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Types of Insulin Injections

Insulin is a hormone normally secreted by the pancreas. It is a vital hormone that is responsible for carrying the glucose from the food ingested to cells where it is stored, until it is needed in the form of energy. In Type I Diabetes, however, the pancreas does not produce insulin, making insulin injections necessary. Many types of synthetic insulin are produced, and each are slightly different in both how they are made and how they act once in the body.

  1. Administration

    • Insulin must be administered by injection. It cannot be taken orally as it would be digested just like a food product. To introduce the insulin directly to the blood, inject it under the skin into the fatty layer.

    Rapid-Acting

    • Insulin that works fast, usually within 15 minutes of injection, is called rapid-acting insulin. Lispro and Humalog are both rapid-acting insulins. These insulins are best injected right before a meal is eaten as they reach their peak performance about an hour after injection and is gone between four and five hours post-injection.

    Short-Acting

    • Short-acting insulin is the most popular kind and it also is usually taken before meals. This insulin should be injected about 30 to 45 minutes prior to meals as it takes that long to take effect and reaches its peak about two to three hours later just as digestion is underway. This insulin lasts about six hours.

    Intermediate-Acting

    • Intermediate-acting insulin, such as NPH and Lente, look cloudy because they are mixed with another substance to allow the body to absorb it more slowly. NPH starts working between two and four hours after injection, peaks between four and 10 hours and lasts for approximately 16 hours. Lente works even longer, peaking between four and 12 hours and lasting for up to 18 hours. This type of insulin is made to take in the morning to last all day or before bed to assure insulin works through the night.

    Long-Acting

    • Ultralente is a long-acting insulin that does not start working until between six and 10 hours and lasts for up to 20 hours. This insulin does not have as much of a peak effect, it works slow and steady making it ideal for use first thing in the morning or just before bed.

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