Humalog (Insulin) for Diabetes

Overview
Humalog is a prescription drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat diabetes in adults and children. Humalog is also referred to by its drug name, Insulin lispro. Your doctor may prescribe another type of insulin or an oral medication such as Metformin to take along with Humalog.

Humalog is a fast-acting insulin and a human insulin analog. An insulin analog is a synthetic substance very similar to human insulin. Insulin analogs are designed to affect the body more predictably than human insulin does.

How do I take it?
Prescribing information states that Humalog should be administered via a subcutaneous injection. Your doctor will explain when and where you should inject Humalog and how to measure your dosage. Humalog is usually injected 15 minutes before or immediately after a meal.

Humalog comes as a liquid in solution or suspension forms. Humalog may be contained in vials for use with syringes or in cartridges for use with pens. Humalog is also available for use in pumps.

Side effects
The FDA-approved label for Humalog lists common side effects including hypoglycemia (low blood glucose), hypokalemia (low potassium), and minor redness or irritation at injection sites.

Rare but serious side effects listed for Humalog can include a systemic allergic reaction.