How Should This Medicine Be Used
Insulin glargine products come as a solution to inject subcutaneously . They are injected once a day. You should use insulin glargine products at the same time every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Use insulin glargine products exactly as directed. Do not use more or less of it or use it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
Never use insulin glargine products when you have symptoms of hypoglycemia or if you have checked your blood sugar and found it to be low.
Insulin glargine products control diabetes but do not cure it. Continue to use insulin glargine products even if you feel well. Do not stop using insulin glargine products without talking to your doctor. Do not switch to another brand or type of insulin or change the dose of any type of insulin you are using without talking to your doctor. Always check the insulin label to make sure you received the right type of insulin from the pharmacy.
Insulin glargine products come in vials and in dosing pens that contain cartridges of medication. Be sure you know what type of container your insulin glargine product comes in and what other supplies, such as needles, syringes, or pens, you will need to inject your medication.
Do not dilute insulin glargine products and do not mix insulin glargine products with any other type of insulin.
Do not use insulin glargine products in an external insulin pump.
How Does Lantus Work Whats Its Half
Lantus is used to help control blood sugar levels in certain people who have diabetes.
Diabetes is a condition that leads to high blood sugar. With diabetes, your body cant effectively use the insulin thats made in your pancreas. Or your pancreas just doesnt make enough insulin.
Lantus is a type of insulin. Its mechanism of action is to add to or replace the insulin thats naturally made by the human body.
Lantus helps lower your blood sugar level by:
- helping your muscle cells and fat cells take up sugar from your blood
- keeping your liver from making more blood sugar
- stopping your body from breaking down fats and proteins so it can break down blood sugar instead
Lantus half-life is about 12 hours. In other words, it takes about 12 hours for your body to get rid of half of a dose of Lantus.
If you have more questions about how Lantus works or its half-life, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
What Other Drugs Will Affect Lantus
Many drugs can affect your blood sugar and may also affect Lantus. Some medicines can increase or decrease the effects of insulin. Some drugs can also cause you to have fewer symptoms of hypoglycemia, making it harder to tell when your blood sugar is low. Tell each of your health care providers about all medicines you use now and any medicine you start or stop using. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell your doctor about all other medicines you use. Not all possible interactions are listed here.
Recommended Reading: Safe Glucose Level For Type 2 Diabetes
What To Do In Case You Take Too Much Lantus
Call your doctor if you think youve taken too much Lantus. You can also call 800-222-1222 to reach the American Association of Poison Control Centers or use its online resource. But if you have severe symptoms, immediately call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
If you have diabetes, your doctor may prescribe Lantus for you. If you have questions about taking this drug, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Below are some questions you may want to consider asking:
- What should I do if I notice pits in my skin or thickened skin near my Lantus injection sites?
- Do any other medications I take interact with Lantus?
- How often should I check my blood sugar level while Im taking Lantus?
You may also want to ask your doctor about other treatment options for diabetes. Here are a couple of articles you may find helpful:
What Drugs And Food Should I Avoid While Taking Lantus
Avoid driving or hazardous activity until you know how this medicine will affect you. Your reactions could be impaired.
Avoid medication errors by always checking the medicine label before injecting your insulin.
Avoid drinking alcohol or using medicines that contain alcohol. It may interfere with your diabetes treatment.
Also Check: How Much Do Insulin Pumps Cost
What Is It Used For
Lantus is used for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes, and also adults and children aged six and older with type 1 diabetes for the control of high blood sugar. It supplies a steady release of insulin to help control your blood sugar levels overnight and between meals.
Treatment with Lantus may also need the support of faster-acting mealtime insulin that helps reduce the effects of blood sugar spikes that occur during and after meals. It is usually taken in the evening or night time by people having type 1 diabetes, latent autoimmune diabetes of adults but rarely with those with type 2 diabetes. It is typically self-injected subcutaneously once daily. Lantus is not to be used to treat diabetic ketoacidosis .
What Drugs Interact With Metformin And Lantus
Metformin
- Cimetidine , by decreasing the elimination of metformin from the body, can increase the amount of metformin in the blood by 40%. This may increase the frequency of side effects from metformin.
- Ioversol and other iodinated contrast media may reduce kidney function, which reduces elimination of metformin, leading to increased concentrations of metformin in the blood. Metformin should be stopped 48 hours before and after use of contrast media.
- Thiazide diuretics, steroids, estrogens, and oral contraceptives may increase blood glucose and reduce the effect of metformin. When these drugs are stopped, patients should be closely observed for signs of low blood glucose.
- Alcohol consumption increases the effect of metformin on lactate production, increasing the risk of lactic acidosis.
Lantus
There are many drugs that do not directly interfere with insulin glargine, but they may affect glucose breakdown in the body. This necessitates adjustments of insulin glargine doses.
Pramlintide , disopyramide , fenofibrate , fluoxetine , and aspirin can increase blood-sugar-lowering effect of insulin glargine.
Other drugs that can decrease the blood-sugar-lowering effect of insulin glargine are:
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Will I Still Use My Mealtime Insulin Or Other Insulins With Lantus
You might. Lantus is a long-acting insulin thats meant work over the course of an entire day. Long-acting insulin is typically called basal or background insulin because it helps control blood sugar levels between meals and overnight while you sleep.
However, Lantus isnt typically used to control blood sugar spikes after meals. You may need a rapid-acting insulin, short-acting insulin, or intermediate-acting insulin to fine-tune your blood sugar level control. Many people who use a long-acting insulin such as Lantus will also need rapid-acting or short-acting insulin to control blood sugar levels after meals.
If you do take more than one type of insulin, dont mix Lantus in the same syringe with any other insulins. This could change how well the insulins work.
If you have any questions about when or how to take each type of insulin, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Low Blood Sugar Warning
You may have mild or severe low blood sugar while youre taking insulin glargine. Severe low blood sugar can be dangerous. It can harm your heart or brain, and cause unconsciousness, seizures, or even be fatal.
Low blood sugar can happen very quickly and come on without symptoms. Its important to check your blood sugar as often as your doctor says to. Symptoms can include:
- anxiety, irritability, restlessness, trouble concentrating, feeling confused or not like yourself
- tingling in your hands, feet, lips, or tongue
- dizziness, lightheadedness, or drowsiness
Recommended Reading: Cost Of Insulin In Us
How To Inject Lantus Using A Syringe And Vial
If youre going to inject Lantus using a syringe and vial, follow these steps.
Gathering supplies and preparing the vial
Before you inject Lantus, first collect your supplies and get the vial ready.
Preparing your dose
Once you have your supplies and cleaned the vial, youre ready to fill the syringe.
What Should I Avoid While Using Lantus
Avoid driving or hazardous activity until you know how this medicine will affect you. Your reactions could be impaired.
Avoid medication errors by always checking the medicine label before injecting your insulin.
Avoid drinking alcohol or using medicines that contain alcohol. It may interfere with your diabetes treatment.
Lantus And Other Medications
Below are lists of medications that can interact with Lantus. These lists dont contain all the drugs that may interact with Lantus.
Before taking Lantus, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions.
If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Lantus and diabetes medications
Lantus can interact in different ways with different diabetes medications.
Lantus and certain diabetes medications
Taking Lantus with other diabetes medications can increase your risk for hypoglycemia . If you take Lantus with other diabetes drugs, your doctor may need to adjust your dosage of one or all of them to reduce your risk for low blood sugar. They may also want you to monitor your blood sugar levels more often.
Examples of other diabetes medications that can increase your risk for low blood sugar if taken with Lantus include:
- mealtime insulins, such as insulin aspart and insulin lispro
- pramlintide
Lantus and diabetes drugs called thiazolidinediones
Examples of thiazolidinediones include:
- pioglitazone
Lantus and certain blood pressure medications
Examples of blood pressure medications that can increase your risk for low blood sugar if taken with Lantus include:
How To Inject Lantus Using A Solostar Pen
If your doctor wants you to use a Lantus SoloStar pen, follow these steps.
Preparing the pen
Heres how to get your Lantus SoloStar pen ready for use.
Attaching a needle to the pen
Once the pen is at room temperature and youve prepared it, youre ready to attach the needle.
Testing the pen
Who Should Not Take Lantus
If you are allergic to insulin glargine or to any of the other components of this medication, do not take Lantus.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, Lantus may not be the right diabetes medicine for you. Studies have not yet been conducted to determine whether Lantus is safe for unborn babies.
It is also unknown if this insulin can pass into breast milk. However, if it can, it likely will not harm the baby, since insulin cannot survive the digestive tract . Talk with your doctor about the benefits and risks of taking Lantus while pregnant and breastfeeding.
Tell your doctor if you have liver or kidney disease.
Questions About Lantus Dosage
Below are answers to a few common questions related to Lantus dosage.
- What if I miss a dose of Lantus? Take your missed dose of Lantus as soon as you remember. But if its almost time for your next dose, just skip the missed dose. Then take your next dose at its usual time. If you arent sure whether to take a missed dose or skip it, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
- Will I need to use Lantus long term? Yes, possibly. You may need long-term treatment for your diabetes. If you and your doctor decide that Lantus is safe and effective for you, you may take it long term.
- How long does Lantus take to work? Lantus starts working to manage your blood sugar levels within 1.5 to 2 hours after you take a dose.
Like most drugs, Lantus may cause mild or serious side effects. The lists below describe some of the more common side effects that Lantus may cause. These lists dont include all possible side effects.
Keep in mind that side effects of a drug can depend on:
- your age
- other health conditions you have
- other medications you take
Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you more about potential side effects of Lantus. They can also suggest ways to help reduce side effects.
Alternatives For Improving Blood Sugar Levels In Type 2 Diabetes
There are also combination medications that contain insulin. They can be used to improve blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes, including:
- insulin glargine and lixisenatide
- insulin degludec and liraglutide
You may wonder how Lantus compares to other medications that are prescribed for similar uses. Here we look at how Lantus and Levemir are alike and different.
Is There A Dosing Conversion For Tresiba And Lantus
Yes, there is a dosing conversion for switching from Lantus to Tresiba, or vice versa.
If youre interested in switching between these two drugs, talk with your doctor. If they approve a change from one drug to the other, theyll tell you how to adjust your dosing. But do not change your treatment plan unless your doctor tells you its safe to do so.
Lantus Basics And Classification
Lantus is classified as a long-acting insulin. It contains the active drug insulin glargine, which is a biologic drug. Biologic drugs are made from parts of living cells.
Lantus is available in a biosimilar form called insulin glargine-yfgn .
Lantus comes as a liquid solution thats given as an injection under your skin.
What Is Insulin Glargine
Insulin glargine is a prescription drug. It comes as a self-injectable solution.
Insulin glargine is available as the brand-name drugs Lantus, Basaglar, and Toujeo. Its not available in a generic version.
Insulin glargine is a long-acting insulin. If you have type 1 diabetes, it must be used in combination with short- or rapid-acting insulin. If you have type 2 diabetes, this drug may be used alone or with other medications.
Dosage To Improve Glucose Control In People With Type 1 Diabetes
Lantus and Basaglar dosage recommendations
Adult dosage
- Inject insulin glargine once per day, at the same time every day.
- Your doctor will calculate your starting dosage and any dosage changes based on your needs, blood glucose monitoring results, and treatment goals.
- If you have type 1 diabetes, the recommended initial dose is about one-third of your total daily insulin requirements. Short- or rapid-acting, pre-meal insulin should be used to satisfy the remainder of your daily insulin requirements.
- If youre changing from an intermediate- or long-acting insulin to insulin glargine, the amount and timing of your doses of insulin and antidiabetic drugs may need to be adjusted by your doctor.
Child dosage
- Your child should inject insulin glargine once per day, at the same time every day.
- Your doctor will calculate your childs starting dosage based on your childs needs, blood glucose monitoring results, and treatment goals.
- If your child has type 1 diabetes, the recommended initial dose is about one-third of your childs total daily insulin requirements. Short-acting, pre-meal insulin should be used to satisfy the remainder of your childs daily insulin requirements.
- If your child is changing from an intermediate- or long-acting insulin to insulin glargine, your doctor may need to adjust the amount and timing of their doses of insulin and antidiabetic drugs.
Child dosage
Senior dosage
Toujeo dosage recommendations
Adult dosage
Child dosage
Senior dosage