Insulin detemir (Subcutaneous)

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Apr 26, 2022.

Commonly used brand name(s)

In the U.S.

• Levemir
• Levemir Flexpen
• Levemir FlexTouch

Available Dosage Forms:

• Solution

Therapeutic Class: Antidiabetic

Pharmacologic Class: Insulin, Long Acting

Uses for insulin detemir

Insulin detemir is a long-acting type of insulin. Insulin is one of many hormones that help the body turn the food we eat into energy. This is done by using the glucose (sugar) in the blood as quick energy. Also, insulin helps us store energy that we can use later. When you have diabetes mellitus, your body cannot make enough insulin or does not use insulin properly. So, you must take additional insulin to regulate your blood sugar and keep your body healthy. This is very important as too much sugar in your blood can be harmful to your health.

Insulin detemir is a long-acting insulin that works slowly over 24 hours. You may have to use insulin detemir in combination with another type of insulin or with oral diabetes medicine to keep your blood sugar under control.

Insulin detemir is available only with your doctor's prescription.

Before using insulin detemir

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For insulin detemir, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to insulin detemir or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated pediatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of insulin detemir to treat type 1 and type 2 diabetes in children.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of insulin detemir in the elderly.

Breastfeeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Interactions with medicines

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking insulin detemir, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using insulin detemir with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

• Balofloxacin
• Besifloxacin
• Chloroquine
• Ciprofloxacin
• Enoxacin
• Fleroxacin