Formulary
Insulin glulisine: Indications, Dosing, Side Effects and Interactions
Insulin glulisine is a recombinant human insulin analogue with a rapid onset and short duration of action.
MedNext Academy | 3 min read
Insulin glulisine: Indications, Dosing, Side Effects and Interactions
Insulin glulisine is a recombinant human insulin analogue with a rapid onset and short duration of action.
Drug action
Insulin glulisine is a recombinant human insulin analogue with a rapid onset and short duration of action.
Indications and dose
**Diabetes mellitus**
- **Child** (By Subcutaneous Injection): Administer immediately before meals or when necessary shortly after meals, according to requirements.
- **Adult** (By Subcutaneous Injection): Administer immediately before meals or when necessary shortly after meals, according to requirements.
- **Child** (By Subcutaneous Infusion, Or By Intravenous Infusion): According to requirements.
- **Adult** (By Subcutaneous Infusion, Or By Intravenous Infusion): According to requirements.
**Diabetes mellitus for insulin glulisine**
- **Child** (By subcutaneous injection): Administer immediately before meals or when necessary shortly after meals, according to requirements.
- **Child** (By subcutaneous infusion, or by intravenous infusion): According to requirements.
Side effects
Common or very common Oedema Uncommon Lipodystrophy Frequency not known Cutaneous amyloidosis Overdose Overdose causes hypoglycaemia.
Interactions
**Other interactions (6):**
- A number of substances affect glucose metabolism and may require dose adjustment of insulin glulisine and particularly close monitoring.
- Substances that may enhance the blood-glucose-lowering activity and increase susceptibility to hypoglycaemia include oral antidiabetic medicinal products, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)...
- Substances that may reduce the blood-glucose-lowering activity include corticosteroids, danazol, diazoxide, diuretics, glucagon, isoniazid, phenothiazine derivatives, somatropin, sympathomimetic...
- Beta-blockers, clonidine, lithium salts or alcohol may either potentiate or weaken the blood-glucose-lowering activity of insulin.
- Pentamidine may cause hypoglycaemia, which may sometimes be followed by hyperglycaemia.
- In addition, under the influence of sympatholytic medicinal products such as beta-blockers, clonidine, guanethidine and reserpine, the signs of adrenergic counter-regulation may be reduced or absent.
Pregnancy
During pregnancy, insulin requirements may alter and doses should be assessed frequently by an experienced diabetes physician. The dose of insulin generally needs to be increased in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.
Breast feeding
During breast-feeding, insulin requirements may alter and doses should be assessed frequently by an experienced diabetes physician.
Hepatic impairment
Insulin requirements may be decreased.
Renal impairment
The compensatory response to hypoglycaemia is impaired in renal impairment. Dose adjustments Insulin requirements may decrease in patients with renal impairment and therefore dose reduction may be necessary. M
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Clinical governance
**Author:** MedNext Clinical Team. **Clinical reviewer:** Dr Shameer Deen, MBBS, MS, MRCS. **Sources:** BNF, Indian Pharmacopoeia, CIMS India. **Correction:** Report errors at support@mednext.academy.
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