If you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, your doctor may recommend you take insulin to help control your blood sugar levels. More than 8 million people take insulin in the U.S., but nearly 17% report not taking full doses due to the high costs of their medication.

From 2002 to 2013, the average price of insulin nearly tripled, and it continued to increase between 2014 and 2019. In response to the rising cost of these medications, the three largest insulin manufacturers — Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi — are lowering the prices of their products. And the federal government has also passed legislation to make insulin more accessible to Medicare enrollees by capping the price.

Whether or not you have insurance, there are ways to save money on insulin, so that you can access your medication and avoid putting your health at risk.

Ways to save on insulin

Below, we discuss five ways you can save on insulin, whether you have insurance or not.

1. Review your health insurance plan

Before your healthcare provider writes you a prescription for insulin, it’s a good idea to review your health insurance plan to get a better idea of the following:

• Cost and coverage: Check out your summary of benefits and coverage to learn more about your potential insulin costs.

• Your plan’s formulary: Reviewing this list of medications that are covered by your health plan will give you a sense of which insulins are covered.

• Out of pocket costs: Determine if you need to pay a deductible, copay, or any other amounts for the services and medications you need.

When discussing what insulin to take with your healthcare provider, try to choose one that’s preferred. You can take these steps to make sure an insulin is preferred:

• First, call your insurance company to find out what their preferred insulin products are. “What’s my preferred insulin?” is the first question you should ask.

• Then, find your preferred pharmacy. Is it retail or, maybe, mail order? Along with what insulin is preferred, you’ll want to ask your insurer, “What’s my preferred pharmacy?”

If you’re already taking insulin, but not one that’s preferred, you can ask your healthcare provider to complete a prior authorization. This letter states that you must continue taking your current insulin due to reasons like fluctuating blood sugar or intolerance to other agents. Just keep in mind that it may take 2 weeks or longer to get the prior authorization approved.

If your insurance company denies a prior authorization and you believe it was done so incorrectly or unfairly, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) ensures your right to submit an appeal. You can strengthen your appeal by asking your provider for any additional documentation that could help prove your current medication is medically necessary.

2. Research manufacturer savings cards

If you need help paying for your medication, you might qualify for an insulin savings card from one of the top insulin makers.

Eli Lilly savings cards

Eli Lilly offers savings cards for the following insulin products:

• Basaglar (insulin glargine)

• Humulin R (insulin regular)

• Lyumjev (insulin lispro)

These cards can reduce copays for the medications to as little as $25 for a 30-day supply. But keep in mind that your doctor may still need to submit a prior authorization if the insulin you need is not preferred.

Novo Nordisk savings card

The Novo Nordisk savings card allows patients with insurance to save on multiple insulins, including:

• Fiasp (insulin apart)

• Novolog (insulin apart)

• Novolog Mix 70/30

• Tresiba  (insulin degludec)

This card allows people taking insulin the opportunity to pay between $25 to $35 for a 30-day supply of these medications for up to 2 years. Some offers may also include a free box of Novo Nordisk needles.

Sanofi Aventis savings cards

Savings cards from Sanofi Aventis can reduce copays to as little as $0 for the manufacturer’s insulin products, in some cases. But the savings vary depending on the individual insulin product. You can visit the Sanofi Aventis website to find savings cards for the following medications:

• Apidra (insulin glulisine)

• Admelog (insulin lispro)

• Lantus (insulin glargine)

• Soliqua 100/33 (insulin glargine/lixisenatide)

• Toujeo (insulin glargine)

It’s important to note that, as of January 1, 2023, the price for insulin is capped at $35 a month for people who have Medicare Part D, due to the Inflation Reduction Act.

3.  Search for patient assistance programs

The major insulin manufacturers in the U.S. offer savings to people who have diabetes through patient assistance programs and copay savings programs. These programs may be able to help you get your insulin for free. However, they are meant for people who meet certain eligibility requirements, such as being:

• Uninsured (primarily)

• Enrolled in Medicare Part D

• A U.S. resident

Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi Aventis offer the following patient assistance programs:

• Lilly Cares

• Novo Nordisk Patient Assistance Program

• Sanofi’s Patient Assistance Connection

All three programs offer free insulin for up to 12 consecutive months to uninsured enrollees. People who have Medicare Part D are usually eligible for benefits for the full 12 months or until the end of the calendar year. And participants can typically reapply anywhere from 30 to 60 days before their enrollment period ends.

4. Look for coupons and discounts

Fortunately, you don’t have to rely solely on insurance to save money on insulin. If your insurance copay is too much or you don’t have insurance, GoodRx coupons can help. With a GoodRx coupon, you may be able to save up to 91% off the average price of generic Humalog at some pharmacies, for example.

You can go to goodrx.com or use the GoodRx app to search for coupons. Type in the name of your medication, then set your location. This will pull up coupons you can use at local pharmacies. Even if you have insurance, it’s always a good idea to compare prices.

5. Search for resources for people without insurance

Affording insulin can be challenging, especially if you do not have insurance.  However, there are many community health clinics and other organizations that provide low-cost or even free healthcare services to eligible people. This can sometimes include prescription medications like insulin.

Some providers’ offices also have access to limited, free insulin samples. Eli Lilly, for example, donates insulin products to nearly 350 clinics nationwide

Here are a few other options:

• Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA): This U.S. government agency has a search tool on their website to help you find federally funded health centers in your area. These centers are required to provide healthcare services to all people, regardless of their ability to pay.

• National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC): This organization provides a directory of free and low-cost clinics across the U.S.

• NeedyMeds: On the NeedyMeds website, you can find programs that may help you pay for your medications and other healthcare services.

• Local Department of Health: Your state or county’s Department of Health might have a list of clinics in your area that provide free or low-cost services.

• 211.org: This website provides information about various kinds of financial assistance programs, including those that help with healthcare costs,

… Read the rest

You’ve probably heard about insulin — especially if you have diabetes. But what exactly is this substance and how does it affect your body?

Your pancreas, a gland located in the abdomen, produces the hormone insulin. One of this hormone’s primary roles is to control blood glucose (blood sugar) levels to prevent hyperglycemia. Insulin is also important to fat synthesis and enzyme regulation.

A healthy body regulates insulin precisely, thus allowing the body’s metabolism to be balanced. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with diabetes or pre diabetes, you’re probably wondering exactly what the role of insulin is in the body.

Here’s some answers offered by the health care team at South Plains Rural Health Services.

Why is insulin so important?

Insulin helps shuttle glucose (blood sugar) into your muscle, fat, and liver cells. Glucose enters your body from the foods you eat. Once insulin moves into your cells, your blood sugar returns to normal.

Glucose is energy for your cells; excess glucose can be converted to fat. Insulin modifies the activity of specific enzymes that impact protein synthesis. Insulin also plays a role in building muscle following sickness or injury.

Insulin helps make healthy changes in fat cells. It is also important to the absorption of amino acids and potassium. The hormone manages the excretion of sodium and fluid volume in your urine.

Insulin also enhances your memory and learning capabilities.

What problems occur with insulin?

The best known problem with insulin is diabetes. With Type 1 diabetes, your body doesn’t secrete enough (or any). Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder usually diagnosed in adolescence or young adulthood.

Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed when your body no longer uses the insulin it secretes effectively. This form usually develops in adults and can be associated with lifestyle choices. You may still produce insulin, but not enough for your body’s needs.

With Type 2 diabetes, even if you do produce insulin, your body just doesn’t use it efficiently.

Another 96 million people have a condition called prediabetes. Prediabetes means you have high blood sugar levels, but not quite high enough for a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Without treatment, you are likely to develop Type 2 diabetes and are at increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

What happens when insulin doesn’t effectively control your blood sugar levels?

When insulin doesn’t effectively control your blood sugar levels, you may develop a number of symptoms.

Your cells don’t receive the sugar they need for energy, so you may feel tired and fatigued. The sugar remains in the bloodstream. When you have excess sugar in the bloodstream for a long period of time, it causes damage to the peripheral nervous system, kidneys, and eyes.

How do I know I have problems with insulin?

Symptoms of Type 1 diabetes are noticeable. You may lose weight, feel thirst, urinate often, and be fatigued. Type 2 diabetes develops more gradually and symptoms are more subtle. We can run an A1C blood test to check your insulin levels and a glucose test to check your glucose levels.

We may recommend these tests if you have characteristics associated with Type 2 diabetes, including fatigue, overweight or obesity, sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, and tingling in your hands and feet.… Read the rest

If you have insulin resistance, you may be able to reduce or even reverse it by adopting healthy lifestyle habits such as regular exercise and a healthy diet.

Insulin resistance occurs when cells in your body do not respond well to insulin. Insulin is produced by the pancreas and helps move glucose from the blood into cells, where it is used for energy. If you have insulin resistance, your pancreas must produce greater amounts of insulin to help maintain normal blood glucose levels.

Eating foods that raise your blood sugar triggers the pancreas to release insulin to absorb the sugars. Consuming large amounts of foods that raise blood sugar puts a lot of stress on the pancreas. Over time, this extra stress can worsen your insulin resistance and your condition may progress to Type 2 diabetes.

“Following a diet lower in refined or simple carbohydrates can help your body better manage sugar levels and may improve your insulin resistance,” says Shelby Hoskins, MS, RD, LMNT, CDCES, Nebraska Medicine diabetes educator and registered dietitian.

This can be achieved by eating a more balanced diet that includes a mix of choices from different food groups, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes and healthy dairy and fats. “This will help you digest your food slower, resulting in a slower, steadier rise in blood sugars and more sustained energy levels,” notes Hoskins.

Another trick to slow the rise in blood sugars is to pair a carbohydrate source with protein or a healthy fat. For example, pair an apple with peanut butter, whole grain crackers with cheese, or a banana with almonds.

While you do not need to eliminate any foods from your diet completely, the key is to be aware of how certain foods affect your blood sugar levels and how to balance or offset those with other food choices, says Hoskins.

Hoskins recommends the following foods to provide a more stable energy source and support insulin sensitivity.

1. Complex carbohydrates

These types of food are high in fiber and nutrients. To know if it is a whole grain, read the label, says Hoskins. The first ingredient should start with “whole,” as in whole wheat or whole oats.

Complex carbohydrates include:

• Whole wheat
• Oats
• Brown rice
• Quinoa
• Whole grain breads
• Whole grain pastas
• Whole barley
• Millet
• Bulgar wheat
• Buckwheat
• Whole rye
• Whole corn

2. Lean proteins

• Lean cuts of red meat
• Chicken
• Fish like salmon, tuna and trout
• Beans, lentils and legumes
• Nuts and seeds
• Nut butters

3. Fruits

All fruits are packed with fiber and nutrients, but some are higher in sugar than others, like grapes and bananas. So if you want to consume a larger portion, keep in mind that you can eat a cup of berries compared to half a banana for about the same sugar content, Hoskins says. With this in mind, some lower carbohydrate fruits include:

• Watermelon, cantaloupe and peaches
• Oranges, mangoes and pineapple
• Berries such as raspberries, strawberries and blueberries

4. Vegetables

While vegetables are always a good choice, keep in mind that some vegetables, like potatoes and sweet potatoes, are starchier than others and provide more carbohydrates. Vegetables with little to no carbohydrate include:

• Broccoli
• Dark leafy greens
• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Cucumbers
• Carrots

5. Dairy and healthy fats

• Peanut butter
• High-protein, low-carb yogurt (Example: Greek yogurt)
• Cheeses
• Nuts
• Hard-boiled eggs

Foods to limit:

Foods high in added sugars can overload the body’s ability to produce enough insulin and should be limited.

These include:

• Sweetened beverages like soda, regular fruit juices, sweet tea or lemonade
• Foods high in saturated fats like whole milk, butter, coconut oil and red meat
• Sugary sweets such as candy, cookies, cake and ice cream
• White bread, rice, pasta and flour-based foods
• Packaged, highly processed foods and snacks
• Canned fruits, which are often packed in sugary syrup (find ones with no added sugar)
• Fried foods
• Alcohol

Tips for creating a balanced, insulin-resistant diet

Trying to make the changes in your diet needed to adhere to these food choices may seem overwhelming at first. To make it easier, Hoskins recommends the following tips:

• Set small, realistic goals. “Choose one or two things to change that are more easily achievable,” she says. “They don’t have to be huge changes. Maybe it’s adding two to three vegetables to your diet a day or reducing or eliminating juices or sugar-sweetened soda.”
• Put a timeframe on it. Then add to it as you achieve your goals
• Don’t beat yourself up if you have a bad day. Commit to starting fresh the next day and getting back on track

… Read the rest

Insulin therapy often is an important part of diabetes treatment. It helps keep blood sugar under control and prevents diabetes complications. It works like the hormone insulin that the body usually makes.

The role of insulin in the body

Insulin comes from an organ in the stomach area called the pancreas. The main role of insulin is to ensure that sugar from nutrients in food is correctly used or stored in the body.

If your body can make enough insulin, you don’t have diabetes. In people who don’t have diabetes, insulin helps:

• Control blood sugar levels. After you eat, your body breaks down nutrients called carbohydrates into a sugar called glucose. Glucose is the body’s main source of energy. It’s also called blood sugar. Blood sugar goes up after you eat.

  When glucose enters the bloodstream, the pancreas responds by making insulin. Then insulin allows glucose to enter the body’s cells to give them energy.

• Store extra glucose for energy. After you eat, insulin levels are high. Extra glucose is stored in the liver. This stored glucose is called glycogen.

  Between meals, insulin levels are low. During that time, the liver releases glycogen into the bloodstream in the form of glucose. This keeps blood sugar levels within a narrow range.

If you have diabetes:

Your blood sugar levels keep rising after you eat. That’s because there’s not enough insulin to move the glucose into your body’s cells. With type 1 diabetes, the pancreas stops making insulin. With type 2 diabetes, the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin. And in some people with diabetes, insulin does not work well.

If you don’t get treatment for diabetes, high blood sugar can lead to health problems over time. These conditions include:

• Heart attack or stroke.
• Kidney disease leading to kidney failure.
• Eye problems, including blindness.
• Nerve damage with nerve pain or numbness, called diabetic neuropathy.
• Foot problems that may lead to surgery to remove the foot.
• Dental issues.

Goals of insulin therapy

Insulin therapy keeps your blood sugar within your target range. It helps prevent serious complications.

If you have type 1 diabetes, you need insulin therapy to stay healthy. It replaces the insulin your body doesn’t make.

If you have type 2 diabetes, insulin therapy might be part of your treatment. It’s needed when healthy-lifestyle changes and other diabetes treatments don’t control your blood sugar well enough.

Insulin therapy also is sometimes needed to treat a type of diabetes that happens during pregnancy. This is called gestational diabetes. If you have gestational diabetes, you might need insulin therapy if healthy habits and other diabetes treatments don’t help enough.

Types of insulin

Any types of insulin help treat diabetes. Each type varies in how quickly and how long it controls blood sugar. You may need to take more than one kind of insulin. Factors that help determine which types of insulin you need and how much you need include:

• The type of diabetes you have.
• Your blood sugar levels.
• How much your blood sugar levels change during the day.
• Your lifestyle.

The main types of insulin therapy include:

• Long-acting, ultralong-acting or intermediate-acting insulins. When you’re not eating, your liver releases glucose so your body has energy. Long-, ultralong- or intermediate-acting insulin prevents blood sugar levels from rising without eating.

  Examples of these insulins are glargine (Lantus, Basaglar, others), detemir (Levemir), degludec (Tresiba) and NPH (Humulin N, Novolin N, others). Intermediate-acting insulin lasts about 12 to 18 hours. Long-acting insulin works for about 24 hours. And ultralong-acting insulin lasts about 36 hours or longer.

• Rapid-acting or short-acting insulins. These insulins are ideal for use before meals. If taken with a meal, they can help bring blood sugar back down to the baseline. They also blunt the sugar spikes after you eat. They start to work much faster than long-acting or intermediate-acting insulins do. Sometimes, rapid-acting insulins begin working in as few as 5 to 15 minutes. But they work for a much shorter time. Rapid-acting insulin lasts about 2 to 3 hours. Short-acting insulin lasts about 3 to 6 hours.

  Examples of these insulins include ultrafast-acting aspart (Fiasp) and lispro (Lyumjev); rapid-acting aspart (NovoLog), glulisine (Apidra) and lispro (Humalog, Admelog); and short-acting, regular (Humulin R, Novolin R).

Sometimes, insulin-makers combine two types of insulin. This is called pre-mixed insulin. It can be helpful for people who have trouble using more than one type of insulin. Pre-mixed insulin often starts to work in 5 to 60 minutes. It can keep working for 10 to 16 hours.

Be aware that different preparations of insulin vary in terms of when they start working and how long they last. Be sure to read the instructions that come with your insulin. And follow any directions from your health care team.

Ways to take insulin

Insulin doesn’t come in pill form. The digestive system would break the pill down before it had a chance to work. But there are other ways to take insulin. Your health care team can help you decide which method fits best for you.

Choices include:

• Shots or pens. You can inject insulin into the fat just below the skin with a syringe and needle. Or you can inject it with a pen-like device. Both types of devices hold insulin with a needle attached. How often you need to use an insulin pen or shot depends on the type of diabetes you have. It also depends on your blood sugar levels and how often you eat and exercise. You may need to take insulin shots or use insulin pens multiple times a day.
• Insulin pump. An insulin pump gives you small, steady amounts of rapid-acting insulin throughout the day. This works like using a shot of long-acting insulin. A pump also can give a rapid burst of insulin, often taken with food. This works like using a shot of rapid-acting insulin. The pump pushes the insulin into a thin tube placed beneath the skin. Several different kinds of insulin pumps are available.
• Inhaled insulin (Afrezza). This type of insulin is rapid acting. You breathe it in through a device that goes in your mouth, called an inhaler. You take this type of insulin at the start of each meal. People who smoke should not use inhaled insulin. Nor should people who have lung problems such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Sometimes, using insulin therapy can be a challenge. But it’s an effective way to lower blood sugar. Talk to a member of your health care team if you have any trouble with your insulin routine. Ask for help right away if at-home glucose tests show that you have very low or very high blood sugar. Your insulin or other diabetes medicines may need to be adjusted. With time, you can find an insulin routine that fits your needs and lifestyle. And that can help you lead an active, healthy life.

If you take many doses of insulin a day, ask your health care provider if there’s a way to make the routine simpler. Adding noninsulin medicines to your treatment plan might lower the number of insulin shots you need each day. And if you take fewer insulin shots, you’ll need to check your blood sugar … Read the rest

All parts of the body (muscles, brain, heart, and liver) need energy to work. This energy comes from the food we eat.

Our bodies digest the food we eat by mixing it with fluids (acids and enzymes) in the stomach. When the stomach digests food, the carbohydrate (sugars and starches) in the food breaks down into another type of sugar, called glucose.

The stomach and small intestines absorb the glucose and then release it into the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream, glucose can be used immediately for energy or stored in our bodies, to be used later.

However, our bodies need insulin in order to use or store glucose for energy. Without insulin, glucose stays in the bloodstream, keeping blood sugar levels high.

How the body makes insulin

Insulin is a hormone made by beta cells in the pancreas. Beta cells are very sensitive to the amount of glucose in the bloodstream. Normally beta cells check the blood’s glucose level every few seconds and sense when they need to speed up or slow down the amount of insulin they’re making and releasing. When someone eats something high in carbohydrates, like a piece of bread, the glucose level in the blood rises and the beta cells trigger the pancreas to release more insulin into the bloodstream.

Insulin opens cell doors

When insulin is released from the pancreas, it travels through the bloodstream to the body’s cells and tells the cell doors to open to let the glucose in. Once inside, the cells convert glucose into energy to use right then or store it to use later.

As glucose moves from the bloodstream into the cells, blood sugar levels start to drop. The beta cells in the pancreas can tell this is happening, so they slow down the amount of insulin they’re making. At the same time, the pancreas slows down the amount of insulin that it’s releasing into the bloodstream. When this happens, the amount of glucose going into the cells also slows down.

Balancing insulin and blood sugar for energy

The rise and fall in insulin and blood sugar happens many times during the day and night. The amount of glucose and insulin in our bloodstream depends on when we eat and how much. When the body is working as it should, it can keep blood sugar in target range, which is between 70 and 140 milligrams per deciliter. However, even in people without diabetes, blood sugar levels can go up as high as 180 during or right after a meal. Within two hours after eating, blood sugar levels should drop to under 140. After several hours without eating, blood sugar can drop as low as 70.

Using glucose for energy and keeping it balanced with just the right amount of insulin — not too much and not too little — is the way our bodies maintain the energy needed to stay alive, work, play, and function even as we sleep.

Insulin helps our bodies store extra glucose

Insulin helps our cells convert glucose into energy, and it helps our bodies store extra glucose for use later. For example, if you eat a large meal and your body doesn’t need that much glucose right away, insulin will help your body store it to convert to energy later.

Insulin does this by turning the extra food into larger packages of glucose called glycogen. Glycogen is stored in the liver and muscles.

Insulin also helps our bodies store fat and protein. Almost all body cells need protein to work and grow. The body needs fat to protect nerves and make several important hormones. Fat can also be used by the body as an energy source.

How diabetes changes the way this works

With diabetes, the body has stopped making insulin, has slowed down the amount of insulin it’s making, or is no longer able to use its own insulin very well. When this happens, it can lead to several things.

For example, glucose cannot enter the cells where it’s needed, so the amount of glucose in the bloodstream continues to rise. This is called hyperglycemia (high blood sugar).

When blood sugar levels reach 180 or higher, the kidneys try to get rid of the extra sugar through the urine. This makes a person urinate more than usual. It also makes a person feel thirstier because of the water he or she is losing by urinating so much.

When a person loses sugar in the urine, it’s the same as losing energy because the sugar isn’t available for the cells to use or store. When this happens, a person might feel tired, lose weight, and feel hungry all the time.

Other problems caused by high blood sugar include blurry vision and skin infections or injuries that don’t heal. Women might have vaginal yeast infections more often.

When the body doesn’t have enough insulin to help convert sugar into energy, it often starts burning body fat instead. This sounds like it might work well but burning too much fat for energy produces a byproduct called ketones. High levels of ketones can lead to a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which can be life threatening if not treated quickly. DKA is more common in type 1 diabetes because the body has stopped making insulin.

Keep blood sugar levels under control

For a person with diabetes, the main focus of treatment is to control the amount of glucose in the body so that blood sugar levels stay as close to normal as possible.

People with type 1 diabetes need insulin shots as part of their care plan to control their blood sugar levels. Some people with type 2 diabetes can manage their blood sugar levels with a healthy diet and exercise. However, most people with type 2 diabetes will need to include diabetes pills, insulin shots, or both in their diabetes care plans.

People with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes need to pay close attention to how blood sugar levels change at various times throughout the day to keep them as close to their target range as possible. When blood sugar levels are close to normal, it means the body is getting the energy it needs to work, play, heal, and stay healthy.

… Read the rest

If you have type 2 diabetes, you may have always thought that taking insulin was something you used when everything else failed to manage your blood glucose level. In fact, insulin may give you the most control over your diabetes if you aren’t ready to change what you eat when you go on a very low-carb diet.

“If you don’t shape up, I’m going to make you inject insulin,” is a threat we may hear from our doctors. How about turning the table on your doctor and ask for it yourself?

If you really want to regain your health, taking insulin is the quickest way to get there. None of the other good diabetes drugs — the non-insulin injectables or metformin — can bring your blood glucose level down to normal nearly as assuredly as insulin can. While a very low-carb diet can work wonders, some people find it difficult to give up the bread and sweets and others are still suspicious of the amount of fat you need to eat for energy.

Two major myths about insulin

While everyone who has type 1 diabetes has to take insulin, of course, only one-fourth of people with type 2 diabetes do. This relatively low proportion is due to two misunderstandings:

1. Insulin has an undeserved reputation as being difficult to get just right. The amount and time that you take it certainly can be tricky to figure out for the older bolus insulins that you need to take before each meal. But for several years now we have been able to use a basal insulin that we take just once a day without having to calculate how much we eat and when we ate it.
2. Until recently, all types of insulin required us to inject it with a needle, and many people fear that the injection would hurt. In fact, unlike the fingerstick tests that we have to take to check our blood glucose level, insulin injections, they rarely or ever hurt. Even if you have needle phobia, we now have a great way to overcome it called the “Buzzy.” Furthermore, a type of insulin that doesn’t have to be injected became available a few months ago.

What you should ask your doctor about insulin

If your blood glucose level as measured with an A1C test is above 6.0, you can do your body a big favor when you ask your doctor to prescribe insulin. Here are the first questions to ask:

1. Should I take a long-acting insulin? Should I take it once a day, or twice a day, like some people tell me to?
2. Instead, should I take a rapid-acting insulin that is inhaled, so I don’t have to inject it?
3. Or should I take both, at least at first?
4. What should I do if insulin makes my blood glucose level gets too low?
5. What other side effects might I get?
6. Should I get a continuous glucose monitoring system, or CGMS?
7. What about getting an insulin pump?

Your doctor will probably be pleased to hear your request to take insulin, especially if he or she has been nagging you to take it. The beta cells in your pancreas that have been working so hard ever since you got diabetes will also be happy, appreciating the break that taking insulin will give them.… Read the rest

Diabetics require insulin to help maintain balanced blood sugar levels. The two methods of getting insulin are either through pumps or injections. Pumps carry convenience, but injections can be more cost-effective. Physicians can help patients determine the best method for individual circumstances.

… Read the rest

People with diabetes need to take periodic doses of insulin every day to manage their blood sugar levels. The two main insulin delivery methods are through an insulin pump or multiple daily injections. Figuring out which method will work best for you depends on factors including which type of diabetes you have, the type of insulin you need to take, and how often you need to take it. This guide will explain the benefits of each, but you should talk to a doctor at a local family medical center in Suffolk County, NY, about these and other methods for insulin management.

What Insulin Is

Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that lets your body use and store sugar from the carbohydrates in the foods you eat. If, for example, you have too much sugar in your blood, which is known as hyperglycemia, the pancreas will produce insulin to balance things out. People with type 1 diabetes can’t make insulin due to abnormalities in their pancreas. They need to add insulin into their bodies every day to help process blood sugar and prevent blood vessel and organ damage.

People with type 2 diabetes don’t produce enough of, or are resistant to, insulin. In the beginning, diet, exercise, and oral medications are enough to manage their blood sugar levels. This type of diabetes can progress over time. If you’ve had type 2 diabetes for a long time, you will likely need to take insulin to maintain your blood sugar levels. For both types of diabetes, you will get a prescription for insulin from you doctor.

Daily Injections

The most common method for taking insulin is through subcutaneous injection. The insulin is delivered directly into a layer of fat under your skin. You can use a syringe with needle and tube, in which you have to draw the proper dose of insulin from a vial. Or you can use an injection pen which has a self-contained syringe filled with a premeasured dose of insulin. Some pens are single use while others let you replace the cartridge after each use.

There are several benefits to using daily injections. They are easy to use; all you have to do is fill up the syringe or open a prefilled syringe pen, inject the needle into your skin, and you’re done. This creates a simple daily routine that won’t interfere with your schedule.

You will likely have long-acting insulin which you only need to inject one or two times a day. If you accidentally forget to take your insulin at lunch, you will have a backup available to develop ketones quickly. If you run out of insulin and need more immediately, you can go to any of the urgent medical centers or priority medical centers in your area.

Insulin Pumps

An insulin pump is a small device that pumps insulin through a catheter. The catheter is inserted under the layer of fat below your skin. There are two ways the pump delivers insulin. Basal doses continuously release a steady dose of insulin throughout the day. This mimics how your pancreas would release insulin as needed. With surge or bolus dosing, you choose when insulin doses are given, typically around mealtime.

With an insulin pump, you don’t have to worry about doing injections multiple times a day, unless the pump malfunctions. You have less chance developing hypoglycemia because insulin is released before and during meals. Basal dosing rates are extremely flexible during certain times of the day.

How much insulin you need can be calculated by programming information into the pump. You just tell the pump how many carbs you’re going to eat and what your current blood sugar is. You can fix problems with high or low blood sugars easily and quickly, and you can extend insulin release over periods of time. Doctors at local medical centers can obtain information about the insulin from the pump.

Conclusion

Overall, both methods are excellent for regulating insulin and maintaining blood sugar levels. The most important thing is to take care of your diabetes using the method that works best for you. Remember, taking care of your diabetes means finding a balance between your needs and preferences. Discuss these options with your doctor to figure out whether injections or a pump is the better option.

The Insulin Free World Foundation

can help you determine which method is right for you. Make an appointment today.… Read the rest

When used properly, insulin can be an essential tool for managing type 2 diabetes. Here’s what to do and what not to do when it comes to injecting insulin.

When diet, exercise, and oral medications aren’t enough to manage type 2 diabetes, it may be time for insulin. The most important aspect of insulin therapy is using it exactly as prescribed.

Still, remembering all the little details can be tricky, and certain mistakes are common. By following these dos and don’ts, you can avoid medication mishaps and keep insulin working as it should.

DO: Rotate the insertion site (while keeping the body part consistent). “Insulin is absorbed at different speeds depending on where you inject it, so it’s best to consistently use the same part of the body for each of your daily injections,” says Doreen Riccelli, BSN, director of education at Lake Pointe Medical Center in Rowlett, Texas. “For example, don’t inject yourself in the abdomen on Saturday and in the thigh on Sunday,” she says. “If you choose the thigh for your evening injection, then use the thigh for all of your evening injections.”

That said, within the specific body area, it’s important to move each injection site at least one finger’s width from the previous injection site to avoid the creation of hard lumps or extra fat deposits, which could change the way insulin is absorbed.

DON’T: Store insulin incorrectly. Insulin can generally be stored at room temperature (59 to 86° F), either opened or unopened, for one month. When kept in the refrigerator, unopened bottles last until the expiration date printed on the bottle. Opened bottles stored in the refrigerator should be used or discarded after a month.

Never store insulin in direct sunlight, in the freezer, or near heating or air conditioning vents, ovens, or radiators. It should also not be left in a very warm or cold car. Store it in an insulated case if needed.

… Read the rest