insulins are a combination of specific proportions of intermediate-acting and short-acting insulin in one bottle or insulin pen (the numbers following the brand name indicate the percentage of each type of insulin). When do I take my insulin? Follow your healthcare provider's guidelines on when to take your insulin. The time span between your insulin injection and meals may vary depending on the type of insulin you are taking. In general, however, you should coordinate your insulin injection with when you want to eat. From the chart above, the " onset " column provides useful information. Again, the " onset " refers to when the insulin will begin to work in your body. You want the insulin to begin working in your body at the same time your food is being absorbed. This timing of both the self injection and meal consumption will help avoid low blood glucose levels. So, for example, if you take Novolog or another rapid-acting insulin, you should self inject about 15 minutes before mealtime. Short-acting insulins, such as regular insulin, should be taken 30 to 60 minutes before a meal. Intermediate-acting insulins should be taken up to 1 hour prior to a meal. Premixed insulins. Depending on the product used, premixed solutions should be taken 15 minutes or 30 to 45 minutes before mealtime. Exceptions. Injections of long-acting insulins are not " timed " to mealtime because of their long duration of action. Ultralente is taken once or twice a day irrespective of mealtime. Lantus is only administered once a day (and should be administered at the same time each day). Keep in mind that these long-acting insulins may need to be given with shorter-acting insulin products - depending on your individual situation - that will likely need to be " timed " with mealtime. Finally, the rapid-acting products can also be taken immediately after a meal (rather than 15 minutes before mealtime). Some products can also be administered at bedtime. For more information about when to take insulin, read the " dosing and administration " section of the insulin product package insert that came with your insulin product or call your doctor. Get the facts about insulin. Learn the basics about diabetes. View the full table of contents for the Diabetes Guide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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