Did you know that, if not managed properly, diabetes mellitus might cause vision problems, slow injury healing, or even amputation? However, you might still continue to lead a normal life when living with the disease in case of timely and regular treatment. Fortunately, there is a great number of medications that are used to treat diabetes mellitus these days. Therefore, you will definitely find the one that will fit your needs best.

In this article, we will compare and contrast different insulin types and figure out how Humalog differs from regular insulin. So, let’s delve right in!

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What Is Insulin and How Is It Related to Blood Sugar Levels?

When defining insulin, it is vital to differentiate between the one produced within a human body and the medication used to treat diabetes. Go through the information below to grasp the differences between them.

Human insulin is a hormone that is naturally produced by the pancreas in the human body and has a sequence of B 28 and B 29 amino acids. Its main role is to assist your body in transforming glucose into energy. Here is how it works: Soon after receiving a meal, your body gets glucose first absorbed into your blood and transformed into energy. At the same time, the main “assistant” employed in this “transformation” is human insulin.

Insulin medication, in its turn, is the man-made insulin analog that might be made according to the recombinant DNA technology and artificially injected into your body in case the human insulin does not function in a proper way within your body. So, it is a synthetic preparation that is effective in blood glucose control in patients who suffer from diabetes.

What Are the Main Types of Insulin?

There exists a wide variety of insulin types these days. Let’s check out the main ones by checking out their description below.

Depending on the duration of its action, insulin is divided into:

  • Rapid-acting (or, as it is often referred to, fast-acting);
  • Short-acting (or regular);
  • Intermediate-acting;
  • Long-acting;
  • And mixed insulin.

While each of the above-mentioned insulin types has its own benefits, drawbacks, and side effects, the key distinction between them is the time of insulin absorption and effect. For instance:

  • Rapid-acting insulin, which, in its turn, is subdivided into insulin aspart (like Fiasp), insulin lispro (like Humalog), and insulin glulisine (like Apidra), starts acting within twenty minutes and lasts up to five hours after being injected;
  • Short-acting one (such as Actrapid or Humulin R) needs about thirty minutes to start acting and lasts up to eight hours;
  • Intermediate-acting insulin (like Humulin N and Protaphane) begins working in up to ninety minutes and might last up to twenty-four hours after the injection;
  • Long-acting types such as insulin glargine (Lantus or Toujeo) and insulin detemir (Levemir) have a duration of about twenty-four hours after the shot;
  • Mixed insulin consists of a combination of different insulin types (in most cases, rapid- or short-acting insulin is mixed with an intermediate-acting one) and might vary in its duration.

So, all insulin types control the blood sugar level in your body on the one hand and have a different duration on the other hand.

What Is the Distinction between Fast-Acting Insulin and Regular Insulin?

When comparing a fast-acting and regular insulin types, we might come up with the following similarities:

  • Both rapid-acting insulin (lispro) and regular insulin analogs contain a protamine suspension that is used to treat type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes by regulating glucose levels;
  • Fast-acting and regular insulin products might lead to similar side effects such as low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) or skin irritation;
  • Both medications are sold in various insulin dose amounts and forms (such as a vial, a pump, or a pen device).

Speaking about the differences between insulin lispro and regular insulin, here is the main one:

Fast-acting insulin types (including Humalog insulin lispro) start acting faster and have a shorter duration if compared with the regular ones that begin to work and reach their insulin peak slower.

To Sum Up

All in all, both Humalog and regular insulin are effective drugs to treat diabetes. The basic difference between them is in the period of their duration, and only a doctor can define which one would fit your needs best. So, consult with your health care provider first and only then buy Humalog insulin online or visit your local pharmacist to get other insulin based-drugs.

Stay healthy and take care of your insulin levels on a regular basis!