Intermediate-Acting Insulin for Type 1 Diabetes

Overview
Intermediate-acting insulin is used to manage type 1 diabetes. This type of insulin is designed to control blood glucose (sugar) levels over a longer period, typically up to 12 to 18 hours. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved formulations of insulin human isophane suspension (types of intermediate-acting insulin including Humulin N and Novolin N).

Intermediate-acting insulin works by slowly releasing insulin into the bloodstream. This slow release helps maintain a steady level of insulin in the body, reducing the likelihood of sudden spikes or drops in blood sugar.

How do I take it?
Intermediate-acting insulin is given as a subcutaneous injection (under the skin). It should be taken exactly as prescribed by your doctor.

Side effects
Common side effects of intermediate-acting insulin include hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), injection site reactions, including discoloration, swelling, itching, and lipodystrophy (unusual loss or redistribution of body fat), weight gain, and edema (swelling).

Rare but serious side effects include anaphylaxis (severe allergic reactions), hypokalemia (low potassium in the blood), and severe hypoglycemia that can cause unconsciousness, seizures, or death​​​​.

For more details about this treatment, visit:

Types of Insulin — Centers for Control and Disease Prevention
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/type-1-type...

N Human Novo Nordisk — Patient Information for Novolin
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/...

Humulin N — Insulin Human Injection, Suspension Sterile Diluent — Diluent Injection, Solution — DailyMed
https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo....