When your body can’t make enough insulin therapy, a medical treatment that replaces or supplements the body’s natural insulin to control blood sugar. It’s used for type 1 diabetes, advanced type 2, and sometimes during illness or surgery. Also known as insulin replacement, it’s not just about shots—it’s a daily system that affects everything from your meals to your sleep.
Insulin therapy doesn’t work the same for everyone. Some people use long-acting insulin once a day. Others need multiple injections or a insulin pump, a small device that delivers insulin continuously through a catheter under the skin. Also called continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion, it’s common for people who need tight control, like pregnant women or those with unpredictable blood sugar swings. Then there’s insulin storage, how you keep your insulin at the right temperature to stay effective. If it gets too hot or too cold, even a few degrees can ruin it—leading to high blood sugar without warning. That’s why many posts here focus on proper storage, especially for people traveling or living in extreme climates.
Insulin therapy doesn’t happen in a vacuum. If you’re taking steroids like prednisone for arthritis or asthma, your blood sugar can spike—this is called steroid-induced hyperglycemia, a temporary but dangerous rise in blood sugar caused by corticosteroid drugs. Also known as glucocorticoid hyperglycemia, it forces many people to adjust their insulin doses on the fly, sometimes daily. And if you’re already on other diabetes meds, mixing them with insulin can lead to lows or highs if timing’s off. That’s why knowing how to adjust your diabetes medication adjustment, changing insulin or oral meds based on diet, activity, illness, or other drugs. It’s not guesswork—it’s a skill you learn through tracking and support. matters just as much as the injection itself.
You’ll find posts here that break down real-world issues: how to set up your insulin pump without making mistakes, what to do when your insulin gets warm during a road trip, how to handle blood sugar spikes from steroids, and why skipping even one dose can throw your whole week off. No fluff. No theory. Just what works when you’re standing in your kitchen at 7 a.m., trying to figure out how much insulin to give before breakfast—and why yesterday’s dose doesn’t work today.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Learn how it works, why insulin is essential, and how new treatments like teplizumab and artificial pancreases are changing management.
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