Humulin R Injection: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Humulin R is a brand-name short-acting insulin, containing insulin human, used to help manage blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. It is given as an injection under the skin and works like the insulin your body naturally produces. Humulin R is used for type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes requiring insulin, and general blood sugar control, including around mealtimes.

What is Humulin R Injection

Humulin R is a brand-name insulin medicine used to help manage blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. It contains insulin human, which is made in a lab to be an exact copy of the insulin your body makes naturally.

Humulin R Injection uses

• Type 1 diabetes.
• Type 2 diabetes requiring insulin.
• High blood sugar.
• Blood sugar control around meals.
• Diabetes management alongside a prescribed treatment plan.

Benefits of Humulin R Injection

• Helps lower blood sugar.
• Improves glucose control.
• Reduces high blood sugar after meals.
• Supports diabetes management.
• Helps maintain target blood glucose levels.

How Humulin R Injection works

Humulin R is a copy of the insulin your pancreas normally makes. After you inject it, it moves sugar (glucose) out of your bloodstream and into your body's cells, where it can be used for energy. This lowers your blood sugar level.

Humulin R Injection dosage

Humulin R is given as an injection under the skin (subcutaneous injection); a healthcare provider will teach you how to inject it yourself. It must not be given with an insulin pump, and should not be injected into a vein or muscle. It is usually taken two to three times daily, about 30 minutes before meals. Eat a meal within about 30 minutes after your injection to help prevent low blood sugar.

Rotate the injection site each time (such as thighs, upper arms, belly, or buttocks) and do not inject into the same spot twice in a row. Do not inject into skin that is damaged, tender, bruised, pitted, thickened, scaly, scarred, or has a hard lump. Do not use if the medicine looks cloudy, has changed color, or has particles in it.

Never share a syringe, needle, or pen with another person, even if the needle has been changed. Use a new needle and syringe for each dose; never reuse them. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember, but if it's almost time for the next dose, skip the missed one — do not take two doses at once.

Use exactly as prescribed by your doctor or pharmacist.

Available forms and strengths

• Solution for subcutaneous injection (liquid)
• Multiple-dose vial
• Prefilled pen (KwikPen)

Side effects of Humulin R Injection

Common

• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
• Swelling in hands or feet (fluid retention)
• Weight gain
• Thickening or hollowing of skin where you inject the medicine (lipodystrophy)
• Injection site reactions such as redness, swelling, pain, or itching
• Bloating

Serious

• Severe allergic reaction (whole-body reaction) — redness, swelling, sweating, itchy rash over the entire body, trouble breathing, fast heartbeat, feeling like you might pass out, or swelling of the tongue or throat
• Low potassium (hypokalemia) — leg cramps, constipation, irregular heartbeats, fluttering in the chest, increased thirst or urination, numbness or tingling, muscle weakness or limp feeling
• Severe hypoglycemia — confusion, blurred vision, numbness or tingling in the mouth, trouble speaking, muscle weakness, clumsy or jerky movements, seizures, or loss of consciousness

Warnings and precautions

• Never share needles, syringes, or pens with another person, even if the needle has been changed, because this can spread serious infections.
• Changing the type, brand, or strength of insulin, or the way you inject it, should only be done with your doctor's guidance, since it can increase the risk of dangerously high or low blood sugar.
• Taking certain diabetes pills called TZDs together with Humulin R can cause new or worsening heart failure, even in people who never had heart problems before.
• Do not use Humulin R during an episode of low blood sugar, and do not use it if you are allergic to insulin or any of its ingredients.
• Humulin R should not be used in children younger than 2 years old, and should not be used to treat type 2 diabetes in a child of any age.
• Humulin R is generally considered safe to use during pregnancy. Keeping blood sugar well controlled is very important during pregnancy for both mother and baby.
• Humulin R is generally considered safe while breastfeeding. Insulin does pass into breast milk, but no side effects have been reported in breastfed infants.
• People with kidney disease should tell their doctor, since this may affect how Humulin R should be used and monitored.
• People with liver disease should tell their doctor before using Humulin R, as it may affect dosing and monitoring needs.
• Avoid drinking alcohol while using Humulin R, since alcohol can interfere with diabetes treatment and affect blood sugar levels.
• Humulin R can cause low blood sugar, which may affect your ability to drive safely or operate machinery until you know how the medicine affects you.

Storage

• Keep Humulin R in its original container, protected from heat and light
• Do not freeze insulin, and do not store it near the cooling element in a refrigerator; throw away any insulin that has been frozen
• Unopened vials: refrigerate and use until the expiration date, or store at room temperature and use within the number of days shown in your instructions
• Opened (in-use) vials: store at room temperature and use within the number of days shown in your instructions
• Use a needle and syringe only once, then place them in a puncture-proof sharps container
• Follow state or local laws for disposing of the sharps container, and keep it out of reach of children and pets

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency help right away if you have signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as a rash over your whole body, trouble breathing, fast heartbeat, or swelling of your tongue or throat.
• Call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of low potassium, such as leg cramps, constipation, irregular heartbeat, or muscle weakness.
• If you think you've taken too much insulin, seek emergency help, since overdose can cause life-threatening low blood sugar with symptoms like drowsiness, confusion, blurred vision, seizures, or loss of consciousness.

Alternatives

• NovoLog
• Actrapid
• Novolin R