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What is insulin?

Insulin is a hormone your body makes that helps the body use or store the sugar it gets from food. If you have type 1 diabetes, your body no longer makes insulin, or it makes a small amount. But if you have type 2 diabetes, your body may still make its own insulin—it just doesn’t use it as well or it may not make enough.

When your body needs insulin, there are ways to help replace or supplement it. One of them is long-acting basal insulin.

How can insulin help?

Chances are you’ve been taking other medications to help lower your blood sugar. However, your diabetes can change over time as your body makes less insulin, and this can cause your treatment and dosing to change, too. It’s important to realize that this is something that can happen when you have type 2 diabetes, and it’s not your fault.

Your doctor prescribed BASAGLAR because it’s a long-acting insulin that helps control high blood sugar. By visiting this website, you’ve taken an important step in beginning insulin.

SELECT SAFETY INFORMATION
Warnings
Do not reuse needles or share your Basaglar prefilled pen with other people. You or the other person can get a serious infection. This can happen even if you change the needle.

PURPOSE AND SAFETY SUMMARY
PURPOSE AND SAFETY SUMMARY

Important Facts About Basaglar® (bāz-a-glar). It is also known as insulin glargine injection.

Basaglar is a long-acting insulin that is only available with a prescription. It is used to control high blood sugar in:

  • adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes
  • children with type 1 diabetes

It is not known if Basaglar is safe and effective in children with type 2 diabetes or in children younger than 6 years with type 1 diabetes. There were no studies done with Basaglar in these groups of children. If your doctor decides to give your child Basaglar, he or she may give you special instructions.


Basaglar is not used to treat diabetic ketoacidosis.

Warnings

Do not take Basaglar if you have:

  • symptoms of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
  • an allergy to Basaglar or any of its ingredients


Do not reuse needles or share your Basaglar prefilled pen with other people. You or the other person can get a serious infection. This can happen even if you change the needle.


Do not change the insulin you use or your dose, unless your doctor tells you to. This could cause low or high blood sugar, which could be serious.

Basaglar may cause serious side effects. Some of these can lead to death. The possible serious side effects of Basaglar are:

  • Low blood sugar. This can lead to:
    • dizziness or light-headedness
    • sweating
    • confusion
    • headache
    • blurred vision
    • slurred speech
    • shakiness
    • fast heartbeat
    • anxiety
    • irritability
    • mood change
    • hunger
  • Severe allergic reaction.
    Get emergency help right away if you have:
    • a rash over your whole body
    • trouble breathing
    • a fast heartbeat
    • swelling of your face, tongue, or throat
    • sweating
    • shortness of breath
    • extreme drowsiness, dizziness, or confusion
  • Low potassium in your blood. This can lead to severe breathing problems, irregular heartbeat, and death.
  • Heart failure. Taking diabetes pills called thiazolidinediones /thIE-uh-zOH-li-dEEn-dIE-OHns/ (TZDs) with Basaglar may cause heart failure in some people. This includes people who do not have any heart problems. If you have heart failure, it may get worse if you take TZDs with Basaglar. Tell your doctor if you have any new symptoms of heart failure, or if they get worse. These are: shortness of breath, swelling of the ankles or feet, and sudden weight gain. Your doctor may need to change or stop treatment with TZDs and Basaglar.

Common side effects

The most common side effects of Basaglar are:

  • low blood sugar
  • allergic reactions
  • minor reactions where you have injected Basaglar
  • changes in fat tissue where you have injected Basaglar
  • itching
  • rash
  • swelling
  • weight gain

These are not all of the possible side effects. Tell your doctor if you have any side effects. You can report side effects at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

Before using

Talk with your doctor about low blood sugar and how to manage it. Tell your doctor:

 about all of the medicines you take, including over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

 about any other prescription medicines you take, especially ones called TZDs.

 about all of your medical conditions, including if you have heart failure or other heart, liver, or kidney problems. If you have heart failure, it may get worse while you take TZDs with Basaglar.

 if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if Basaglar may harm your unborn or breastfeeding baby.

How to take

The Basaglar prefilled pen is a disposable insulin delivery device for use by a single patient to inject Basaglar. Read the Instructions for Use that come with your Basaglar prefilled pen. These instructions provide details on how to prepare and inject a dose of Basaglar, and how to throw away used Basaglar prefilled pens and needles.


Be sure to check your blood sugar levels and use Basaglar exactly as your doctor tells you to. Your doctor may tell you to change your dose because of illness, increased stress, or changes in your weight, diet, or level of physical activity or exercise. He or she may also tell you to change your dose because of other medicines you take.


Before injecting your Basaglar
You can inject Basaglar yourself, or you can have a trained caregiver inject it for you. Make sure you or your caregiver:

  • Check your insulin label each time you give your injection. This will help you make sure that you are using the correct insulin.
  • Use a new needle for each injection. You can get a serious infection or the wrong dose of insulin if you re-use needles.

When you are ready to inject

  • Take Basaglar once a day, at the same time each day.
  • Change (rotate) where you inject your insulin with each dose. This can help reduce your chance of getting pits, lumps, or thickened skin where you inject your insulin. Do not inject your insulin into the exact same spot or where the skin has pits or lumps. Avoid injecting into thickened, tender, bruised, scaly, hard, scarred, or damaged skin.

Staying safe while taking your Basaglar
To stay safe while taking Basaglar, be sure you only use Basaglar that is clear and colorless and does not have any particles.
Be sure you do not:

  • mix Basaglar with any other type of insulin or solution.
  • drive or use heavy machinery until you know how Basaglar affects you.
  • drink alcohol or use other medicines that contain alcohol when taking Basaglar.

Learn more

For more information, call 1-800-545-5979 or go to Basaglar.com.


This summary provides basic information about Basaglar but does not include all information known about this medicine. Read the information that comes with your prescription each time your prescription is filled. This information does not take the place of talking with your doctor. Be sure to talk to your doctor or other health care provider about Basaglar and how to take it. Your doctor is the best person to help you decide if Basaglar is right for you.


Basaglar® is a registered trademark owned or licensed by Eli Lilly and Company, its subsidiaries, or affiliates.

BV CON BS 25NOV2019

For more information, please see Full Prescribing Information, Patient Information and Instructions for Use.

References
1. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. The A1C test and diabetes. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/tests-diagnosis/a1c-test. Accessed February 27, 2020. 2. American Diabetes Association. Understanding A1C: A1C does it all. http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/a1c/?loc=lwd-slabnav. Accessed February 27, 2020.

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