This insulin injection is a non prescription item and can be ordered without prescription

Lantus insulin injection) is an injectable non prescription insulin from Aventis Pharmaceuticals. This insulin is the first insulin to offer truly flat insulin levels through the entire day for most users. Lantus insulin can be used by people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes and who are six years old or older. This injection is an alternative to an insulin pump, it is the first long-term insulin that has a predictable and consistent insulin activity.

The following are tips for using Lantus
It is recommended to take Lantus at bedtime. Lantus' actual duration of action is 18 to 26 hours. Although the timing varies from indiviual to individual, it appears to be consistent in the same indiviual. The advantage to bedtime dosing is that for most people any gap in Lantus' activity would happen after dinner and this gap could be covered with a little extra Humalog or Novolog in the dinner injection.

Whether you take it at bedtime or breakfast, it helps to be consistent about timing, so pick a time when you will remember to take the injection at the same time each day.

Lantus is a clear insulin which is unlike other long-acting insulins (Lente, NPH, Ultralente) that are all cloudy. Although the bottles have a different shape, some users have already injected a bedtime dose of Humalog rather than Lantus! Be very careful not to confuse Lantus with Humalog and other clear insulins.

DO NOT MIX Lantus with any other insulin. Do not even reuse a syringe in Lantus that has come in contact with another insulin.

Lantus becomes inactivated if it comes in contact with even small amounts of other insulins. This makes it appear hazy. Never use any Lantus that is not crystal clear.

Lantus cannot replace the need for Humalog or another fast insulin to cover carbs in meals. However, occasionally in people with Type 2 diabetes, when the before breakfast blood sugar is normalized with Lantus, a premeal medication like Starlix, Prandin, or even Precose may be able to control the post meal blood sugars.

Making LANTUS part of your regular daily insulin treatment routine can be easier when you become more familiar with how to inject insulin with your insulin vial and syringe setup. Be sure to always follow your healthcare provider's recommendations.

How Lantus Works
This insulin analog was designed to have low solubility in water at a neutral pH, such as that found in body fluids and other insulins. Lantus becomes completely soluble only at an acid pH of 4. Once this is injected under the skin, the acidic solution is neutralized leading to the formation of microprecipitates. The microprecipitates allow small amounts of insulin to be released slowly, resulting in a relatively constant concentration/time profile over 22 hours +/- 4 hours with no pronounced peak in activity.

Lantus was modified to allow this precise action. Normal insulin has two protein chains called A and B that have two zinc crosslinks between them. Lantus differs from other insulins in that one asparagine at position A21 of the A chain is replaced by glycine, and two arginines have been added added to one end of the B-chain.

DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION
LANTUS is a recombinant human insulin analog. Its potency is approximately the same as human insulin. It exhibits a relatively constant glucose-lowering profile over 24 hours that permits once-daily dosing.

LANTUS may be administered at any time during the day. LANTUS should be administered subcutaneously once a day at the same time every day. For patients adjusting timing of dosing with LANTUS, see WARNINGS and PRECAUTIONS, Hypoglycemia. LANTUS is not intended for intravenous administration (see PRECAUTIONS). Intravenous administration of the usual subcutaneous dose could result in severe hypoglycemia. The desired blood glucose levels as well as the doses and timing of antidiabetes medications must be determined individually. Blood glucose monitoring is recommended for all patients with diabetes. The prolonged duration of activity of LANTUS is dependent on injection into subcutaneous space.

How Often Does Lantus Fail To Work?
How many people fail to respond to Lantus is unknown. The vast majority of users get a consistent action from this insulin every day. However, Aventis' clinical studies did pick up some individuals who had marked differences in the action time for Lantus from one day to the next. In rare individuals, it's action time was as short as 11 hours, but it is unknown why this difference occurs.

Lantus (Insulin glargine) is a synthetic, recombinant DNA human insulin which is created through genetic engineering.
Lantus (Insulin glargine) starts to work within one to two hours and continues acting for about 24 hours. Lantus is different from other forms of insulin in that is does not have a peak effect. Instead, it lowers blood sugar a relatively constant amount during the 24-hour period it is in the body.