June 30, 2000
Insulin
Question from Athens, Greece:
A friend of mine, 45 years old with Type 2 diabetes, has been receiving insulin for a few years. He had first used Mixtard human insulin. Within a few days, he had developed a local reaction at the site of injection in the form of a painless nodule without itching. This small nodule occurred regardless of the area of injection, and usually lasted for few days before clearing up. He was transferred to Initard (animal insulin) and for one and half years there was no reaction. Recently, he started to develop similar reaction as before. Any suggestion of the underlying cause of this reaction, and recommendations to cure it?
Answer:
Sometimes the reaction to insulin may be to the preservative rather than the insulin itself. It may be worth trying a different preparation from an alternative company.
JS
