Insulin Lispro: Uses, Mechanism, Warnings, Side Effects, Interactions and Dosage

It is fast acting, it is also known as Humalog.

Available as Humalog Mix 75/25 and Humalog Mix 50/50, both contain mixtures of insulin lispro along with a second form of insulin called protamine lispro .

Humalog is a medicine used to treat type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.

It works in a number of ways to lower blood sugar , including:

  • It helps certain tissues in the body store glucose in their cells.
  • It prevents the liver from producing more glucose.
  • Blocks the breakdown of fats and proteins.
  • It helps control the overall production and breakdown of sugar in the body.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first approved insulin lispro in 1996.

Warnings

You should not take insulin lispro if the patient:

  • You are allergic to Humalog or any of its inactive ingredients.
  • You currently have a very low blood sugar level.

Also, it is important to mention that the patient should never share their insulin with another person.

This includes sharing your Humalog, or any insulin pens and insulin cartridges, regardless of whether you have changed needles.

The patient should ask their doctor about insulin lispro if:

  • You suffer from low blood sugar.
  • You have low levels of potassium in your blood.
  • You have kidney or liver problems.
  • You have heart failure.
  • Está tomando tiazolidinedionas (TZD).
  • If you are taking medications that contain rosiglitazone such as Avandia, Avandryl, or Avandamet.
  • If you receive medicines that contain pioglitazone, such as Actos, Actoplus Met or Oseni.

Some insulin products can be mixed, but insulin lispro is not one of them.

Humalog should never be mixed with other insulins, even if the patient is using a form of Humalog that mixes automatically.

Side effects

Common side effects of insulin lispro

The patient should inform their doctor if any of the following side effects are severe or do not go away:

  • Nose or throat infection, or flu-like symptoms.
  • Headache.
  • Pain or irritation, especially at the injection site.
  • Collection of fatty tissue at the injection site.
  • Itching, rash, or pain in the joints.
  • Weight gain.
  • Swelling of the feet, ankles, and calves.

Serious side effects of insulin lispro

The patient should stop using this medicine and call their doctor if they experience any of the following serious side effects:

  • Low blood sugar
  • Low levels of potassium in the blood.
  • Serious and / or life-threatening allergic reactions.

Insulin lispro interactions

The patient should inform their physician of all prescription, non-prescription, illegal, recreational, herbal, nutritional, or dietary medications that they are taking.

Humalog interacts with many drugs, including:

  • Beta-blockers such as Tenormin (atenolol), Trandate (labetalol), Toprol XL (metoprolol succinate), or Lopressor (metoprolol tartrate).
  • Saxenda or Victoza (liraglutide) and medicines that contain repaglinide such as Prandin or Prandimet.
  • Medications that contain estrogen, including contraceptives and hormone replacements.
  • Sulfonylureas such as Diabeta (glyburide) and medications that contain glipizide, such as Glucotrol or Metaglip.
  • Other diabetes medications such as Starlix (nateglinide) and Glyset (miglitol).
  • Psychological drugs such as Invega (paliperidone), Risperdal (risperidone), and Precose (acarbose).

Interactions with alcohol

Alcohol consumption should be avoided or limited while the patient is taking insulin lispro.

Dosage

Humalog comes in 10 milliliter (ml) vials that contain 100 units of insulin per ml of solution.

The doctor will determine how much insulin lispro the patient should take, how often, and with what meals.

Not all insulin works the same, or works at the same rate.

Humalog is a fast-acting insulin, and its results do not last for long periods of time, as it is intended to prevent blood sugar from spiking after eating.

For best results, Humalog should be used within 15 minutes before eating or at the beginning of the meal.

Missed dose

If the patient misses a dose of insulin lispro, they should try to take it as soon as they remember.

However, if it is almost time for your next dose, you should skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule.

Taking extra doses to make up for a missed one is not recommended.

Overdose

If the patient believes that he or someone else may have overdosed on insulin lispro, he should immediately contact an emergency room or poison control center.