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Insulin |
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- Description - |
Insulin is prescribed for diabetes mellitus whendiet modifications and oral medications fail to correct the condition.Insulin is ahormone produced by the pancreas, a large gland that lies near the stomach.This hormone is necessary for the body's correct use of food, especiallysugar. Insulin apparently works by helping sugar penetrate the cell wall,where it is then utilized by the cell. In people with diabetes, the bodyeither does not make enough insulin, or the insulin that is producedcannot be used properly.
There are actually two forms of diabetes: type 1 (insulin-dependent)and type2 (non-insulin-dependent). Type 1 usually requires insulin injection forlife, while type 2 diabetes can usually be treated by dietary changes and/ororal antidiabetic medications such as Diabinese, Glucotrol,and Glucophage. Occasionally,type 2 diabetics must take insulin injections on a temporary basis,especially during stressful periods or times of illness.
The various available types of insulin differ in several ways: in thesource (animal, human, or genetically engineered), in the time requirements for theinsulin to take effect,and in the length of time the insulin remains working.
Regular insulin is manufactured from beef and pork pancreas, begins workingwithin 30 to 60 minutes, and lasts for 6 to 8 hours. Variations of insulinhave been developed to satisfy the needs of individual patients. Forexample, zinc suspension insulin is an intermediate-acting insulin thatstarts working within 1 to 1-1/2 hours and lasts approximately 24 hours.Insulin combined with zinc and protamine is a longer-acting insulin thattakes effect within 4 to 6 hours and lasts up to 36 hours. The time andcourse of action may vary considerably in different individuals or atdifferent times in the same individual. The genetically engineeredinsulin lispro injection works faster and for a shorter length of timethan human regular insulin and should be used along with a longer-actinginsulin. It is available only |
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- Common Side Effects - |
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Swelling, itching or redness at the injection site (usually disappears within a few days or weeks) |
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