Do you know that inhaled insulin has been commercially out there in the USA since 2014? That is most likely one of many diabetes world’s largest stored secrets and techniques, and in my view, a disgrace.
Afrezza has been a part of my diabetes toolbox for a number of years now. This text supplies an outline of what inhaled insulin is, the way it works, and why I select to make use of it.
What’s Afrezza and the way is it completely different from different fast-acting insulins?
Afrezza is a fast-acting insulin just like injectable fast-acting insulins (Apidra, Humalog, Novolog), however it’s inhaled relatively than injected. Like different fast-acting insulins, this can be a mealtime insulin (bolus) and due to this fact requires one other background insulin within the type of long-acting insulin (basal).
Inhaled insulin passes by means of the lungs and immediately into the bloodstream. Which means that the insulin begins working a lot sooner than injected insulin. It seems within the bloodstream inside a minute of inhalation and is so quick that the primary measurable results seem in about 12 minutes.
As a result of it really works so rapidly, it solely stays within the physique for about 90 minutes, in comparison with 3 to five hours for injected fast-acting insulin.
Afrezza administration
One other means Afrezza differs from fast-acting insulin injections is that it is available in set doses of 4 models, 8 models, and 12 models. While you obtain Afrezza out of your pharmacy, it comes with a set of inhalers, so you choose a dose cartridge, load it into the inhaler, and inhale the total dose.
The models of Afrezza aren’t the identical because the models of injected insulin. One unit of injection of fast-acting insulin is equal to roughly 1.5 models of Afrezza. Which means that the smallest Afrezza cartridge (4 models) equates to an injection of roughly 2.6 models of fast-acting insulin.
potential unintended effects
Afrezza has the identical potential unintended effects as insulin injections, nevertheless it shouldn’t be utilized by folks with sure lung ailments comparable to COPD or bronchial asthma, or by individuals who presently smoke or have stopped smoking throughout the previous 6 months.
Study extra about potential unintended effects.
Though I’ve by no means skilled a persistent cough from utilizing this product, research have proven that 27% of individuals develop a cough from utilizing Afrezza.
Why I take advantage of inhaled insulin
I’ve been utilizing Afrezza for a few years alongside basal and rapid-acting insulin injections and have discovered it to be nice in sure conditions.
I primarily use Afrezza to tolerate excessive blood sugar and excessive carbohydrate meals. We’re all conversant in conditions the place blood sugar ranges are “plateaued” at a excessive stage and it doesn’t matter what we do, they do not appear to come back down. Afrezza is a superb resolution for that.
For those who’re caught above 200 mg/dl (~11 mmol/l), attain for the 4-unit Afrezza cartridge and your blood sugar will drop again into that vary very quickly. A 4-unit cartridge will scale back roughly 100 mg/dl (5.6 mmol/L), however how a lot your blood sugar will drop depends upon the correction issue.
Notice: After the primary month or so of utilizing Afrezza, I observed that my blood sugar ranges have been dropping a little bit extra aggressively. I’ve heard related issues from different customers, however I haven’t got any knowledge to again it up but, so it is simply anecdotal at this level.
One other scenario the place you will actually admire having Afrezza is once you’re having fun with a high-carbohydrate or high-glycemic meal. As a result of Afrezza reaches the bloodstream so rapidly, there isn’t a have to pre-boluse carbohydrates, and I discover it simpler to match Afrezza’s peak with meals than injecting fast-acting insulin.
Interplay with motion
Afrezza leaves your physique in 90 minutes, so I wished to make use of it with my meal earlier than doing cardio train. Sadly, Afrezza solely is available in fastened doses, so it is unlikely you will get the appropriate dose and you will have to proceed utilizing insulin injections.
One other remark I made is that Afrezza’s results appear to be much more potent with train than common fast-acting insulin. Which means that you ought to be very cautious if it’s important to do any train inside 90 minutes of inhaling Afrezza.
The primary time I used Afrezza was to decrease my excessive blood sugar simply earlier than I had brunch and biked residence. My blood sugar ranges dropped greater than anticipated and I needed to cease after lower than 10 minutes of using to deal with the extreme hypoglycemia.
Discover ways to use your new insulin
Studying the right way to use Afrezza is a bit like studying a brand new language. Simply because the dosage of insulin injections isn’t at all times acceptable, the dosage and timing of Afrezza is probably not acceptable each time.
Figuring out how a lot Afrezza to take, when to take it, and when to not take it takes time and trial and error.
And full disclosure, I skilled the scariest hypoglycemia of my life utilizing Afrezza. Afrezza is so efficient that in giant doses it will probably rapidly and considerably decrease blood sugar ranges. What I am attempting to say is that this isn’t a “quick and livid bolus” insulin.
There are professionals and cons to utilizing Afrezza, however we nonetheless advocate utilizing it in a means that works for you.
Aside from the occasional low value and unit dimension limitations, I believe it is an incredible product. It’s a very efficient approach to rapidly decrease blood sugar ranges
Find out how to get Afrezza
Afrezza was accredited by the FDA in 2014 and is presently out there solely in the USA and some different international locations. For those who stay in the USA, your physician can prescribe Afrezza similar to they prescribe different kinds of insulin.
Physicians could not learn about Afrezza and needs to be educated and inspired to prescribe it. For those who do not feel snug having that dialog, you possibly can at all times refer your physician to the Afrezza web site.
Earlier than prescribing Afrezza, your physician should carry out a FEV (compelled expiratory quantity) respiration take a look at to grasp your lung operate. It is a quite simple take a look at, simply blow into the mouthpiece. Your physician will order you to repeat the take a look at in 6 months and yearly thereafter to ensure there aren’t any adjustments in your lung operate.
When you obtain your prescription, choose up Afrezza at your pharmacy similar to you’ll some other insulin.
You probably have non-public insurance coverage, you’ve gotten the perfect probability of being coated as Afrezza is out there in 70% of personal insurance policy. Chances are you’ll wish to name your insurance coverage firm or learn your profit plan to search out out if you’re coated and what your out-of-pocket prices are. Most individuals pay about $45 out-of-pocket per prescription, however that varies by plan, in fact.
We extremely advocate utilizing an Afrezza co-pay card. For me, this implies my copay is diminished to $15 per prescription, making Afrezza a really reasonably priced insulin possibility.
