Medications and Treatments

Your healthcare team will create a diabetes treatment plan for you that may include insulin, oral medications or both. Many people need to take diabetes medicine to keep their blood sugar near normal.

Insulin and oral medication are available by prescription only. You should talk to your healthcare professional about which medication may be right for you and what side effects, if any, it may have.

What's your dose? You need to test your blood glucose levels to know for sure. Learn more about testing products.

Insulin

There are four types of insulin available. These vary in the time it takes to reach the bloodstream and begin lowering glucose levels (onset), length of time the insulin is working at maximum strength (peaktime) and the entire span of action for lowering glucose levels (duration).

The four types of insulin are:

• Rapid-acting, such as insulin lispro, insulin aspart, and insulin glulisine. A bolus or “mealtime” insulin.
• Short-acting insulin or regular insulin. Another bolus or “mealtime” insulin.
• Intermediate-acting or NPH. A basal insulin that lasts long periods of time.
• Long-acting insulin such as insulin glargine (Lantus) and insulin detemir (Levemir). Also a basal insulin that lasts long periods of time.

Your treatment may require you to use only one type of insulin or you may have to mix different types in a single injection. You healthcare provider will tell you which of these is required and show you all the necessary steps. Do not mix insulin if your healthcare team has not suggested it to you.

The type of insulin you use depends on what you need it for. Here’s how the various kinds work:

	Type of Insulin		Onset		Peak		Duration
	Rapid-acting		5 to 15 minutes		1 hour		1 to 2 hours
	Short-acting		30 minutes		2 to 4 hours		6 to 8 hours
	Intermediate-acting		2 to 4 hours		6 to 10 hours		10 to 16 hours
	Long-acting		4 to 6 hours		18 hours		24 to 36 hours

When it comes to insulin, timing is everything. As a general rule, it’s best to inject regular insulin, or a mixture that contains it, 30 minutes prior to meals. Since this is sometimes inconvenient, most healthcare professionals have their patients’ use rapid-acting insulin. Typically, you take this type of insulin immediately before you eat which is helpful when you are at a social gathering or restaurant and are unsure of when the food will be served.

Additional Tips

Be sure to talk to your doctor about these tips before altering your insulin regimen. Always follow your doctor’s instructions to receive the most effective treatment.

• Always check the expiration date on the insulin bottle.
• Before taking insulin, check vials for frosty rings, clumping or a separation of the liquids. Do not use insulin with these characteristics.
• Do not shake your insulin vial to mix it. Instead, roll it between your hands to gently mix prior to each use.
• Do not expose insulin to extreme temperatures.
• Take your insulin every day as prescribed by your doctor.
• If you are sick, call your doctor for advice on how to administer your insulin. You may need to change your dose.
• Do not change your brand of insulin without asking your doctor.
• Store insulin according to the directions on the package or ask your healthcare provider for storing recommendations.
• Have a glucagon kit available in case you have severely low blood sugar. Teach family members how to use the glucagon kit.

You can learn more and find useful tools to better manage your diabetes in our Bayer Easy C.A.R.E program – enroll now.

Source: “You Are NOT Alone”, by Kate Ayres and Pam McConnell.

Oral Medications

People with type 2 diabetes are often able to manage their blood glucose levels through a diet and exercise plan. However, some people may also need medication to help control their blood glucose levels. In fact, several different medications may be needed because each works a different way. Contact your healthcare professional to learn what is appropriate for your specific treatment.