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