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October 29, 2005

Insulin

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Question from Richmond, British Columbia, Canada:

How long will it take for insulin to react and lower one’s blood sugar level after a spike in blood sugar levels?

Answer:

From: DTeam Staff

Rapid-acting insulin analogs such as Apidra, Humalog and NovoLog begin to work in 5 to 15 minutes, usually hit their peaks in about one to two hours and the effects are usually gone by three to four hours. NPH and Lente start to work in about three to four hours, peak in about six to 10 hours and then decrease thereafter. Lantus and Determir insulins have smaller peaks, about six to eight hours after injections and last about 12 to 16 hours, sometimes as long as 24 hours.

SB