Also known as insulin glargine, Basaglar is a long-acting insulin that starts to work several hours after injection and keeps working evenly for 24 hours. Insulin is a hormone that works by lowering levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood. Basaglar is a long-lasting insulin used to control blood sugar in adults and children with diabetes. Basaglar is approved for use in adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and in children at least 6 years old with type 1 diabetes (not type 2). Belonging to the class of long-acting insulin, Basaglar KwikPen is used in combination with another short-acting insulin which is taken before meals.
Basaglar comes as a liquid that’s injected under your skin. The drug comes in a pen that holds 3 mL of solution (called the Basaglar KwikPen) or in a pen that can connect with a smartphone app to record your insulin doses (called the Basaglar Tempo Pen). Each mL of Basaglar solution contains 100 units of insulin glargine.
How Does It Work
Basaglar is a long-acting insulin that lowers your blood sugar levels over 24 hours or longer. Basaglar doesn’t start working right away, like rapid-acting mealtime insulins do. Instead, it forms a cluster underneath your skin. The cluster breaks down slowly and releases insulin into your bloodstream. This release is spread out over the whole day. Basaglar shouldn’t be used in emergency situations because it doesn’t enter your bloodstream right away.
How To Use
Basaglar should be taken exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not change the dose or stop taking Basaglar without talking to your doctor first. It’s important that you take Basaglar exactly as prescribed by your doctor, and do not take more or less than the recommended dose. Basaglar is used together with diet and exercise to control high blood sugar in adults with type 1 diabetes or adults who have type 2 diabetes and are using mealtime insulin. Basaglar should be taken once daily at the same time each day, about 15 minutes before eating breakfast or lunch.
Do not inject this medicine into skin that is damaged, tender, bruised, pitted, thickened, scaly, or has a scar or hard lump. You will be shown how to use injections at home. Do not give yourself this medicine if you do not understand how to use the injection and properly dispose of used needles and pens. Your care provider will show you the best places on your body to inject Basaglar. Use a different place each time you give an injection. Do not inject into the same place two times in a row.
Side Effects
The most common side effects of Basaglar are edema (swelling) are in the following:
- Inyour legs, ankles, or feet; hypoglycemia (low blood sugar level)
- Injection site reactions (pain, redness, itchiness, or swelling around the area of your injection)
- Itchy skin
- Changes in the thickness of your skin near your injection site; and skin rash.
Other side effects that may occur include infections such as the common cold; weight gain; headache; nausea; upper respiratory tract infection; sinusitis; bronchitis; pneumonia; urinary tract infection (UTI), kidney infection, or bladder infection; sore throat or cold sores on your lips or mouth (fever blisters); vaginal yeast infection; muscle spasms in your neck or back that cause pain and stiffness when moving your neck or spine during certain activities (spinal cord compression); pain in your chest, groin (penis), belly button area, ribs, hip bone area near where you inject Basaglar (diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis); bone pain in one part of your body only (monostotic fibrous dysplasia); bone pain that seems worse at night than during the day and is usually worse when standing up than lying down
Storage
Storing unopened Basaglar KwikPens or Tempo Pens. Unopened Basaglar KwikPens or Tempo Pens can be stored: in the refrigerator (at temperatures of 36?F to 46?F/2?C to 8?C) until their expiration date for up to 28 days at room temperature (up to 86?F/30?C), away from light and heat
Storing opened Basaglar KwikPens or Tempo Pens. Opened, in-use Basaglar KwikPens and Tempo Pens should be stored at room temperature (up to 86?F/30?C) for up to 28 days. Don’t store opened Basaglar pens in the refrigerator.
Basaglar is a long-acting insulin that helps regulate the level of sugar in your bloodstream by helping sugar move from the bloodstream into your cells, and preventing your liver from releasing too much sugar into your bloodstream. Insulin is a hormone that’s made in your pancreas. This hormone regulates how much glucose (sugar) is in your blood. The amount of glucose in your blood determines how well you can use glucose as energy throughout the day. Insulin also helps your muscles use glucose for energy, prevents your liver from making and releasing more glucose into your bloodstream, and helps your body make proteins and store fat. Making changes to your insulin treatment plan could increase your risk for both hypoglycemia (low blood sugar level) and hyperglycemia (high blood sugar level). These changes include starting a new insulin drug. Your insulin treatment plan can change in a variety of ways. Sometimes the changes are easy and go unnoticed, but other times they can have a more dramatic effect on your blood sugar levels. It is important to talk with your doctor before making any changes to how you take your insulin.
Some drugs can affect your blood sugar and may also affect Basaglar. Some medicines can increase or decrease the effects of insulin. Some drugs can also cause you to have fewer symptoms of hypoglycemia, making it harder to tell when your blood sugar is low. Tell each of your health care providers about all medicines you use now and any medicine you start or stop using. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell your doctor about all other medicines you use. If you use insulin or any other diabetes medicine, be sure to tell each of your health care providers that you are taking Basaglar.
