diabetes care
(IN suh lin AH spart)
NovoLog
What is the most important information I should know about insulin aspart?
• Know the signs and symptoms of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), whichinclude headache, drowsiness, weakness, dizziness, fast heartbeat, sweating,tremor, and nausea diabetes care. Carry a piece of candy or glucose tablets with you to treatepisodes of low blood sugar diabetes care.
• Follow any diet and exercise plan that you have developed with your doctoror nurse diabetes care. Changes in what you eat or how much you exercise can change the amountof insulin that you need to control blood sugar levels diabetes care.
• Ask your doctor or nurse what to do if you are sick with a cold, flu,or fever diabetes care. These illnesses may change your insulin requirements diabetes care.
• Insulin aspart differs from regular human insulin by how quickly it beginsto work and the amount of time it continues to be effective diabetes care. Because insulinaspart begins to work soon after it is injected, the injection of insulin aspartshould immediately be followed by a meal diabetes care. Because of the short amount of timethat insulin aspart continues to be effective, a longer-acting insulin may alsobe required diabetes care.
• Do not change the brand of insulin aspart or syringe that you are usingwithout first talking to your doctor or pharmacist diabetes care. Some brands of insulin aspartand syringes are interchangeable, while others are not diabetes care. Your doctor and/or pharmacistknow which brands can be substituted for one another diabetes care.
What is insulin aspart?
• Insulin is a hormone naturally produced by the pancreas diabetes care. Insulin enablesthe body to use the sugar in food as a source of energy diabetes care. When the body doesnot produce enough insulin, or when the insulin produced by the body is noteffective enough, the condition is called diabetes mellitus diabetes care. This conditionallows sugar levels in the blood to become very high diabetes care. Diabetics must use man-madeinsulin or insulin that comes from pigs (which is very similar to human insulin)to lower these high blood sugar levels diabetes care.
• There are three types of insulin, which differ in how soon they beginto work and how long their effects last diabetes care. Insulin aspart is one type of insulinthat begins to work very quickly and its effects that last for approximately3 to 5 hours diabetes care. Insulin aspart is usually used in combination with another longer-actinginsulin diabetes care.
• Insulin aspart may also be used for purposes other than those listedin this medication guide diabetes care.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before using insulin aspart?
• Do not use insulin aspart if you are allergic to insulin or if you havean intolerance of a certain insulin aspart product diabetes care.
• Before using insulin aspart, tell your doctor if you have kidney or liverdisease diabetes care. You may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment diabetes care.
• Insulin aspart is in the FDA pregnancy category C diabetes care. This means that itis not known whether it will be harmful to an unborn baby diabetes care. Do not use this medicationwithout first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant or could become pregnantduring treatment diabetes care.
• It is not known whether insulin aspart passes into breast milk diabetes care. Do notuse this medication without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feedinga baby diabetes care.
How should I use insulin aspart?
• Use insulin aspart exactly as directed by your doctor diabetes care. If you do notunderstand these instructions, ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist to explainthem to you diabetes care.
• Insulin aspart differs from regular human insulin by how quickly it beginsto work and the amount of time it continues to be effective diabetes care. Because insulinaspart begins to work soon after it is injected, the injection of insulin aspartshould immediately be followed by a meal diabetes care. Because of the short amount of timethat insulin aspart continues to be effective, a longer-acting insulin may alsobe required diabetes care.
• Insulin aspart is usually used immediately before a meal (a meal shouldbe started within 5 to 10 minutes after injecting the medication) diabetes care. Follow yourdoctor's instructions diabetes care.
• Rotate injection sites as directed by your doctor diabetes care. Usually, you shouldnot inject within 1 inch of the same site within 1 month diabetes care.
• Never reuse a needle or syringe diabetes care. The syringes used must not contain anyother medicinal product or residue diabetes care. Dispose of all needles and syringes in anappropriate, puncture-resistant disposal container diabetes care.
• Do not change the insulin strength (e.g., U-100) or insulin type (e.g.,aspart) unless your doctor recommends a change for you diabetes care.
• Do not change the brand of insulin aspart or syringe that you are usingwithout first talking to your doctor or pharmacist diabetes care. Some brands of insulin andsyringes are interchangeable, while others are not diabetes care. Your doctor and/or pharmacistknow which brands can be substituted for one another diabetes care.
• Follow any diet and exercise plan that you have developed with your doctoror nurse diabetes care. Changes in what you eat or how much you exercise can change the amountof insulin that you need to control blood sugar levels diabetes care.
• Ask your doctor or nurse what to do if you are sick with a cold, flu,or fever diabetes care. These illnesses may change your insulin requirements diabetes care.
• Wear some type of medical identification bracelet, necklace, or otheralert tag to inform others that you have diabetes and that you require insulinin the case of an emergency diabetes care.
• To adequately control diabetes, proper foot care, eye care, dental care,and overall proper health care are necessary diabetes care. Visit your doctor, dentist, eyedoctor, and other heath care practitioners as recommended by your doctor diabetes care.
• Do not use any insulin that is discolored, looks thick, has particlesin it, or looks different from your previous bottles or cartridges of insulinaspart diabetes care.
• Store unopened bottles and cartridges of insulin aspart in the refrigeratorbetween 36 and 46 degrees Fahrenheit (2 and 8 degrees Celsius) diabetes care. Do not storeinsulin aspart in the freezer and do not allow it to freeze diabetes care. Do not use insulinaspart if it has been frozen diabetes care. Throw away any expired insulin aspart diabetes care.
• Vials or cartridges of insulin aspart in use can be kept unrefrigeratedat room temperature, below 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius), for upto 28 days but should not be exposed to excessive heat or sunlight diabetes care.
What happens if I miss a dose?
• Follow your doctor's directions if you miss a dose of insulin diabetes care. To preventmissed doses, be sure to always have enough insulin on hand, especially if youare going on vacation diabetes care.
What happens if I overdose?
• Seek emergency medical attention diabetes care.
• Symptoms of an insulin overdose reflect very low blood sugar levels andinclude headache, irregular heartbeat, increased heart rate or pulse, sweating,tremor, nausea, increased hunger, and anxiety diabetes care.
What should I avoid while using insulin aspart?
• Do not use alcohol without first talking to your doctor diabetes care. It lowers bloodsugar, and you may experience dangerously low blood sugar levels diabetes care.
• Follow any diet and exercise plan that you have developed with your doctoror nurse diabetes care. Changes in what you eat or how much you exercise can change the amountof insulin that you need to control blood sugar levels diabetes care.
What are the possible side effects of insulin aspart?
• Rarely, people have allergic reactions to insulin diabetes care. Seek emergency medicalattention if you experience an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closingof your throat; swelling of your lips, tongue, or face; or hives) diabetes care.
• The side effects of insulin therapy result mostly from blood sugar levelsthat are either too high or too low diabetes care. You should be familiar with the symptomsof both high and low blood sugar levels and know how to treat both conditions diabetes care. Also, be sure your family and close friends know how to help you in an emergency diabetes care.
• Low blood sugar may occur when too much insulin is used; when meals aremissed or delayed; if you exercise more than usual; during illness, especiallywith vomiting or diarrhea; if you take other medications; after drinking alcohol;and in other situations diabetes care.
• Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, has the following symptoms: shaking,headache, cold sweats, pale, cool skin, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating diabetes care.
• Keep sugary candy; fruit juice; or glucose tablets on hand to treat episodesof low blood sugar diabetes care.
• Increased blood sugar may occur if not enough insulin is used, if youeat significantly more food then usual, if you exercise less than usual, ifyou take other medications, if you have a fever or other illness, and in othersituations diabetes care.
• Hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar, has the following symptoms: increasedthirst, increased hunger, and increased urination diabetes care.
• Monitor your blood sugar levels and ask your doctor how to adjust yourinsulin doses if your blood sugar levels are too high diabetes care.
• Side effects may also occur at the site of injection diabetes care. If the area becomesthickened, hard, or pitted, talk to your doctor before injecting at that siteagain diabetes care.
• Side effects other than those listed here may also occur diabetes care. Talk to yourdoctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome diabetes care.
What other drugs will affect insulin aspart?
• Many drugs can interact with insulin or affect blood sugar levels diabetes care. Donot take any other medicines, including prescription products or over-the-countermedicines or supplements, without first talking to your doctor or pharmacistduring treatment with insulin diabetes care.
Where can I get more information?
• Your pharmacist has additional information about insulin aspart writtenfor health professionals that you may read diabetes care.
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