Descriptions

Insulin is one of many hormones that helps the body turn the food we eat into energy. Also, insulin helps us store energy that we can use later. After we eat, insulin works by causing sugar (glucose) to go from the blood into our body's cells to make fat, sugar, and protein. When we need more energy between meals, insulin will help us use the fat, sugar, and protein that we have stored. This occurs whether we make our own insulin in the pancreas gland or take it by injection.

Diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes) is a condition in which the body does not make enough insulin to meet its needs or does not properly use the insulin it makes. Without insulin, glucose cannot get into the body's cells. Without glucose, the cells will not work properly.

To work properly, the amount of insulin you use must be balanced against the amount and type of food you eat and the amount of exercise you do. If you change your diet, your exercise, or both without changing your insulin dose, your blood glucose level can drop too low or rise too high. A prescription is not necessary to purchase most insulin. However, your doctor must first determine your insulin needs and provide you with special instructions for control of your diabetes

Insulin can be obtained from beef or pork pancreas glands. Another type of insulin that you may use is called human insulin. It is just like the insulin made by humans but it is made by methods called semi-synthetic or recombinant DNA. All types of insulin must be injected because, if taken by mouth, insulin is destroyed in the stomach.

Insulin is available only with your doctor's prescription.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of medicines in this class. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Changes in female hormones for some women (e.g., during puberty, pregnancy, or menstruation) or
• High fever or
• Infection, severe or
• Mental stress or
• Overactive adrenal gland, not properly controlled or
• Other conditions that cause high blood sugar—These conditions increase blood sugar and may increase the amount of insulin you need to take, make it necessary to change the time when you inject the insulin dose, and increase the need to take blood sugar tests.

• Diarrhea or
• Gastroparesis (slow stomach emptying) or
• Intestinal blockage or
• Vomiting or
• Other conditions that delay food absorption or stomach emptying—These conditions may slow the time it takes to break down and absorb your meal from your stomach or intestines, which may change the amount of insulin you need, make it necessary to change the time when you inject the insulin dose, and increase the need to take blood sugar tests.

• Injury or
• Surgery—Effects of insulin may be increased or decreased; the amount and type of insulin you need may change rapidly.

• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease—Effects of insulin may be increased or decreased, partly because of slower removal of insulin from the body; this may change the amount of insulin you need.

• Overactive thyroid, not properly controlled—Effects of insulin may be increased or decreased, partly because of faster removal of insulin from the body. Until your thyroid condition is controlled, the amount of insulin you need may change, make it necessary to change the time when you inject the insulin dose, and increase the need to take blood sugar tests.

• Underactive adrenal gland, not properly controlled or
• Underactive pituitary gland, not properly controlled or
• Other conditions that cause low blood sugar—These conditions lower blood sugar and may lower the amount of insulin you need, make it necessary for you to change the time when you inject the insulin dose, and increase the need to take blood sugar tests.