Description
Description
Novolin GE premixed is human insulin used to treat diabetes.
Every pen cartridge contains a mix of 30% regular insulin and 70% insulin isophane. These cartridges are created for inserting into the insulin pen. The medication itself is a mixture of short-acting and intermediate-acting insulin, which is very similar to human insulin produced in the body. You may need to wait for half an hour for it to start working; the effect lasts approximately 24 hours.
Insulin is a naturally occurring hormone made by the pancreas that helps our body use or store blood glucose (sugar) from food. For people with diabetes, either the pancreas does not produce enough insulin to meet the body’s requirements, or the body cannot correctly use the made insulin. As a result, glucose cannot be used or stored properly and accumulates in the bloodstream. Insulin injected under the skin helps to lower blood glucose levels.
Novolin GE 30/70 mix is also available in vials.
Novolin GE premix insulin is an antidiabetic agent used to treat diabetes mellitus as it reduces the level of sugar in the blood and urine. To control your diabetes, your doctor has prescribed Novolin GE premixed insulin injections.
Many different types of insulin are absorbed in various rates and work for varying periods. This type of premixed insulin contains a mixture of fast-acting insulin (insulin regular) and intermediate-acting insulin (insulin NPH). This premixed insulin is used by people with diabetes who have their blood glucose under control and have found a particular ratio of fast-acting to intermediate-acting insulin that works best for them. This premixed insulin starts working 30 to 60 minutes after injection, has its maximum effect between 2 and 8 hours, and stops working after about 18 to 24 hours.
Novolin GE premixed is a mixture of fast-acting and intermediate-acting insulin. This means that it will start to lower your blood sugar about ½ an hour after you take it, and the effect will last for approximately 24 hours.
This medication may be available under multiple brand names and in several different forms. Any specific brand name of this medication may not be available in all of the forms or approved for all of the conditions discussed here. Some forms of this medication may not be used for all of the conditions discussed here.
Your doctor may have suggested this medication for conditions other than those listed in these drug information articles. If you have not discussed this with your doctor or are unsure why you are given this medication, speak to your doctor. Do not stop using this medication without consulting your doctor.
Do not give this medication to anyone else, even if they have the same symptoms as you do. It can be harmful to people to use this medication if their doctor has not prescribed it.
How Does it Work?
How Does it Work?
Novolin GE 30/70 works the same as natural human insulin does in those who do not have diabetes. In people who do have diabetes, their body either does not make enough of their insulin, as in type 1 diabetes, or they cannot correctly use the insulin their body does make, as in type 2 diabetes.
Typically, insulin is produced by the beta cells in your pancreas, an organ near your stomach. Insulin controls the breakdown of food, including fats, proteins, and sugars, by regulating sugar absorption from your blood into liver, fat, and skeletal muscle cells. It also blocks your liver’s ability to produce and release as much sugar back into your blood. Without insulin, your sugar can remain in your blood and cannot enter the cells in your body to be used for energy, leading to high blood sugar.
Novolin ge 30/70 is a blend of 30% Regular insulin and 70% NPH or insulin isophane in your PenFill Cartridge. Regular insulin, sometimes called soluble or neutral insulin, is fast-acting insulin structurally identical to naturally occurring human insulin with a typical onset of about 30 minutes. It lasts up to 8 hours. NPH insulin is an intermediate-acting insulin that is made from Regular insulin that has been blended with small proteins called protamines. These added proteins help to slow down the onset of insulin action, so it may not begin working until around 90 minutes have passed. The added proteins also increase their duration of motion to 24 hours.
When mixed, Regular and NPH insulin give you superior insulin protection from high blood sugar levels. The protection offered by the rapid effects of Regular insulin, along with the extended-release of NPH insulin, help better match your insulin levels to that of naturally occurring insulin activity. This prevents the spikes in blood sugar levels seen after meals or when your insulin wears off, thereby reducing your diabetes symptoms all day with just one dose.
Instructions
Instructions
Novolin penfill cartridges should be applied before the meal. It has to be injected subcutaneously (not into the vein or a muscle). The pen can’t be used by two different people even if the needle is changed. It is essential to eat something that contains carbohydrates before the Novolin N administration.
Novolin GE 30/70 functions the same way naturally occurring human insulin does. Some people who have diabetes don’t make enough of their insulin, and others cannot use the insulin their body creates appropriately. Typically insulin is produced by the pancreas, which is a large organ near the stomach. Insulin is essential in metabolism, as it controls the breakdown of food, such as fats, proteins, and sugars. It promotes the absorption of sugar from out of your blood into fat, liver, and skeletal muscle cells and blocks your liver’s ability to produce and release sugar back into your blood. If there is no insulin, the sugar is trapped in your bloodstream and cannot enter the cells of your body to be used for energy.
Usage
Usage
Novolin GE 30/70 PenFill Cartridges are used to control high blood sugar levels in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes. Together, the fast-acting Regular insulin and the intermediate-acting NPH insulin give you full-day insulin control of your blood sugar. The PenFill Cartridges are for use in your reusable insulin pen for more convenient delivery.
Novolin GE 30/70 comes as a cloudy or milky suspension because it contains added protamine and zinc. The insulin (the cloudy or milky material) can settle at the bottom of the cartridge, therefore it must be shaken up and down so that the contents are uniformly mixed before you give yourself a dose. Insulin Novolin GE 30/70 PenFills come in a 3 mL cartridge for use with your reusable insulin pen.
Dosage
Dosage
Your dose and dosing schedule is individualized for you based on your own metabolic needs, type of diabetes, blood sugar level monitoring, and your history of treatment and use of insulin. You always need to closely monitor your blood sugar levels, especially if you are switching to Novolin to get cartridges from another insulin.
Your doctor will have discussed with you already the strength, type, and amount of insulin you should be using and your dose schedule. Likely, you will not be on a strict time-based dosing schedule with Novolin GE, but make sure to eat a meal within 45 minutes of administration. Do not use more medicine to make up for a previously skipped dose.
Side Effects
Side Effects
Common side effects of Novolin GE include hypoglycemia, severe allergic reactions, injection site reactions, lipodystrophy, swelling of your hands and feet, vision changes, hypokalemia, and heart failure.
Symptoms of hypoglycemia may include slurred speech, dizziness or lightheadedness, shakiness, blurred vision, hunger, sweating, trouble concentrating or confusion, fast heartbeat, anxiety, irritability, mood changes, tingling of lips and tongue, and headaches.
Severe allergic reaction symptoms include a rapid heartbeat, a rash over your whole body, sweating, and trouble breathing.
If you experience any of these side effects, immediately contact your doctor.
Injection site reactions, or local allergic reactions, may include itching, swelling, and redness around your injection site.
If you continue having skin problems, or they become severe, get in contact with your doctor. Do not inject into skin that is itchy, red, or swollen.
Lipodystrophy is a possible reaction as well, causing either lipoatrophy or lipohypertrophy. Lipoatrophy is the localized loss of fat around the injection site, causing pits in your skin. Lipohypertrophy is the accumulation of extra fat at the injection site, causing the skin to rise. Remember to change your injection site every time you administer your insulin to help prevent these issues from occurring. If you have any skin issues, do not inject your insulin directly into this skin type.
Hypokalemia is a potentially severe side effect when you have low potassium (K+) levels in your blood. Symptoms of hypokalemia can include constipation, feeling tired, weakness, and leg cramps.
Serious heart issues can occur in some people taking antidiabetic drugs called thiazolidinediones (TZDs) and Novolin GE cartridges. This can happen even if you have never had any heart issues, and if you have, it can make them worse.
Tell your doctor if you have any symptoms of heart failure, which include sudden weight gain, swelling in your feet or ankles, and shortness of breath.
Storage
Storage
Different brands of this medication have different storage needs. Check the product package for instructions on how to store your brand, or ask your pharmacist. Protect insulin from light and heat. Do not store in the bathroom. Do not freeze, and do not use the insulin that has been frozen. Throw away all insulin products after the expiration date on the package or after the specified number of days after it has been opened or kept at room temperature, whichever date is earlier. Keep all medications away from children and pets.
