Because people don't respond to individual types of insulin the same way, you
will need to work with your doctor to find the right insulin or combination that works
best for you. Your insulin choice should dovetail with your eating and exercise
patterns, so it's important for you to plan your insulin intake with your doctor or
diabetes educator.
Very fast acting - The fastest
acting insulins are called lispro (Humalog) and insulin aspart (Novolog). They
should be injected under the skin within 15 minutes before you eat. You have to
remember to eat within 15 minutes after you take a shot. These insulins start
working in five to 15 minutes and lower your blood sugar most in 45 to 90
minutes. They finish working in three to four hours. With regular insulin you
have to wait 30 to 45 minutes before eating. Many people like using lispro
because it's easier to coordinate eating with this type of insulin.
Fast acting - The fast acting insulin is called regular insulin. It lowers
blood sugar most in two to five hours and finishes its work in five to eight
hours.
Intermediate acting- NPH (N) or Lente (L) insulin starts working in one to
three hours, lowers your blood sugar most in six to 12 hours and finishes working in
20 to 24 hours.
Long acting- Ultralente insulin
prolongs the entry of insulin into the blood for four to six hours and remains
active for 28 hours.
Ultra-long-acting - A new type of
insulin, glargine, is injected once a day. Its activity begins in just over an
hour and is sustained at a relatively constant rate for 24 hours, without any
peaks.
Insulin mixtures - There may be advantages of using insulin mixtures and
these should be discussed with your doctor. These are used primarily by people with
type 2 diabetes.
All insulins come dissolved or suspended in liquid; the most commonly used strength
in the U.S. is U-100, which means there are 100 units of insulin per ml.
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INSULIN
|
Type |
Brand
Name |
Onset |
Peak |
Duration |
Comments |
| Very fast acting |
Humalog
Novolog |
5 - 15
minutes |
45 - 90 minutes |
3 - 4 hours |
Human
The fastest-acting insulin
available |
| Fast acting |
Humulin R
Novolin R
Velosulin Human |
30 minutes
- 1
hour |
2 - 5 hours |
5 - 8 hours |
Human
Often injected
before meals to compensate for the sugar intake from food |
| |
Iletin II Regular |
30 minutes -
2 hours |
3 - 4 hours |
4 - 6 hours |
Pork-based |
Intermediate
acting |
Humulin L
Humulin N
Novolin
L
Novolin N |
1 - 3
hours |
6 - 12 hours |
20 - 24 hours |
Human |
| |
Iletin II Lente
Iletin II
NPH |
4 - 6
hours |
8 - 14 hours |
16 - 20 hours |
Pork-based |
| Long acting |
Humulin U |
4-6 hours |
18-28 hours |
28 hours |
Human
Usually used in
combination with a faster-acting insulin to provide proper control at
mealtimes |
Ultra-long
acting |
Lantus |
1.1 hours |
No peak |
Constant concentration
over 24 hours |
Human
Injected once
daily at bedtime |
| Mixtures |
Humulin 50/50
Humulin
70/30
Novolin
70/30
Humalog Mix 75/25 |
Varies
Varies |
Varies
Varies |
Varies
Varies |
The
numbers refer to percentage of NPH (1st number) and regular (2nd
number)
Available in vials,
pen-fill cartridges, and prefilled syringes
75% NPL (a new NPH
formulation) and 25% lispro; available in disposable
pen. |
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Insulin |
Insulin Delivery |
Glucose Monitoring |
Emergency |
Routine Care |
Food & Nutrition
