diabetes educator
(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 educator. Carry a piece of candy or glucose tablets with you to treatepisodes of low blood sugar diabetes educator.
• Follow any diet and exercise plan that you have developed with your doctoror nurse diabetes educator. Changes in what you eat or how much you exercise can change the amountof insulin that you need to control blood sugar levels diabetes educator.
• Ask your doctor or nurse what to do if you are sick with a cold, flu,or fever diabetes educator. These illnesses may change your insulin requirements diabetes educator.
• Insulin aspart differs from regular human insulin by how quickly it beginsto work and the amount of time it continues to be effective diabetes educator. Because insulinaspart begins to work soon after it is injected, the injection of insulin aspartshould immediately be followed by a meal diabetes educator. Because of the short amount of timethat insulin aspart continues to be effective, a longer-acting insulin may alsobe required diabetes educator.
• Do not change the brand of insulin aspart or syringe that you are usingwithout first talking to your doctor or pharmacist diabetes educator. Some brands of insulin aspartand syringes are interchangeable, while others are not diabetes educator. Your doctor and/or pharmacistknow which brands can be substituted for one another diabetes educator.
What is insulin aspart?
• Insulin is a hormone naturally produced by the pancreas diabetes educator. Insulin enablesthe body to use the sugar in food as a source of energy diabetes educator. 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 educator. This conditionallows sugar levels in the blood to become very high diabetes educator. 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 educator.
• There are three types of insulin, which differ in how soon they beginto work and how long their effects last diabetes educator. Insulin aspart is one type of insulinthat begins to work very quickly and its effects that last for approximately3 to 5 hours diabetes educator. Insulin aspart is usually used in combination with another longer-actinginsulin diabetes educator.
• Insulin aspart may also be used for purposes other than those listedin this medication guide diabetes educator.
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 educator.
• Before using insulin aspart, tell your doctor if you have kidney or liverdisease diabetes educator. You may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment diabetes educator.
• Insulin aspart is in the FDA pregnancy category C diabetes educator. This means that itis not known whether it will be harmful to an unborn baby diabetes educator. Do not use this medicationwithout first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant or could become pregnantduring treatment diabetes educator.
• It is not known whether insulin aspart passes into breast milk diabetes educator. Do notuse this medication without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feedinga baby diabetes educator.
How should I use insulin aspart?
• Use insulin aspart exactly as directed by your doctor diabetes educator. If you do notunderstand these instructions, ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist to explainthem to you diabetes educator.
• Insulin aspart differs from regular human insulin by how quickly it beginsto work and the amount of time it continues to be effective diabetes educator. Because insulinaspart begins to work soon after it is injected, the injection of insulin aspartshould immediately be followed by a meal diabetes educator. Because of the short amount of timethat insulin aspart continues to be effective, a longer-acting insulin may alsobe required diabetes educator.
• Insulin aspart is usually used immediately before a meal (a meal shouldbe started within 5 to 10 minutes after injecting the medication) diabetes educator. Follow yourdoctor's instructions diabetes educator.
• Rotate injection sites as directed by your doctor diabetes educator. Usually, you shouldnot inject within 1 inch of the same site within 1 month diabetes educator.
• Never reuse a needle or syringe diabetes educator. The syringes used must not contain anyother medicinal product or residue diabetes educator. Dispose of all needles and syringes in anappropriate, puncture-resistant disposal container diabetes educator.
• 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 educator.
• Do not change the brand of insulin aspart or syringe that you are usingwithout first talking to your doctor or pharmacist diabetes educator. Some brands of insulin andsyringes are interchangeable, while others are not diabetes educator. Your doctor and/or pharmacistknow which brands can be substituted for one another diabetes educator.
• Follow any diet and exercise plan that you have developed with your doctoror nurse diabetes educator. Changes in what you eat or how much you exercise can change the amountof insulin that you need to control blood sugar levels diabetes educator.
• Ask your doctor or nurse what to do if you are sick with a cold, flu,or fever diabetes educator. These illnesses may change your insulin requirements diabetes educator.
• 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 educator.
• To adequately control diabetes, proper foot care, eye care, dental care,and overall proper health care are necessary diabetes educator. Visit your doctor, dentist, eyedoctor, and other heath care practitioners as recommended by your doctor diabetes educator.
• 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 educator.
• Store unopened bottles and cartridges of insulin aspart in the refrigeratorbetween 36 and 46 degrees Fahrenheit (2 and 8 degrees Celsius) diabetes educator. Do not storeinsulin aspart in the freezer and do not allow it to freeze diabetes educator. Do not use insulinaspart if it has been frozen diabetes educator. Throw away any expired insulin aspart diabetes educator.
• 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 educator.
What happens if I miss a dose?
• Follow your doctor's directions if you miss a dose of insulin diabetes educator. To preventmissed doses, be sure to always have enough insulin on hand, especially if youare going on vacation diabetes educator.
What happens if I overdose?
• Seek emergency medical attention diabetes educator.
• 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 educator.
What should I avoid while using insulin aspart?
• Do not use alcohol without first talking to your doctor diabetes educator. It lowers bloodsugar, and you may experience dangerously low blood sugar levels diabetes educator.
• Follow any diet and exercise plan that you have developed with your doctoror nurse diabetes educator. Changes in what you eat or how much you exercise can change the amountof insulin that you need to control blood sugar levels diabetes educator.
What are the possible side effects of insulin aspart?
• Rarely, people have allergic reactions to insulin diabetes educator. Seek emergency medicalattention if you experience an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closingof your throat; swelling of your lips, tongue, or face; or hives) diabetes educator.
• The side effects of insulin therapy result mostly from blood sugar levelsthat are either too high or too low diabetes educator. You should be familiar with the symptomsof both high and low blood sugar levels and know how to treat both conditions diabetes educator. Also, be sure your family and close friends know how to help you in an emergency diabetes educator.
• 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 educator.
• Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, has the following symptoms: shaking,headache, cold sweats, pale, cool skin, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating diabetes educator.
• Keep sugary candy; fruit juice; or glucose tablets on hand to treat episodesof low blood sugar diabetes educator.
• 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 educator.
• Hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar, has the following symptoms: increasedthirst, increased hunger, and increased urination diabetes educator.
• Monitor your blood sugar levels and ask your doctor how to adjust yourinsulin doses if your blood sugar levels are too high diabetes educator.
• Side effects may also occur at the site of injection diabetes educator. If the area becomesthickened, hard, or pitted, talk to your doctor before injecting at that siteagain diabetes educator.
• Side effects other than those listed here may also occur diabetes educator. Talk to yourdoctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome diabetes educator.
What other drugs will affect insulin aspart?
• Many drugs can interact with insulin or affect blood sugar levels diabetes educator. 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 educator.
Where can I get more information?
• Your pharmacist has additional information about insulin aspart writtenfor health professionals that you may read diabetes educator.
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