educational laws and insulin administration

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 educational laws and insulin administration. Carry a piece of candy or glucose tablets with you to treatepisodes of low blood sugar educational laws and insulin administration.
• Follow any diet and exercise plan that you have developed with your doctoror nurse educational laws and insulin administration. Changes in what you eat or how much you exercise can change the amountof insulin that you need to control blood sugar levels educational laws and insulin administration.
• Ask your doctor or nurse what to do if you are sick with a cold, flu,or fever educational laws and insulin administration. These illnesses may change your insulin requirements educational laws and insulin administration.
• Insulin aspart differs from regular human insulin by how quickly it beginsto work and the amount of time it continues to be effective educational laws and insulin administration. Because insulinaspart begins to work soon after it is injected, the injection of insulin aspartshould immediately be followed by a meal educational laws and insulin administration. Because of the short amount of timethat insulin aspart continues to be effective, a longer-acting insulin may alsobe required educational laws and insulin administration.
• Do not change the brand of insulin aspart or syringe that you are usingwithout first talking to your doctor or pharmacist educational laws and insulin administration. Some brands of insulin aspartand syringes are interchangeable, while others are not educational laws and insulin administration. Your doctor and/or pharmacistknow which brands can be substituted for one another educational laws and insulin administration.

What is insulin aspart?
• Insulin is a hormone naturally produced by the pancreas educational laws and insulin administration. Insulin enablesthe body to use the sugar in food as a source of energy educational laws and insulin administration. When the body doesnot produce enough insulin, or when the insulin produced by the body is noteffective enough, the condition is called diabetes mellitus educational laws and insulin administration. This conditionallows sugar levels in the blood to become very high educational laws and insulin administration. 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 educational laws and insulin administration.
• There are three types of insulin, which differ in how soon they beginto work and how long their effects last educational laws and insulin administration. Insulin aspart is one type of insulinthat begins to work very quickly and its effects that last for approximately3 to 5 hours educational laws and insulin administration. Insulin aspart is usually used in combination with another longer-actinginsulin educational laws and insulin administration.
• Insulin aspart may also be used for purposes other than those listedin this medication guide educational laws and insulin administration.

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 educational laws and insulin administration.
• Before using insulin aspart, tell your doctor if you have kidney or liverdisease educational laws and insulin administration. You may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment educational laws and insulin administration.
• Insulin aspart is in the FDA pregnancy category C educational laws and insulin administration. This means that itis not known whether it will be harmful to an unborn baby educational laws and insulin administration. Do not use this medicationwithout first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant or could become pregnantduring treatment educational laws and insulin administration.
• It is not known whether insulin aspart passes into breast milk educational laws and insulin administration. Do notuse this medication without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feedinga baby educational laws and insulin administration.

How should I use insulin aspart?
• Use insulin aspart exactly as directed by your doctor educational laws and insulin administration. If you do notunderstand these instructions, ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist to explainthem to you educational laws and insulin administration.
• Insulin aspart differs from regular human insulin by how quickly it beginsto work and the amount of time it continues to be effective educational laws and insulin administration. Because insulinaspart begins to work soon after it is injected, the injection of insulin aspartshould immediately be followed by a meal educational laws and insulin administration. Because of the short amount of timethat insulin aspart continues to be effective, a longer-acting insulin may alsobe required educational laws and insulin administration.
• Insulin aspart is usually used immediately before a meal (a meal shouldbe started within 5 to 10 minutes after injecting the medication) educational laws and insulin administration. Follow yourdoctor's instructions educational laws and insulin administration.
• Rotate injection sites as directed by your doctor educational laws and insulin administration. Usually, you shouldnot inject within 1 inch of the same site within 1 month educational laws and insulin administration.
• Never reuse a needle or syringe educational laws and insulin administration. The syringes used must not contain anyother medicinal product or residue educational laws and insulin administration. Dispose of all needles and syringes in anappropriate, puncture-resistant disposal container educational laws and insulin administration.
• Do not change the insulin strength (e.g., U-100) or insulin type (e.g.,aspart) unless your doctor recommends a change for you educational laws and insulin administration.
• Do not change the brand of insulin aspart or syringe that you are usingwithout first talking to your doctor or pharmacist educational laws and insulin administration. Some brands of insulin andsyringes are interchangeable, while others are not educational laws and insulin administration. Your doctor and/or pharmacistknow which brands can be substituted for one another educational laws and insulin administration.
• Follow any diet and exercise plan that you have developed with your doctoror nurse educational laws and insulin administration. Changes in what you eat or how much you exercise can change the amountof insulin that you need to control blood sugar levels educational laws and insulin administration.
• Ask your doctor or nurse what to do if you are sick with a cold, flu,or fever educational laws and insulin administration. These illnesses may change your insulin requirements educational laws and insulin administration.
• 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 educational laws and insulin administration.
• To adequately control diabetes, proper foot care, eye care, dental care,and overall proper health care are necessary educational laws and insulin administration. Visit your doctor, dentist, eyedoctor, and other heath care practitioners as recommended by your doctor educational laws and insulin administration.
• Do not use any insulin that is discolored, looks thick, has particlesin it, or looks different from your previous bottles or cartridges of insulinaspart educational laws and insulin administration.
• Store unopened bottles and cartridges of insulin aspart in the refrigeratorbetween 36 and 46 degrees Fahrenheit (2 and 8 degrees Celsius) educational laws and insulin administration. Do not storeinsulin aspart in the freezer and do not allow it to freeze educational laws and insulin administration. Do not use insulinaspart if it has been frozen educational laws and insulin administration. Throw away any expired insulin aspart educational laws and insulin administration.
• 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 educational laws and insulin administration.

What happens if I miss a dose?
• Follow your doctor's directions if you miss a dose of insulin educational laws and insulin administration. To preventmissed doses, be sure to always have enough insulin on hand, especially if youare going on vacation educational laws and insulin administration.

What happens if I overdose?
• Seek emergency medical attention educational laws and insulin administration.
• 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 educational laws and insulin administration.

What should I avoid while using insulin aspart?
• Do not use alcohol without first talking to your doctor educational laws and insulin administration. It lowers bloodsugar, and you may experience dangerously low blood sugar levels educational laws and insulin administration.
• Follow any diet and exercise plan that you have developed with your doctoror nurse educational laws and insulin administration. Changes in what you eat or how much you exercise can change the amountof insulin that you need to control blood sugar levels educational laws and insulin administration.

What are the possible side effects of insulin aspart?
• Rarely, people have allergic reactions to insulin educational laws and insulin administration. Seek emergency medicalattention if you experience an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closingof your throat; swelling of your lips, tongue, or face; or hives) educational laws and insulin administration.
• The side effects of insulin therapy result mostly from blood sugar levelsthat are either too high or too low educational laws and insulin administration. You should be familiar with the symptomsof both high and low blood sugar levels and know how to treat both conditions educational laws and insulin administration. Also, be sure your family and close friends know how to help you in an emergency educational laws and insulin administration.
• 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 educational laws and insulin administration.
• Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, has the following symptoms: shaking,headache, cold sweats, pale, cool skin, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating educational laws and insulin administration.
• Keep sugary candy; fruit juice; or glucose tablets on hand to treat episodesof low blood sugar educational laws and insulin administration.
• 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 educational laws and insulin administration.
• Hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar, has the following symptoms: increasedthirst, increased hunger, and increased urination educational laws and insulin administration.
• Monitor your blood sugar levels and ask your doctor how to adjust yourinsulin doses if your blood sugar levels are too high educational laws and insulin administration.
• Side effects may also occur at the site of injection educational laws and insulin administration. If the area becomesthickened, hard, or pitted, talk to your doctor before injecting at that siteagain educational laws and insulin administration.
• Side effects other than those listed here may also occur educational laws and insulin administration. Talk to yourdoctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome educational laws and insulin administration.

What other drugs will affect insulin aspart?
• Many drugs can interact with insulin or affect blood sugar levels educational laws and insulin administration. 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 educational laws and insulin administration.

Where can I get more information?
• Your pharmacist has additional information about insulin aspart writtenfor health professionals that you may read educational laws and insulin administration.

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