Side Effects of Insulin

Human body breaks down the food consumed into various organic compounds like sucrose, glucose etc. Glucose is used by cells in the human body for growth and repair. Glucose also provides energy to the human body. Insulin helps this glucose move from the bloodstream to every cell in the human body.

What is Insulin?

Insulin is secreted by the beta cells in the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas, a small organ between the stomach and liver. Insulin regulates the sugar levels in the human body. Pancreas secrete enzymes that help in the digestion of food. When pancreas stops secreting insulin, it results in hyperglycemia which is a common symptom of diabetes. There are two types of diabetes, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes.

Insulin is given externally while treating a diabetic patient. There are 20 types of insulin available in many forms. Human insulin is made from bacteria. Certain changes are made in the bacterial DNA and cloned to make insulin. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) U.S., approved the first human insulin in 1982.

Causes for Side Effects of Insulin

• Overdose of Insulin
• Delayed or skipped meals
• Uneven absorption of insulin
• Deteriorated functioning of the kidney
• Decreased secretions of thyroid or adrenal hormones

Side Effects of Insulin

There are six types of insulin classified based on the duration of action on the human body. The types of insulin available are rapid-acting, short-acting, intermediate-acting, long-acting, very long-acting and premix. Short-acting insulin is given in the abdomen, long-acting insulin is given in the thighs and insulin premix is given in the abdomen or thighs. Side effects of insulin are a rare sight. Dosage of insulin varies according to the patient. Insulin is given to the patient using syringes, pens and pumps. Some of the side-effects are as follows:

Hypoglycemia: The glucose levels in the human brain drops down. The symptoms of hypoglycemia are sweating, dizziness, excessive hunger, increase in pulse rate, and blurred vision. Eating small amounts of food that is rich in sugar gives temporary relief from hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia directly affects the brain tissues. Severe hypoglycemia may result in coma. The sugar levels should be checked immediately after hypoglycemia. Checking sugar levels helps in further treatment of diabetes.

Weight gain: In diabetes, calories are not well-utilized. Intake of insulin increases the use of calories consumed by human body, this leads to weight gain. Weight gain in diabetes can be a serious issue. Diabetic patients must be very careful about the changes in their weight.

Loss of fatty tissues: Taking frequent injections of insulin can damage the fatty tissues in the injected area. Improper hygiene during medication may cause infections.

Allergic reactions: The area where the insulin is injected turns red and becomes itchy. Edema (swelling) is observed on a part or the whole body in some cases, due to excessive water retention. These side-effects are usually seen in first few weeks of therapy. In case allergic reactions last for more than two weeks, you should consult your physician. Syringes and pens used to take insulin should never be shared with others to avoid infections.

Upper respiratory tract problems: Coughing, respiratory tract infections and difficulty in breathing is seen in patients taking insulin via a pump. Very few patients are recommended to take insulin using an insulin pump.

Interactions with other drugs: The effect of insulin is nullified by many drugs consumed. These drugs may cause hyperglycemia in diabetic patients. Oral diabetic medications, alcoholic beverages, sulfonamide antibiotics, aspirin, Fibrate cholesterol medications, growth hormones are some of the drugs with which insulin reacts. Patients should consult the doctor if they are on some other drugs before taking insulin.

Pregnant women should take insulin only under medical observation. Breast-feeding mothers must adjust their insulin dosage with their diabetic diet. Insulin is prescribed by the physician taking into consideration many other aspects. Some of these aspects are your age, lifestyle, individual body response to insulin and blood sugar levels. Insulin must be taken under proper medical observation.