Apidra Uses

Apidra Uses for Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes usually begins in young children and teenagers, although this is not always the case. People with this type of diabetes have a pancreas that produces little or no insulin. This means that these people need to have insulin on a regular basis to help keep their blood sugar at the right level.

 

In healthy people without diabetes, insulin levels do not stay the same throughout the day; instead, they fluctuate in response to changes in blood sugar levels. In order to mimic the natural insulin changes that help keep blood sugar safely controlled, many healthcare providers recommend "basal-bolus" insulin regimens.

 

These regimens often involve a long-acting insulin (such as Lantus^® or Levemir^®) to provide a basal insulin level (a relatively steady background level of insulin throughout the day). A rapid-acting insulin such as Apidra is added to provide the bolus (a quick, fast-acting, short-lived dose of insulin) to handle the sudden rise in blood sugar levels that follows each meal.

 

How Does Apidra Work?

Apidra is a form of insulin, which is a hormone that is naturally produced by the pancreas. This hormone is important for several functions, such as controlling blood sugar levels. Insulin helps the cells of your body remove glucose ("sugar") from your bloodstream. This sugar fuels your body's cells, giving them the energy they need to work properly.

 

Normally, your body is able to maintain proper levels of sugar in your blood and inside your cells. However, in people with type 1 diabetes (and sometimes type 2 diabetes), the pancreas has trouble making insulin. This causes too much sugar to accumulate in the blood.

 

Too much sugar can also accumulate in the blood if your body has trouble responding to normal levels of insulin, as is common in type 2 diabetes. Over time, high levels of sugar in the blood can lead to serious health problems in the eyes, feet, hands, kidneys, and heart.

 

You may need to take insulin if your pancreas has trouble making enough, which is the case in people with type 1 diabetes and in some people who have type 2 diabetes.

 

Apidra is a rapid-acting insulin medication. It starts working quickly, produces a sharp peak in insulin levels, and then drops off quickly. It is designed to help control the blood sugar spike that occurs after meals. Almost everyone who takes Apidra will also need to use a long-acting insulin, which can provide a steady background level of insulin to help control blood sugar throughout the day.