April 3, 2003
Insulin Analogs
Question from Colorado, USA:
I have been on Lantus (insulin glargine) and NovoLog now for six months which seems to work fine, except the side effects from one or both types of insulin have caused me to break out with a rash. The rash is in the form of dime sized spots on random parts of my body. They appear and cause severe itching, bruising, and never seem to go away. I did see this as a possible side effect on the Lantus packaging.
Topical treatments do not seem to make a difference. My doctors do not seem to feel it is a concern, but it is disfiguring, embarrassing, and painful. I do not want to change insulin as this works for me. What are my options? Are there medications to treat this condition that I can discuss with my medical team?
Answer:
When an insulin allergy is present, the skin changes or rash are usually over the area of the injection site. It would be unusual for the red spots to be at random parts of the body. The issue is that this may represent another process.
If this is the case, you wouldn’t have to change but would need to know why the rash is occurring. I would recommend you see a dermatologist to get another opinion and to help find out what the rash is from.
JTL
