Lantus (Insulin) for Diabetes

Overview
Lantus is a prescription drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat type 2 diabetes in adults. Lantus is also referred to by its drug name, Insulin glargine. Your doctor may prescribe another type of insulin or an oral medication such as Metformin to take along with Lantus.

Lantus is a long-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 Lantus should be administered via a subcutaneous injection. Your doctor will explain when and where you should inject Lantus and how to measure your dosage. Lantus is injected once daily at the same time each day.

Lantus comes as a liquid in vials or a prefilled pen.

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

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