Levemir (Insulin) for Diabetes

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

Levemir 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 Levemir should be administered via a subcutaneous injection. Your doctor will explain when and where you should inject Levemir and how to measure your dosage. Levemir is injected once or twice daily. If it is injected once a day, Levemir should be taken at dinner or bedtime.

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

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

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