:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-2197401498-200f4317e649447e9ed06683a9173125.jpg?w=780&resize=780,470&ssl=1 "What happens to your blood sugar when you regularly take insulin")
Key points to remember
- If your body does not produce enough insulin (a hormone in your body that helps regulate your blood sugar) or no longer responds to this insulin, you may need to take prescription insulin.
- Regular insulin intake lowers your blood sugar and can help prevent complications related to high blood sugar, such as heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.
- An important side effect of insulin is hypoglycemia, which can occur when your blood sugar level becomes too low, causing dizziness, sweating and anxiety.
Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar and helps the body decompose fat and produce proteins. This is what you expect if you regularly take prescription insulin.
What happens when you use prescription insulin
- Insulin is a natural hormone made in your pancreas that helps reduce sugar in your blood after eating.
- However, you may need to take prescription insulin if your pancreas does not produce enough insulin (as in type 1 diabetes mellitus) or if your body does not properly use its own insulin (as in type 2 diabetes mellitus).
- People who take insulin generally need it several times during the day, including before meals, to avoid blood sugar peaks.
- Taking insulin as prescribed helps prevent hyperglycemia and serious complications.
- Discuss with your health professional or pharmacist in the way of adjusting your insulin dose depending on carbohydrates (sugars) and other foods you consume, your activity level and your blood sugar over time.
How natural insulin regulates blood sugar
- The amount of natural insulin produced and released by your body in your blood depends on the amount of circulating sugars (glucose) in your blood. This process is called “feedback loop”.
- In healthy people, insulin produced by their bodies helps maintain constant blood sugar from 3.5 to 7.0 millimoles per liter (mmol/L) throughout the day.
- Insulin sends signals to cells in your body, encouraging them to absorb glucose from your blood and use it as a source of energy. Part of the glucose is also stored in your liver.
What happens if you have high blood sugar
Prescription insulin is the cornerstone of the treatment of hyperglycemia (hyperglycemia).
It is essential to manage hyperglycemia because, beyond diabetes, an uncontrolled high blood sugar is linked to a series of chronic health problems, in particular:
- Heart disease
- Heart failure
- Stroke
- Peripheral arterial disease
- Kidney disease
- Retinopathy
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Cancer
- Dementia
- Liver disease
- Infections
Insulin -based products
| Overview of prescription insulin products available in the United States | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insulin type | Start to operate (start) | Time until the maximum effect (peak) | Hard to (duration) | Examples |
| Short action | In 1 hour | 2 to 4 hours | Until 8 o’clock | Humulin R, Novolin R (Regular Human Insulin) |
| Rapid action | Within 30 minutes | 30 minutes at 3 a.m. | About 5 hours | HUMALOG (Insulin LisPro), Novolog (Insulin Asparte), Apidra (Insulin Glulisine) |
| Rapid action | In the 20 minutes | 30 minutes to 2 hours | 1 to 7 a.m. | FIASP (Insulin Asparte faster), Afrezza (Insulin Human Inhale) |
| Intermediate action | Within 2 hours | 2 to 8 hours | Up to 24 hours | Humuline n, novoline n (insulin nph) |
| Prolonged action | 1 to 4 hours | No peak (the levels remain constant) | 24 to 42 hours | Lantus (insulin glargine), Levemir (insulin to Detemir), Tressive (Insulin Debludec) |
| Insulin mixtures (combines two types) | Varied | 1 to 3 hours | Varied | Humuline 70/30, Humalog Mix 75/25, Novologist Mix 70/30 |
| Concentrated insulins (allows higher dosage) | Varied | Varied | Varied | Humalog U-200 (Insulin Lisprro 200 U/ML), Toujeo (Insulin Glavrgine 300 U/ML) |
Insulin side effects
Insulin is an integral part of the treatment of many people with diabetes mellitus, but there are certain significant side effects to keep in mind if you use it. These include:
- Low blood sugar level (hypoglycemia): About 15 % of people who take insulin know at least one episode of hypoglycemia per year. Hypoglycemia is more likely if you use a high dose of insulin, jump a meal, drink alcohol or make intense training. Symptoms to be monitored include anxiety, headache, sautéed heartbeat, perspiration and dizziness.
- Reactions to the injection site: Insulin injection under the skin can cause pain, bruises or bleeding to the injection site. Over time, insulin injection in the same place of the body can cause modifications to the adipose tissue under the skin. This is one of the reasons why it is important to rotate the injection site.
- Allergic reactions: These reactions are rare but may include redness, swelling and anaphylaxis, a potentially fatal disease characterized by breathing difficulties.
- Weight gain and obesity: Insulin increases appetite and often causes weight gain.
- Mental health problems: Some people who use insulin may develop fear of needles or suicidal ideas. Ask your pharmacist for the shortest insulin needles available to minimize pain and anxiety. Discuss the means to manage any anxiety with your doctor.
If you or a loved one have suicidal thoughts, make up the 988 To contact the life line 988 Suicide & Crisis and connect with a qualified advisor.
If you or one of your loved ones are in immediate danger, call 911.
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