Get Informed: Insulin Glargine
Active Ingredient(s)
Insulin Glargine
What does it do?
This product is a type of long acting insulin administered by subcutaneous injection. It is used for the treatment of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
- Last Text Update:
- 2009-Nov-07 10:35 AM
- Last Data Update:
- 2009-Nov-07 8:28 AM
Other Names
- Insulin Glargine
- Lantus
- Lantus Solostar
How Safe Is It?
- Your Risk Rating
- Please log in
- Average Risk Rating
-
- Pregnancy Category:
- C
- Black Box Warning:
- No
Facts & Figures
- Date Approved
- 20 Apr 2000
- Est US Patients*
- 2,578,000
- Generic Available
- No
- OTC Available
- No
User Age Distribution*
< 21
21-39
40-59
60+
Age (Years)
* Estimated number of US people currently taking Insulin Glargine or its active ingredient based on population adjusted patient numbers registered with iGuard.org.
Recent alerts for Insulin Glargine
- Recall of All Accusure Insulin Syringes
- Recall of Two Lots of Accusure Insulin Syringes
- FDA Early Communication About Safety of Lantus (Insulin Glargine)
- Early Research Results About Possible Safety Issue With Insulin Glargine (Lantus)
- Insulin Pens and Insulin Cartridges Must Not Be Shared
Insulin Glargine Safety Report
Learn more about iGuard's risk ratings
- Please login or register (it's free) so iGuard can check how Insulin Glargine interacts with other drugs and diseases in your profile.
What is Insulin Glargine used for?
iGuard.org is currently tracking more than 14,900 patients that use Insulin Glargine (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)). Use the table below to learn why iGuard users take this product; click on any underlined condition to get information on other medications used for treatment.
| Disease / Condition | % | Average Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 97% | 
|
| Other | 32% | 
|
How well does Insulin Glargine work?
iGuard.org regularly polls our more than 14,900 users taking Insulin Glargine (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medications (TSQM) . This feedback is continuously updated in tables below for the benefit of the iGuard community. To request scores for specific patient subgroups, please contact research@iguard.org.
Average Satisfaction Score
(out of 10)
Average Effectiveness Score
(out of 10)
- 90%
- of patients are confident that the good things about Insulin Glargine outweigh the bad things.
- 16%
- of patients wish they were told more before they started taking Insulin Glargine.
Common Side Effects of Insulin Glargine
iGuard.org regularly polls our more than 14,900 users taking Insulin Glargine (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) to monitor the development and frequency of side-effects. This feedback is continuously updated in tables and graphs below for the benefit of the iGuard community.
16% of patients experience side-effects on Insulin Glargine
3% of patients experience signifcant side-effects on Insulin Glargine
Most Common Side Effects...
-
Glucose Problems
-
Weight Gain
-
= 10%
Less than 1%: Abdominal Pain, Dizziness, Fatigue, Memory/Speech Problems, Skin/Nail Problems
Global Patient Feedback for Insulin Glargine ( Post a comment )
Question/Comment:
I am a 62 yr. old woman who takes Apdria, Lantus, Glimapride and Janumet. Am I taking to many different meds at one time? My doctor seems non-chalont about it when I ask her about it.
63 year old Female
Posted: 2009-09-25 23:03:19
Question/Comment:
i am a 45 year old female that was taking lantus for a year. i decided to go off of it because i have a wound the size of a orange now on my hip. it was the size of a grapefruit 4 months ago before i stopped taking the insuline. i havent felt any better in the year that i was on it. infact i felt tired, my skin became very sensative. when i started the lantus i weighed 260 a year later i still weigh 260. my sugars when i was taking it were 115 to 127. i dont know what the answer is but as this is a disease that is food and low or no exersize related i think i will start back at the beginning and fix the food problem with a raw diet and exersize.
45 year old Female
Posted: 2009-09-22 18:45:16
Question/Comment:
Has anyone had kidney damage from taking insulin my kidney count is <59 moderate kidney damage and i have been a diabetic since 1997 without any problems until I went on the insulin I also take Lotrel and Janumet and fluid pills
58 year old Female
Posted: 2009-09-18 11:58:34
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
Insulin is not reported to cause kidney issues. Janumet and Lotrel do not have reports of causing kidney damage either. Decreased kidney function is common in diabetes, especially as the disease progresses. By the time a type 2 diabetic is started on insulin, the disease has usually progressed to the point where other organs, including the kidneys, are being affected.
Posted: 2009-09-26 12:31:04
Question/Comment:
Is it true that you can only take lantus for 28 days then you have to discard the rest and why when the expiration date is a year from the prescription fill date?
38 year old Female
Posted: 2009-09-06 04:54:09
Answer/Reply:
It's my understanding that the 28 days is from the date you open each vial/pen. The rest should be refrigerated and that's for the one year expiration date.
46 year old Female
Posted: 2009-09-18 07:39:24
Answer/Reply:
The 28 day limitation is imposed by big pharma and applies to other insulins as well. The first thing one notices about this is that they limit us to 28 days as opposed to 31 days therefore they have built in assurances that you will buy 13 vials in a year instead of 12. This observation, coupled with having entered the Medicare "doughnut hole" caused me to objectively reassess my insulin usage. The result is that if I extend the life of my insulin from 28 days to 36 days per vial, I can stay out of the doughnut hole. You can bet that big pharma has a good 100% safety factor built into the recommendation to throw insulin away 28 days after "opening" a vial. If insulin is good for a year when refrigerated in an unopened state then I am perfectly comfortable keeping my opened insulin refrigerated AFTER OPENING (along with my syringes). I keep a meticulous injection log, wherein I know at a glance when I opened my insulin, what day I am on in (my) insulin life cycle, etc., so that I can immediately notice any aberrations in insulin performance that would relate to my 36 day life cycle. After a year on this protocol I have not eperienced any problems with my insulins (Lantus & Humalog). It is noteworthy that I do not limit my syringe use to one injection either. I have successfully used my syringes until the "unit marks" on the side of the syringe barrel become worn off. The hype about the tip of the needle becoming bent over is a lot of nonsense. Again, after a week or two of 4 - 5 injections per day, I have never had a bent needle. I do make sure I expel all the insulin after injecting and I clean the needle very carefully with an alchohol swab. The only problem I have from doing this is a litlle discomfort when the factory installed lubricant wears off of the needle. I am curently searching for something that I can safely use to re-lube the needle. NOW I MUST STRESS THAT I AM NOT RECOMMENDING THAT ANYONE ELSE COPIES MY PROCESSES. THIS WORKS FOR ME AND MY DOCTOR, YOU MUST DISCUSS IT WITH YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE USING ANY OF THESE NON-STANDARD PRACTICES.
75 year old Male
Posted: 2009-09-18 13:54:59
Answer/Reply:
I take it that you use the Lantus Solar-Star pen for your injections.
As long as you keep Lantus refrigerated...it will last up to the expiration date.
However, before you start using it, you must leave it warm up to room temperature...that is when you start counting the 28 days. Lantus will cloud up after the 28 days and is no longer fresh enough to use. (At least that is what my pharmacist and doctor told me.)
59 year old Male
Posted: 2009-09-27 00:25:38
Question/Comment:
Anyone else taking 100 units of Lantus both morning and night? It seems excessive to me, and my blood sugar is only responding a little. I've noticed I'm really really tired and want to sleep during the day and I've noticed blurred vision. Is this common?
45 year old Female
Posted: 2009-08-20 18:40:58
Answer/Reply:
I think that I would get a 2nd opinion. The Lantus site says that you should only be taking it
once a day at the same time each day. Other sites talk about using short acting before meals
along with the once a day Lantus. Please do some research. Lantus keeps a slow steady
release. The short acting works on the food you are eating at the moment and brings those
sugars down. You must correct any eating issues, no drinking and excercise if you can. Take some classes that will help. Some areas have free diabetic classes! Take care.
56 year old Female
Posted: 2009-08-26 13:21:04
Answer/Reply:
I think that I would get a 2nd opinion. The Lantus site says that you should only be taking it
once a day at the same time each day. Other sites talk about using short acting before meals
along with the once a day Lantus. Please do some research. Lantus keeps a slow steady
release. The short acting works on the food you are eating at the moment and brings those
sugars down. You must correct any eating issues, no drinking and excercise if you can. Take some classes that will help. Some areas have free diabetic classes! Take care.
55 year old female
56 year old Female
Posted: 2009-08-26 13:22:00
Answer/Reply:
Anyone coming off Lantus because of the FDA warning that Lantus may cause cancer. The FDS is recommending we stay on Lantus, they are investigating with further tests. Just curious,
my daughter is on Lantus. I'm contimplating taking her off.
37 year old Male
Posted: 2009-08-28 21:58:14
You may post comments for the benefit of other patients or post questions other patients might be able to answer. Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Only your age and gender will be published with your comment, although your other user details will be securely recorded for verification purposes.
Comments may be either questions or answers to previously posted questions. Any iGuard.org user may post questions and reply.
59
Patient Comments about
Insulin Glargine