
April 12, 2007
Insulin, Other
Question from Blackpool, Lancashire, England:
My 21-month-old daughter is on NovoRapid and Insulatard. She has developed urticaria over past four weeks and I wonder if she could be allergic to the preservatives in these insulins. Is this possible?
Answer:
It is rather rare to have allergies to modern insulins, but not impossible. I would think you and your diabetes team should switch to an alternative manufacturer, i.e., Lilly, and see if the same thing happens or not, while using the same types of insulins. We usually treat with Humalog and NovoLog for prandial insulin boluses and Lantus or Levemir for basal insulins. This is another alternative that gets you away from NPH (Insulatard) altogether.
SB