What Is Humalog Used For? -- An Overview
Humalog® (
insulin lispro) is a form of
insulin used to help control blood sugar in people with type 1 and
type 2 diabetes. This medication is rapid-acting and is used to control blood sugar after meals. Alternatively, Humalog can also be used in an
insulin pump. The medication is designed to start working more quickly and has a shorter duration of action compared to regular human insulin.
Humalog 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 such 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 longer-acting insulin to provide a basal insulin level (a relatively steady background level of insulin throughout the day). A rapid-acting insulin, such as Humalog, 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.
If you use Humalog in an insulin pump, you do not need to take a long-acting insulin.
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