Insulin glargine

How should I use insulin glargine?

Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Use the medicine exactly as directed. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you don’t understand how to use an injection.

Prepare an injection only when you are ready to give it. Do not use it if the medicine looks cloudy, has changed colors, or has particles in it.

Insulin glargine is injected under the skin, using a syringe or insulin pen, once per day at the same time of day.

Insulin can be injected into your upper legs (thighs), upper arms, or stomach area (abdomen). Do not inject into the same place two times in a row. Avoid injecting into skin that is damaged, tender, bruised, pitted, thickened, scaly, or has a scar or hard lump.

When treating type 1 diabetes, use your short-acting insulin before meals as directed by your doctor.

Insulin glargine must not be given with an insulin pump or mixed with other insulins. Do not inject insulin glargine into a vein or a muscle.

Your dose needs may change if you switch to a different brand, strength, or form of this medicine. Avoid medication errors by using only the medicine your doctor prescribes.

If you use an injection pen, use only the injection pen that comes with insulin glargine. Attach a new needle before each use. Do not transfer the insulin from the pen into a syringe.

Never share an injection pen, even if you changed the needle. Sharing these devices can pass infections from person to person.

Blood sugar can be affected by stress, illness, surgery, exercise, alcohol use, or skipping meals.

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can make you feel very hungry, dizzy, irritable, or shaky. To quickly treat hypoglycemia, eat or drink hard candy, crackers, raisins, fruit juice, or non-diet soda. Your doctor may prescribe glucagon injections in case of severe hypoglycemia.

Tell your doctor if you have frequent symptoms of high blood sugar (hyperglycemia), such as increased thirst or urination. Ask your doctor before changing your medication dosage.

Wear a medical alert tag or carry an ID card to let others know you have diabetes.

Insulin glargine is available as:

Basaglar 100 units/mL is available as Basaglar KwikPen 3 mL, BasaglarTempo Pen

3 mL

Lantus 100 units/mL is available as a Lantus multiple-dose vial 10 mL, Lantus SoloStar prefilled pen 3 mL

Rezvoglar 100 units/mL available as Rezvoglar KwikPen prefilled pen 3 mL

Semglee 100 units/mL available as Semglee multiple-dose vial 10 mL, Semgleeprefilled pen 3 mL

Toujeo 300 units/mL available as Toujeo SoloStar prefilled pen 1.5 ml, Toujeo Max SoloStar 3 mL prefilled pen