A once daily insulin regimen may be suitable in people with type 2 diabetes.
Going onto insulin will give you more control of your blood glucose levels than tablets and should help to reduce the symptoms of hyperglycemia , such as thirst and fatigue.
Am I suitable for once daily insulin injections?
If you are currently on tablets for your diabetes but your blood glucose levels are consistently high through the day or night then you may need to take insulin injections.
Which type of insulin will I be put on?
A number of different types of insulin are appropriate for taking on a once-daily routine.
Intermediate acting insulin
Intermediate insulin tends to act over a period of up to 18 to 24 hours. You may be advised to take intermediate insulin before bed if your blood glucose levels are too high through the night.
Long acting insulin
Long acting insulin may be advised if you experience hyperglycemia through the day. Long acting insulin remains active for up to 24 hours and needs to be taken at the same time each day.
Long acting analogue insulin has no peak period which can help to reduce instances of hypoglycemia
The insulin you are put on may be either a synthetic insulin or animal insulin.
Synthetic insulin is the most commonly prescribed form of insulin but animal derived insulin should be available if this is your preference.
Will I still need to take tablets on once-daily injections?
If you are currently on tablets and about to move onto a once daily injection regimen, it is likely that you will still need to take tablets.
Your doctor will be able to advise you whether any changes are needed to the tablets you take.
What are the benefits of a once daily injection regimen?
The following benefits may be experienced by people on a once daily insulin regimen:
- Insulin injections will help to reduce your blood glucose levels through the night and/or day
- You should experience fewer symptoms of high blood glucose levels
- Taking insulin injections may ease the pressure on your pancreas to produce insulin, which could benefit your longer term health
Beginning injecting insulin
Some people may be anxious about going onto insulin injections but many people are pleasantly surprised by how painless and unobtrusive injections are.
- Read more about starting insulin injections
