|
New
Medications on the Block: |
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to etc HOME |
Long acting insulins such as NPH, Lente, and Ultra-Lente are very
good for controlling the "basal" or
"non-eating" parts of the day for all people with type 1
Diabetes, and for many with type 2 Diabetes as
well.
However, not all is
rosy. These insulins can have erratic, rather than smooth
curves of action, most don't last truly all day long, and even
under the best of circumstances, |
| Who
Are We? |
have higher peaks at one point
than another. It
would be nice to have an insulin that was truly once per day,
worked steadily at a certain pace, and didn't have peaks or
valleys - anticipated or not. . . . . |
| Where
Are We? |
Enter
insulin GLARGINE, (brand name LANTUS) produced by Aventis (formerly
Hoescht-Marion-Roussel). This insulin works in the following
manner: |
| Practice
Information |
- In
2/3s to 3/4s of patients, it is a once per day insulin. In the
others - you must use it twice per day - just as with the
former NPH or Lente - however - since the way this insulin
works is so much more predictable and smooth - its still worth
it for almost everybody who needs long acting insulin - even
if its needed twice per day
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| What
is Endocrinology? |
- It controls the non-eating (basal) part of
the day's insulin requirements
|
| Pamphlets,
Info, and Videos |
Potential
drawbacks: |
| about
topics in Endocrinology |
- GLARGINE
Can't be mixed with other insulins - it needs to be injected by
itself
-
is
CLEAR rather than Cloudy (we had always been able to teach
people - with some reservations, of course, that if your
insulin is CLEAR - it's short acting - - - - - if CLOUDY it's
long-acting. GLARGINE will now invalidate that
"shortcut", too bad - but not the worst thing in the
world)
|
| Presentations
and Seminars By
Our Physicians |
-
Slight
stinging on injection
-
Doesn't
take the place of short-acting insulins (Of course, this was
not expected to be the case - but I mention it here for
safety's sake - one should never stop taking a short acting
insulin simply because of a change in a long acting insulin,
and vice-versa as well)
|
| practice
financial policies and fees |
Improvement and Reason for using it:
-
Improved
Diabetes control, around the clock, with less
hypoglycemia, causing less Diabetes
complications later on
Other
things to remember:
-
It
is available now
-
Care
must be exercised not to mix it with any other insulin, or to
confuse it with a short acting insulin because of its clear
appearance
-
For
people with type 2 Diabetes, this will NOT replace oral
medications (at least in most instances) but rather supplement
them
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