Humulin insulin is a medicine that is used to lower blood sugar. Refers to drugs necessary for the lives of individuals with diabetes. The medicine contains human, recombinant insulin. The drug is prescribed to insulin-dependent people, whose life requires constant injections. The drug is used strictly as prescribed by the doctor.
Composition and form of release
The drug is made in the form of a suspension intended for subcutaneous administration. Contains human insulin at a dose of 100 IU / ml. Additional components in the composition of the tool are:
- metacresol;
- glycerol;
- protamine sulfate;
- phenol;
- zinc oxide;
- sodium hydrogen phosphate;
- purified water for injection;
- a solution of 10% hydrochloric acid;
- 10% sodium hydroxide.
The drug is a suspension of a white hue. The solution may delaminate and form a white precipitate. With light shaking, the precipitate dissolves easily.
The drug is available in cartridges and syringe pens. The drug in the cartridges is a special suspension, which is used for subcutaneous administration. Available in a dosage of 100 IU / ml in 3 ml cartridges. The drug is packaged in a blister pack of five cartridges. In a cardboard package there is one blister and instructions for use.
The medication is stored at a temperature of 2 ° C to 8 ° C, in places protected from the sun and heat. It is forbidden to freeze. The opened cartridge is stored at room temperature from 15 ° C to 25 ° C, but not longer than 28 days.
The drug is produced in syringe pens. The Humulin pen contains a suspension of 100 IU / ml in a volume of 3 ml. It is intended for the administration of medication under the skin. The drug is packaged in five syringe pens in a plastic tray. Packed in a cardboard box along with instructions for use. The tool is stored at a temperature of 2 to 8 ° C. The drug is protected from exposure to heat and sunlight. Do not freeze. Store in open form at room temperature, but not more than 28 days.
There is a form of release of the drug in 10 ml glass bottles, which are packed in a cardboard box along with instructions for use. The storage rules for this form of medication are the same as for previous medicines.
The drug "Humulin M3" is an insulin mixture, it includes "Humulin NPH" and "Humulin Regular." The drug is convenient in that it does not need to be prepared on its own. “Humulin M3” is carefully pumped in the hands ten times before use. Rotate 180 degrees several times. Such manipulations help the suspension to acquire a homogeneous substance. If white blotches are visible in the bottle, then insulin cannot be used, it has deteriorated.
Pharmacology of the drug
Humulin insulin is a hypoglycemic agent. Refers to medium-acting insulin. "Humulin NPH" is a human pancreatic protein hormone of the DNA recombinant type. Its main purpose is to normalize glucose metabolism. Also, insulin has anti-catabolic and anabolic effects, affects different tissues of the body. At the same time, the amount of glycogen, glycerin and fatty acids in the muscles increases. There is an increase in the intake of amino acids. Ketogenesis, glycogenolysis, lipolysis, protein catabolism, gluconeogenesis are reduced. Amino acids are released.
Humulin NPH is a medium-acting drug. It begins its effect an hour after its introduction. The maximum effect occurs in the region of 2-8 hours after its introduction into the body. The duration of the drug is 18-20 hours. The effect of insulin is influenced by the dosage, injection site, physical activity of the patient.
The drug is not distributed evenly throughout the tissues of the organs. It does not cross the placental barrier and does not pass into breast milk. It breaks down under the influence of insulinase. Metabolized in the kidneys and liver. It is excreted by the renal organ.
Indications for use
Indication for the appointment of "Humulin" is diabetes and the state of the body, in which there is a lack of insulin produced by humans. In this case, insulin therapy is vital. Another drug is used during pregnancy in women with diabetes.
Contraindications
Insulin "Humulin" can not be prescribed if there is hypersensitivity to the substances that make up the drug. The medicine is contraindicated in hypoglycemia.
If “Humulin” is used during pregnancy, then such patients should be carefully monitored. The need for insulin decreases in the first trimester and increases in II and III. During delivery and after childbirth, dependence on insulin decreases dramatically. Women with diabetes need to inform the doctor in time about the onset or upcoming pregnancy. During breastfeeding, insulin correction may be required.
"Humulin NPH": instructions for use
The dose of the medicine is set by the doctor for each patient individually. Depends on the glycemic level. The drug for diabetes is administered subcutaneously. Intramuscular injection is allowed. Intravenously administered "Humulin NPH" is strictly contraindicated.
The administered drug should have room temperature. Injections under the skin are injected into the region of the shoulder, abdomen, buttocks and thigh. The injection sites alternate. With subcutaneous administration, care should be taken to ensure that the injection is not made into a blood vessel. After administration of insulin, the injection site should not be massaged.
All patients should be trained in the proper use of the device for administering insulin medication. The regimen of administering the medication everyone selects for himself.
If the medicine is used in the form of cartridges, then before use, Humulin cartridges need to be slightly rolled between the palms, about ten times. The same amount must be turned 180 ° until the precipitate is completely dissolved in insulin. After these manipulations, the solution should acquire a uniform turbid tint.
The cartridge does not need to be shaken sharply, this will lead to foaminess, which will interfere with the correct dosage set.
Inside the cartridge there is a small glass ball. It contributes to better mixing of insulin. Do not use insulin if flakes appear as a result of mixing the solution.
Cartridges are designed in such a way that they cannot mix different types of insulin. They are not intended to be reusable or refilled.
How to use the drug from a 10 ml vial, not enclosed in cartridges and syringe pens? With this form of insulin, the contents of the vial are drawn into an insulin syringe. The dosage is prescribed by the doctor individually. Immediately after using the syringe, the needle is destroyed.
The needle is removed immediately after injection, this ensures sterility and prevents the leakage of drugs, prevents air from entering and the needle is clogged. Needles are not reused by other people. Vials are used until they are empty. For administration, a reusable insulin syringe pen can be used.
"Humulin NPH" can be administered together with "Humulin Regular." To perform the injection, short-acting insulin (“Humulin Regular”) is first drawn into the syringe, and then the medium-acting drug. This mixture is prepared immediately before administration. If accurate insulin administration of each group is required, then a separate syringe is selected for Humulin NPH and Humulin Regular.
Side effect
When using “Himulin” (the pen greatly facilitates the administration of the drug and is suitable for those who are pathologically afraid of needles), side effects may occur. Especially often, patients are worried about hypoglycemia. It can lead not only to poor health, but also to loss of consciousness and even death.
When using the drug, local allergic reactions can be observed. They occur in the form of redness of the skin, swelling and itching at the injection site. Negative reactions go away within a few days. Such reactions of the body are not always associated with the introduction of insulin. These may be the consequences of an incorrectly injected injection.
Systemic allergic manifestations are a reaction directly to insulin. They, unlike local reactions, are quite serious. These are generalized itching, shortness of breath, increased heart rate, shortness of breath, excessive sweating. This reaction of the body is life threatening and requires immediate treatment.
With prolonged use of insulin, lipodystrophy may occur at the injection site.
Overdose
An overdose of insulin Human can provoke hypoglycemia, which is accompanied by symptoms such as lethargy, tachycardia, sweating, headache, gag reflex. With an excess of insulin, trembling occurs in the body, excessive pallor of the skin and confusion of thoughts.
With prolonged treatment with human insulin, the symptoms of hypoglycemia may change.
Mild hypoglycemia is stopped by ingestion of a small amount of sugar or glucose. In some cases, correction of the insulin dose, physical activity and diet is required. Using subcutaneous and intramuscular injections of glucagon, dosage adjustment is performed for the moderate and severe stages of hypoglycemia, followed by the intake of carbohydrates.
With a severe degree of hypoglycemia, coma occurs, cramps of the extremities, neurological disorders. In this condition, glucagon is used or glucose solution is administered intravenously. Immediately after the patient regains consciousness, he needs to take food containing a large amount of carbohydrates. This will help avoid a repeated hypoglycemic crisis.
Drug Interactions
The dosage of insulin can be increased when prescribing drugs that can increase the amount of sugar in the blood. First of all, it is:
- contraceptives intended for oral use;
- glucocorticosteroids;
- beta-adrenergic agonists, among which terbutaline, ritodrine and salbutamol are the most popular;
- danazole;
- thiazide diuretics;
- thyroid hormones;
- diazoxide;
- chlorprotixen;
- lithium carbonate;
- diazoxide;
- nicotinic acid;
- isoniazid;
- derivatives of phenothiazine.
Reducing the dose of an insulin preparation may be required when using medications that lower blood glucose. These medicines include:
- beta-blockers;
- ethanol-containing drugs;
- anabolic steroids;
- tetracyclines;
- fenfluramine;
- guanethidine;
- hypoglycemic drugs for oral administration;
- salicylates, these include acetylsalicylic acid;
- sulfonamide antibiotics;
- antidepressants that are monoamine oxidase inhibitors;
- ACE inhibitors such as captopril and enalapril;
- octreotide;
- angiotensin II receptor antagonists.
Symptoms of hypoglycemia can be masked by the use of clonidine, beta-blockers and reserpine.
Animal insulin should not be mixed with human insulin, since the effect of such a mixture on the body has not been studied. How has not been studied the effect on the body of a mixture of human insulins of various manufacturers.
special instructions
Transfer of a patient from one insulin preparation to another should be done only under medical supervision. It is likely that patients will need a dose adjustment. The need for dosage adjustment may arise both after the first administration of a new insulin preparation, and after several weeks of use.
Symptoms of hypoglycemia with the introduction of human insulin differ from those that arise when using insulin of animal origin.
As soon as the blood sugar is stabilized, all or some symptoms of hypoglycemia disappear. Patients should be warned about this feature in advance.
The symptomatology of hypoglycemia in a patient changes from time to time, may become less pronounced if the patient has been ill with diabetes for a long time, suffers from diabetic neuropathy and is undergoing beta-blocker therapy.
Do not forget that the use of doses that exceed those recommended by the doctor, and refusal of treatment with insulin can cause hyperglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis.
Insulin dependence decreases with disruption of the thyroid gland and adrenal gland of the pituitary gland. The same is observed with renal and liver failure. The need for insulin increases with the transfer of certain diseases, as well as with nervous strain, with increased physical activity and with a change in the nutrition system. All of the above situations require dose adjustment of insulin.
When hypoglycemia occurs, not only the concentration of attention decreases, but also the speed of psychomotor reactions. Because of this, it is not necessary to drive a car in this state and work with complex mechanisms that require special attention.
Drug cost
Diabetes insulin is an indispensable medicine. It can be purchased at the pharmacy, but only by prescription. The cost of a Humulin insulin suspension of 100 IU / ml in a 10 ml vial varies around 600 rubles, the price of Humulin 100 IU / ml of 3 ml with 5 cartridges varies around 1,000 rubles. The price of Humulin Regular 100 IU / ml with a volume of 3 ml with 5 cartridges is 1150 rubles. Humulin M3 can be purchased for 490 rubles. The package contains five syringe pens.