Diabetes has been one of the most observed medical issues worldwide. 463 million people across the world have diabetes. Medication in the right dosage is highly necessary for people living with diabetes to avoid further health complications. There are a lot of medicines used in the treatment of the patients. Lantus is one of the topmost prescribed diabetes medicine.
Lantus insulin glargine is the human-made form of insulin used by millions of people to manage their blood sugar levels. This medicine is useful to improve and control the sugar levels in blood adults and children who are diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The long-lasting insulin works for almost 24 hours. Insulin glargine is present in Lantus.
Benefits of Lantus:
Usage of Lantus in patients with type 1 and type2 diabetes if found to be highly beneficial. As per clinical studies, type 1 diabetes people who used Lantus had blood sugar levels reduced to 20-21 mg / dL. The blood sugar levels in type 2 have come down by 49 mg / dL.
Lantus can be administered to the patient in injection form or as liquid form a Solarstar pen.
Lantus generic details:
Prescribed as a brand name medication, Lantus doesn’t have a generic aspect. The active drug insulin glargine is present in it.
Follow on insulin made from living organisms parts similar to brand name drugs are available in the market, and Basalgar is one of them. The production of pure specimens of the basic drug was not possible; hence the follow on drugs are not considered as specific generic drugs.
Side effects of using Lantus:
Based on the age and health condition of the diabetes patient, one can observe the side effects ranging from mild to severe. Health providers can specify the type of side effect that may be present and also the way to deal with them.
The list of common side effects that are commonly seen after using Lantus are:
- Redness, itchiness, pain, and or tenderness in the injection site area.
- Skin thickness can change
- Leg, ankles, feet swelling – Edema
- Cold and other respiratory infections
- Allergic reactions
- Weight gain
The list of severe side effects and the associated symptoms are:
- Hypoglycemia – deficient blood sugar levels with symptoms as drowsiness, headache, confusion, hunger, sweating, seizures.
- Allergic reactions with all over the body somewhat, breathing troubles, swelling of the tongue, throat as symptoms.
- Hypokalemia the state of low potassium levels. Symptoms are weakness, muscle cramping, paralysis, respiratory failure.
Other Options for Lantus:
Talk to your health care provider for other options available that equally good for treatment. Based on the type of blood sugar condition, history of diabetes, health condition, and other medical conditions, the doctor suggests the best medication to improve the blood sugar levels in the body.
Levemir, Basaglar, and Tresiba are few of the drugs that can replace Lantus. But every one of them has its advantages and drawbacks dependent on the factors mentioned above.
Lantus Dosage and Usage:
One of the best advantages of Lantus drugs is that one can take it along with other diabetes medications. Lantus can be included along with other injectable medicines or as medicines taken orally.
Type 1 diabetes patients need to take Lantus along with the meantime insulin as this nasal insulin works in background regulating the blood sugar levels.
Type 2 diabetes patients also can take Lantus orally or through infection, along with their other medications.
The dosage of Lantus varies from patient to patient as it is dependent on various factors that are:
- Diabetes severity of the patient condition
- Weight
- History of blood sugar level
Generally, any medical provider first prescribes a small dosage to the patient and checks for the effectiveness along with side effects if observed any. Based on the results, the dosage would be changed. It is vital to take only the prescribed amount of the drug.
Various Forms of Lantus availability:
Lantus is accessible in two forms, one of them is a vial, and the other kind is a disposable prefilled pen.
Every single vial of Lantus possesses 3ml of solution. 100 units of insulin glargine are present in 1ml of solution.
Solostar is the other form of the disposable prefilled pen of Lantus availability. Each pen has 3ml of the solution, and each ml has 100units of insulin glargine. As a total, each pen had 300units of insulin glargine. Lantus Solostar pens arrive in a packet of five.
The Lantus vials and the Solostar pens are reusable. The number of reuse time differs for each person based on the dosage prescribed by the doctor. Once opened, it is a must to use the Lantus medicine else it will become useless and ineffective after 28 days.
Lantus Uses:
Lantus is approved by the FDA Food and Drug Administration. This prescription drug is ideal for treating type1 and type 2 diabetes conditions.
Lantus administered in proper dosage to patients yields the best results in improving the blood sugar levels of the patients.
Although Lantus is great for diabetes, there are other drugs that might be better for your situation. For example, farxiga is great for diabetes when it’s combined with a healthy diet and exercise. The only downside to using farxiga is the price. Luckily, by joining a prescription advocacy program you can get easy access to farxiga patient assistance. These assistance programs can end up saving you hundreds of dollars a year on these types of medications.