How to Use Lantus Insulin Pen for Your Diabetes Treatment

Life with diabetes needs extra care to remain active throughout the day. Your doctor may prescribe you a Lantus Insulin Pen as a treatment to maintain your blood sugar level. Through this article, you will know how to use Lantus Insulin Pen for your daily treatment to manage your sugar blood level to stay normal.

How Lantus Insulin Pen Works

Before we go deeper into step by step on how to use Lantus insulin pen, it is better to know what the Lantus insulin pen is. Lantus is a brand of insulin glargine you inject into your body through your skin. This treatment is suitable for adults with diabetic type 1 and children ages 6 years or older with diabetic type 2.

Lantus Insulin Pen is a type of prescribed insulin you can inject through your skin. It is classified as a long-acting insulin but the effectiveness depends on the type of diabetes. If it is type 1 diabetes, you must use it with rapid or short-acting insulin. However, if it is type 2, you may use this medicine with or without other medications.

Lantus Insulin Pen came in the packaging of a carton with 5 SoloStar pens of 3mL with 100 units/mL. It starts to work about 2 hours after injecting and can last up to 24 – 36 hours to maintain your normal blood sugar level. This happens because insulin glargine does not work quickly to control the rising blood sugar levels after your meals.

Steps on How to Use Lantus Insulin Pen

After a general introduction to the Lantus insulin pen, you must wonder how to use Lantus insulin pen properly since injecting something into your skin may be challenging for some people. Follow these steps to find out how to use Lantus insulin pen most safely.

1. Preparation before Injecting Lantus Insulin Pen

The first step on how to use Lantus Insulin Pen is started with the preparation of the pen. Before using the pen, you have to check the expiration date on the box.  If it has passed the expiration date, please do not use the product. Then, check the pen, and make sure the parts of the pen are complete and in good condition like in the picture below.

Next, please wash your hands using clean water and soap before using the pen. After that, you could remove the pen cap before attaching the needle. You must check the insulin in the pen is clear and colorless. Do not use the pen if the insulin is not clear or has particles, or if the pen has been open for more than 28 days.

After that, you have to attach a new needle to the pen. Do not reuse the needle since it may cause health risks and block the flow of insulin. You could change it by putting the new needle straight when you screw it into the pen. Then, take off the outer cap after you have screwed it. Last, you could remove the inner needle cap and the pen is ready.

2. How to Use Lantus Insulin Pen: Injection Process

The injection process is the most challenging part of this guide. Before you start the injection, it is suggested to do a safety test to remove the air bubbles and make sure the pen and needles are working right. Before injecting, you must choose the right dose for you by dialing it.

The injection starts by rotating the pen between injection spots, such as the stomach (except 2 inches around the belly button), top and outside of thighs (except the bony area near the knees), back upper arms (need helps from other people), and buttocks (most suitable for children for better absorbent).

Before injecting the pen, you must clean the site with an alcohol swab and wait for it to dry. Then, put the needle to the skin, and press and hold the button. After that, count to 10 before taking out the needle from the skin. Do not rub the area where you injected it.

You have to pay attention to the area where you must inject the insulin. You should inject it into fatty layers of tissue of your skin, not into the muscle, vena, moles, or scars. You cannot inject on the same spot every day and you are highly suggested to inject the insulin on the same hour every day.

3. Suggestions on How to Store and Dispose Lantus Insulin Pen

Sanity and safety are also concerning issues about how to use Lantus Insulin Pen. After injecting the dose, you must remove the needle from the pen using the outer needle cap to unscrew the needle from the pen. Put the used needle in a red sharps container or hard plastic container (such as an empty detergent bottle.)

Next, do not keep your opened Lantus Insulin Pen in the refrigerator. Keep it at room temperature around 86°F (±30°C) and keep it away from direct heat or sunlight. You could dispose of your opened pen after 28 days or if it is placed in a hot car, direct sunlight, or freezing car the insulin will not be in a good state to be used.

Different storing methods apply to unopened Lantus Insulin Pen. You have to keep it in the refrigerator at a temperature of around 36 – 46°F (±2 – 7°C). You can keep the refrigerated pen until the expiration date but still keep it away from direct heat and light. You must remove it for 1 – 2 hours from the refrigerator before using the pen.

Consult with Your Doctor About the Best Way How to Use Lantus Insulin Pen

Although Lantus Insulin Pen is safe and effective for your diabetes treatment, you still need to do a consultation with your doctor. Tell the doctor about the allergies that you ever had and your actual physical condition. This is important since the physical condition highly influenced the effectiveness of the insulin pen.

Several medical check-ups and consultations can be done regarding your sugar blood levels and the type of insulin that you have taken. You are highly suggested to not to change the type of insulin that you have taken unless your doctor has provided further suggestions and approval based on the medical check-up.

After knowing how to use Lantus Insulin Pen and how it works, hopefully, you could imagine what this product is. However, this product may give you several side effects besides the benefits. Therefore, cautiousness and consultation with the doctor are still needed for the best result of Lantus Insulin Pen.