Diabetes Treatment – Insulin

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Diabetes Treatment – Insulin - Side Effects, Precautions, and Contraindications

What side effects can Diabetes Treatment – Insulin cause?

The most common side effect with the use of insulin is low blood sugar. If you inject insulin but do not eat on time, your blood sugar may become too low. Low blood sugar levels might also happen if you do not eat well or if you drink alcohol on an empty stomach while on insulin therapy.

Symptoms of low blood sugar include:

Weakness
Dizziness
Hunger
Sweating
Trembling
Blurred vision
Walking unsteadily
Fast heartbeat

If you experience any of these low blood sugar symptoms, do the following immediately:

Step 1: Check your blood sugar level with a home blood sugar meter (glucometer) if available. If your blood sugar level is less than 4 mmol/L, take 15 grams of fast-acting sugar such as:

3 glucose tablets or
Half a glass of fruit juice (200ml) or
1 can of less sugar soft drink (330ml) or
3 teaspoons of sugar, honey or syrup

Step 2: Monitor yourself for 15 minutes. If you have a glucometer (home blood sugar meter), check your blood sugar level again after 15 minutes.

Step 3: If your blood sugar level is still less than 4 mmol/L or you still have symptoms of low blood sugar, you should take another 15 grams of fast-acting sugar as per Step 1.

If your symptoms do not go away, see a doctor or go to the hospital immediately.

Step 4: Take your meal or snack if your blood sugar level is 4 mmol/L and above after consuming the fast-acting sugar earlier on.

Inform your doctor about this during the next visit.

Other side effects include:

Some patients may also experience mild pain, redness, bruising, swelling, a small lump or dent of the skin at the injection site.

Do not reuse your needles, rotate injection sites within the recommended areas and use shorter needles (4mm or 6mm) to reduce the chances of developing such reactions.
They also usually go away in a few days to a few weeks.
See a doctor if you frequently experience this. Your injection technique may need to be reviewed.