Can regular and lispro insulin (Humalog) be mixed?
- Yes, they can be mixed; however, there is no real reason why you would want to mix the two as they are both short-acting insulins.
- If you do need to mix regular and lispro insulin, draw up the lispro insulin first to prevent clouding.
- Typically, a short-acting insulin is given with either an intermediate-acting insulin or a long-acting insulin.
It is important to always check the compatibility of insulins before you mix them.
In general, the rule: “ Clear before cloudy, draw the fastest insulin first”, should be followed.
If you need to mix regular with lispro insulin (Humalog):
- Firstly, question the reason why? These are both short-acting insulins so clinically they are not often mixed as a short-acting insulin is usually combined with an intermediate or long-acting insulin.
- Regular insulin is compatible with lispro, but always draw up the lispro first, and then draw up the regular insulin to prevent clouding.
Some insulins cannot be combined. For example:
- Lantus and Levemir
- Protamine zinc and other insulins
- Lente insulins and NPH/isophane insulins
- Lente insulins and protamine suspended insulins
- Animal insulins and human or analog insulins.
Longer-acting insulins contain added buffers that make them last longer in the body, and these can settle at the bottom of a vial or precipitate out when mixed with other insulins (or mixed in the wrong order).
Do not shake a bottle of insulin. Instead, gently turn it up and down about 20 times or roll it in your hands slowly.
Related questions
- Does Humalog need to be refrigerated?
- How long does it take for Humalog to work?
- Is Admelog the same as NovoLog?
Lispro insulin
Lispro insulin has a rapid onset of action and peaks in one half the time and double the concentration of a comparable dose of regular insulin. It should be injected immediately before eating or with a meal.
- Starts working within 0 to 15 minutes after administration
- Peaks in 30 to 90 minutes
- Keeps working for less than five hours (usually two to four hours).
Regular insulin
- Starts to work within 30 minutes after injection
- Peaks in 2 to 3 hours
- Keep working for up to 8 hours.
References
- Global RxPh The Clinicians Ultimate reference https://globalrph.com/medcalcs/insulin-mixing-tool-compatibility-questions-answered/
- Humalog Lilly https://www.drugs.com/pro/humalog.html
- Humulin R Lilly https://www.drugs.com/pro/humulin-r.html
Read next
What type of insulin is Humalog?
Humalog (insulin lispro) is a fast-acting insulin. It begins working to lower blood sugar levels about 15 minutes after injection, reaches a peak in about 1 hour, and continues to work for 2 to 4 hours. Humalog helps to control the blood sugar spikes that may occur during mealtime. It is used within 15 minutes before eating or right after eating a meal. Continue reading
Toujeo vs Lantus - What's the difference between them?
Both Toujeo and Lantus are long-acting insulins that contain glargine, however Toujeo is more concentrated containing 300 units per mL of glargine, compared to Lantus’s 100 units per mL. When you take this into account the cost of Toujeo and Lantus works out approximately the same (real cost value $30.76/mL for Toujeo compared with $30.23/mL for Lantus). Continue reading
Is Trulicity a form of insulin?
Trulicity is not a form of insulin, it mimics the effects of GLP-1 a naturally occurring hormone that stimulates insulin secretion. Trulicity is only suitable for people with type 2 diabetes who still have functioning insulin-producing cells in their pancreas. Continue reading
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