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