NovoLIN R

Insulin (human) is a prescription medication used to control hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Inhalational:

Inhalational formulations are administered immediately before meals.

Injectable:

Injectable formulations are administered several times daily, depending on your condition and meal times.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

NovoLIN R is part of the drug classes:

• Insulins and analogues for inhalation

• Insulins and analogues for injection, fast acting

• Insulins and analogues for injection, intermediate acting

• Insulins and analogues for injection, intermediate acting combined with fast acting

• Insulins and analogues for injection, long acting

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Many medicines alter glucose metabolism and may require insulin dose adjustment or close monitoring. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors such as benazepril (Lotensin), captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), fosinopril (Monopril), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), moexipril (Univasc), perindopril (Aceon), quinapril (Accupril), ramipril (Altace), and trandolapril (Mavik)
• Beta blockers such as atenolol (Tenormin), labetalol (Normodyne), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), nadolol (Corgard), and propranolol (Inderal)
• Certain cholesterol-lowering medications such as fenofibrate (Antara, Lofibra, TriCor, Triglide), gemfibrozil (Lopid), and niacin (Niacor, Niaspan, in Advicor)
• Clonidine (Catapres, Catapres-TTS, in Clorpres)
• Danazol
• Digoxin (Digitek, Lanoxin)
• Disopyramide (Norpace, Norpace CR)
• Diuretics
• Fuoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem, in Symbyax)
• Hormone replacement therapy
• Isoniazid (INH, Nydrazid)
• Lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid)
• Medications for asthma and colds
• Medications for mental illness
• Medications for nausea
• Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, including isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), selegiline (Eldepryl) and Tranylcypromine (Parnate)
• Octreotide (Sandostatin)
• Oral contraceptives (birth control pills)
• Oral medications for diabetes such as pioglitazone (Actos, in Actoplus Met and others) and rosiglitazone (Avandia, in Avandamet and others)
• Oral steroids such as dexamethasone (Decadron, Dexone), methylprednisolone (Medrol), and prednisone (Deltasone); Pentamidine (NebuPent, Pentam)
• Reserpine
• Salicylate pain relievers such as aspirin, choline magnesium trisalicylate (Tricosal, Trilisate), choline salicylate (Arthropan), diflunisal (Dolobid), magnesium salicylate (Doan's, others), and salsalate (Argesic, Disalcid, Salgesic)
• Somatropin (Nutropin, Serostim, others)
• Sulfa antibiotics
• Thyroid medications

This is not a complete list of insulin (human) drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Use insulin (human) exactly as prescribed.

This medication comes in solution and suspension for injection and inhalational forms. The dose and frequency of administration will depend on many factors, including diet, lifestyle, and other conditions you have.

Use the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Keep insulin on hand at all times. Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely.

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. Insulin overdose can cause life-threatening hypoglycemia. Symptoms include drowsiness, confusion, blurred vision, numbness or tingling in your mouth, trouble speaking, muscle weakness, clumsy or jerky movements, seizure (convulsions), or loss of consciousness.

• If you have an allergy to insulin or any other part of Novolin R (insulin regular (U-100) vials).
• If you are allergic to any drugs like this one, any other drugs, foods, or other substances. Tell your doctor about the allergy and what signs you had, like rash; hives; itching; shortness of breath; wheezing; cough; swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat; or any other signs.
• If you have low blood sugar.

This is not a list of all drugs or health problems that interact with this medicine.

Tell your doctor and pharmacist about all of your drugs (prescription or OTC, natural products, vitamins) and health problems. You must check to make sure that it is safe for you to take Novolin R with all of your drugs and health problems. Do not start, stop, or change the dose of any drug without checking with your doctor.

If you think there has been an overdose, call your poison control center or get medical care right away. Be ready to tell or show what was taken, how much, and when it happened.

• Store unopened containers in a refrigerator. Do not freeze.
• You may store unopened containers at room temperature. If you store at room temperature, be sure you know how long the product is good for. Ask the doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
• After opening, be sure you know how long the product is good for and how to store it. Ask the doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
• Protect from light.
• Do not use if it has been frozen.
• Protect opened containers from heat.
• Keep all drugs in a safe place. Keep all drugs out of the reach of children and pets.
• Check with your pharmacist about how to throw out unused drugs.

Any change of insulin dose should be made cautiously and only under medical supervision. Changes in insulin strength, manufacturer, type (e.g. regular, NPH, analog, etc.), species (animal, human), or method of manufacture (rDNA versus animal-source insulin) may result in the need for a change in dosage.

Special care should be taken when the transfer is from a standard beef or mixed species insulin to a purified pork or human insulin. If a dosage adjustment is needed, it will usually become apparent either in the first few days or over a period of several weeks. Any change in treatment should be carefully monitored.