When is insulin given

Clean your skin with cotton dipped in alcohol or an alcohol pad before you inject yourself. Wait 20 seconds for the area to dry before you inject. This helps avoid infections. You should also wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before you handle any needles. Your insulin treatment involves much more than injecting insulin. You need to check your blood sugar level regularly using a blood glucose monitor.

Major changes could mean that you have to adjust your insulin dose. Write down each measurement or record it in an app on your phone to show to your doctor. Your doctor needs this information to determine how much insulin is right for you. The amount of mealtime insulin you need to inject is based on the number of servings of carbohydrates you plan on eating during a meal. In the meantime, a dietitian can help you come up with a meal plan that works for you. There are also several smartphone applications and internet-based calculators available to help you figure out your carb intake and your corresponding insulin dosage.

You should also learn how to manage hypoglycemia if it happens to you. For example, you can eat or drink glucose tablets, juice, soda, or hard candies. You should also be extra cautious after vigorous exercise, as it can lower blood sugar for hours after the workout. If you do end up taking too much insulin and having a hypoglycemic episode, they should know how to help. If you become unconscious, a friend or family member can give you a shot of glucagon.

Talk to your doctor about keeping a supply of glucagon on hand and learning when and how to use it. Insulin is supposed to be injected into the fat layer under the skin using a short needle. Intermediate acting 2 to 4 hours 4 to 12 hours 12 to 18 hours Taken once or twice a day.

Covers your insulin needs for half a day or overnight. Commonly used with rapid- or short-acting insulin. Can be used with rapid- or short-acting insulin if needed.

Premixed 5 to 60 min varied peaks 10 to 16 hours Taken twice a day, commonly 10 to 30 minutes before breakfast and dinner. This type is a combination of intermediate- and short-acting insulin. Administration and dosage. How should I store my insulin?

Side effects and reactions. Alternative medications for people with type 2 diabetes. Ways to manage blood glucose levels. Read this next. Medically reviewed by Elaine K. Luo, M. Diabetes: Facts, Statistics, and You.

Griffith, MD. The Effects of Insulin on the Body. Medically reviewed by Kevin Martinez, M. Is Type 1 Diabetes Genetic? Medically reviewed by Marina Basina, M. Insulin Pumps. Medically reviewed by Peggy Pletcher, M. Gestational Diabetes. Medically reviewed by Kelly Wood, MD. Taken with meals, usually with the first bite of a meal. Taken with meals, typically right before a meal.

Insulin lispro should always be drawn into the syringe first. This will keep the longer-acting insulin from getting into the insulin lispro bottle. Quick-acting, such as insulin lispro Humalog , begins to work very quickly 5 to 15 minutes and lasts for 3 to 4 hours.

Short-acting, such as Regular R insulin, starts working within 30 minutes and lasts about 5 to 8 hours. Long-acting, such as Ultralente U insulin, doesn't start to work for 4 to 6 hours, but lasts 24 to 28 hours. NPH and Regular insulin mixture, two types of insulin mixed together in 1 bottle, starts working in 30 minutes and lasts 16 to 24 hours.

Source: Medicine for People with Diabetes. Insulin is normally injected under the skin with a very small needle. It can also be taken with an insulin pen.

Your doctor will teach you exactly how to inject insulin, but here are the basics: Wash your hands. Take the plastic cover off the insulin bottle and wipe the top of the bottle with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.

Pull back the plunger of the syringe, drawing air into the syringe equal to the dose of insulin that you are taking measured in units. Put the syringe needle through the rubber top of the insulin bottle. Inject air into the bottle by pushing the syringe plunger forward.

Turn the bottle upside down. Make sure that the tip of the needle is in the insulin. Pull back on the syringe plunger to draw the correct dose of insulin into the syringe see picture 1. Make sure there are no air bubbles in the syringe before you take the needle out of the insulin bottle.

If there are air bubbles, hold the syringe and the bottle straight up, tap the syringe with your finger and let the air bubbles float to the top. Push on the plunger of the syringe to move the air bubbles back into the insulin bottle. Then withdraw the correct insulin dose by pulling back on the plunger. Clean your skin with cotton dipped in alcohol see picture 2 , top.

Grab a fold of skin and inject the insulin under the skin at a degree angle see picture 3. Clean the injection area using cotton and alcohol top. Pinch an area of skin bottom.

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