Dosage
The dosage of Actraphane is different for each patient and should always be discussed with the doctor. The required dose depends on the age, weight, physical activity and eating habits of the patient. In general, an average of 0.3 to 1.0 International Units of Insulin per kilogram of body weight of the patient are injected per day.
The daily dose of Actraphane is administered with a single injection or divided into two injections. One millilitre of Actraphane contains 100 International Units of Insulin. In case of unusually strong physical performance or a change in eating habits, the required dosage may change. The amount of Actraphane that needs to be injected also varies with age or with diseases of the liver or kidney. Therefore, the blood sugar levels should be checked particularly frequently in these cases.
Side effects
There is a risk of hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), and special care should be taken after alcohol consumption or increased exercise. The general rule is to eat a carbohydrate-rich meal no more than half an hour after ingestion and to pay attention to side meals. In rare cases, interaction with the drug pioglitazone can result in heart failure.
Interactions
The insulin requirement of the body can be influenced by taking the following medications: Parallel therapy with pioglitazone (an oral antidabetic for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus) has been shown in rare cases to cause heart failure in patients with long-standing type 2 diabetes mellitus and a history of stroke. – Oral antidiabetics,
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO inhibitors),
- Beta-receptor blockers,
- Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors,
- Acetylsalicylic acid,
- Anabolic steroids,
- Sulfonamides,
- Oral contraceptives,
- Thiazides,
- Glucocorticoids,
- Thyroid hormones,
- Betasympathomimetics,
- Growth hormone,
- Danazol,
- Octreotide or lanreotide
Contraindications
Actraphane® must not be taken if there is an allergy to this insulin product or one of its components or at the first signs of hypoglycaemia.
Price
- 30 ml injection suspension for 94,75€
- 15 ml injection suspension for 52,58€
Types of Actraphans
Actraphane is an insulin drug which consists of two different types of insulin. It is a highly soluble insulin which is quickly absorbed into the blood and therefore takes effect after only about 30 minutes. The other insulin is less soluble, it is absorbed into the blood in small steps throughout the day and therefore has a longer effect. It is called isophane insulin. Through this combination principle, the basic need for insulin can be covered throughout the day.
Actraphans 30
Actraphane 30 consists of 30% of short-acting insulin. The remaining 70% is a slow-acting insulin. Because of this combined duration of action, Actraphane 30 usually only needs to be injected once or twice a day.
30 minutes after the injection, a meal containing carbohydrates should be taken, as at this time the fast-acting insulin is already present in the blood. For this reason Actraphane 30 is well suited to patients who want to have a main meal and then a snack between meals and only want to inject once. Actraphane 30 is available as a cartridge for a penfill, as a ready-to-use pen or as a vial.
Actraphane 30/70 consists like Actraphane of 30% of the short-acting insulin and 70% of the long-acting isophane insulin. The only difference is that Actraphane 30/70 already refers to both components in its name. Actraphane 50 is an insulin drug that consists of half of a fast-acting insulin and half of a long-acting insulin.
The effect of the fast-acting insulin begins after 30 minutes. Therefore a meal containing carbohydrates should be taken half an hour after the injection. Otherwise the effect of the insulin would be too strong at this time and hypoglycaemia could occur.
The meal should be larger than after the injection of Actraphane 30/70, as the proportion of fast-acting insulin is greater with Actraphane 50. On the other hand the effect lasts for a shorter time at the same dosage as with Actraphane 30/70, as the proportion of long-acting insulin in Actraphane 50 is smaller. It is therefore more suitable for patients who wish to have a larger meal and may wish to inject twice.
Actraphane InnoLet is a syringe which is already filled with Actraphane. Therefore the syringe is called a pre-filled syringe. Before use, only the needle must be put on.
After each use, the needle should be closed again with the larger outer protective cap and disposed of. If the content of the Actraphane InnoLet is used up, the finished pen must not be refilled, but must be replaced by a new finished pen. – Lantus®
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