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