Pens, Pills, or Pumps?

Insulin must be injected into the body of an individual with type one diabetes in order for them to live. Some diabetics use syringes to inject the insulin manually or the insulin is injected through an insulin pump that dispenses into the body. The fast acting insulin is stored in an insulin pen, a vial, or an insulin pump cartridge. If the patient uses syringes to administer the insulin, they may use a fast-acting as well as a slow-acting insulin. If the patient uses the insulin pump, fast-acting insulin is inserted into the cartridge. Fast-acting insulin is the only of the two used within the pump since the pump is constantly dispensing a percentage every hour. Those with syringes use fast-acting insulin prior to meals and throughout the day. 1 Fast-acting insulin is used for meals and to lower blood sugar levels, while slow-acting insulin is typically taken in the morning or right before bed.

Unlike type one, type two diabetics do not always use injections to control their blood sugar levels. Some diabetics are prescribed medication in pill form, known as Metformin. Metformin helps lower glycemic levels in type one and type two patients.2 Patients with type two diabetes are more likely to be on just the prescription of metformin instead of the insulin injections. More times than none, you will see patients with type one diabetes on both the insulin and the Metformin, especially when the patient is being transitioned to the pump. With the pump having constant insulin and hormones pumping into the body, the body needs time to get used to the amount that is being entered. With the help of Metformin, the blood sugar levels are lowered and less insulin is needed to control those glycemic levels, allowing the body to slowly adjust to the constant flow.

References:

1. Raskin, P., Guthrie, R. A., Leiter, L., Riis, A., & Jovanovic, L. (2000). Use of insulin aspart, a fast-acting insulin analog, as the mealtime insulin in the management of patients with type 1 diabetes. Diabetes Care, 23(5), 583-588.

2. UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) Group. (1998). Effect of intensive blood-glucose control with metformin on complications in overweight patients with type 2 diabetes (UKPDS 34). The Lancet, 352(9131), 854-865.