Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Diabetic. Taking Medicine For Meningitis. How To Carry The Vial Of Actrapid Injection?
Question: Hi, I am taking medicines for Brain TB/Meningitis for the last 7 months. I am a diabetic for last 12 years. Am taking Actrapid ( 20 ml in morning), Galvus Met ( 50/500) at lunch and Lantus 20 ml at night. My fasting sugar is 120 with this medication. But if I take Actrapid 14 ml before lunch, my PP BS to 80 and FBS is 70-100 range. The issue with me is carrying actrapid to office as it needs to be maintained at a certain temperature. What should I do? I walk about 4-6 kms daily
Dear XXXXXXX,
Thank you for the query.
You can very well carry the vial or pen of injection Actrapid with you everyday to your office for your pre-lunch dose. This insulin can be kept outside refrigerator for upto 5 weeks and you do not need to always worry about refrigeration. Please make sure you do not expose the insulin vial/ pen or catridge to direct sun-light or body heat (like keeping in your pocket). Just carry it in a cotton bag kept in your usual office bag. Once you get back home, again refrigerate the vial, pen or catridge- whatever you are using- till next day before you leave for office.
Secondly, you do not need to take 14 units of Actrapid before lunch. Please discuss this with your Diabetologist, but about 10 to 12 units of Actrapid are more than enough as your pre-lunch dose to avoid hypoglycemia between lunch time to evening 7 pm.
You may also need to reduce the dose of injection Lantus once your pre-dinner sugars are normal due to your afternoon dose of Actrapid. This will be essential to avoid low sugars during night. Please discuss with your doctor about this.
Your regular sugar monitoring helps you understand which insulin dose has to me manipulated by how much and when...
Once you complete your ATT for TB meningitis, please let me know your fasting and post meal sugars to start you on other kinds of oral sugar medications and to further reduce insulin doses.
Kindly continue walking and other medications the way you have been doing.
Let me know if you have any further query. Take care.
Thank you for the query.
You can very well carry the vial or pen of injection Actrapid with you everyday to your office for your pre-lunch dose. This insulin can be kept outside refrigerator for upto 5 weeks and you do not need to always worry about refrigeration. Please make sure you do not expose the insulin vial/ pen or catridge to direct sun-light or body heat (like keeping in your pocket). Just carry it in a cotton bag kept in your usual office bag. Once you get back home, again refrigerate the vial, pen or catridge- whatever you are using- till next day before you leave for office.
Secondly, you do not need to take 14 units of Actrapid before lunch. Please discuss this with your Diabetologist, but about 10 to 12 units of Actrapid are more than enough as your pre-lunch dose to avoid hypoglycemia between lunch time to evening 7 pm.
You may also need to reduce the dose of injection Lantus once your pre-dinner sugars are normal due to your afternoon dose of Actrapid. This will be essential to avoid low sugars during night. Please discuss with your doctor about this.
Your regular sugar monitoring helps you understand which insulin dose has to me manipulated by how much and when...
Once you complete your ATT for TB meningitis, please let me know your fasting and post meal sugars to start you on other kinds of oral sugar medications and to further reduce insulin doses.
Kindly continue walking and other medications the way you have been doing.
Let me know if you have any further query. Take care.
Note: For further follow-up, discuss your blood glucose reports with our diabetologist. Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
