DIABETES IN CHILDREN: INSULIN INJECTIONS. INSULIN ANTIBODIES

One, two or more injections a day?

Whether your diabetes is best controlled by one or more injections a day is a matter on which your physician will advise you. What may be best for one person may not be for another. Some people need two injections a day and some can get by on one, while others are best controlled on four.

Insulin, given by injection once a day, can never act in exactly the way that insulin which is naturally produced by the body. This is partly because the pancreas produces a rather steady flow of insulin throughout the day and night with extra amounts every time you eat. The extra amount depends on how much food is eaten. Considering this, it is remarkable that insulin injections work so well, but it is not surprising that we believe the ideal system would be to have insulin injections before each meal. This may not be convenient, but it may be necessary for someone who is seeking very precise control. It may also be necessary for some people whose diabetes is unstable with variable mealtimes and lifestyle.

Insulin antibodies

In the early years of insulin production, it was not as highly purified as it is now, and the insulin made from beef or pork was slightly different to human insulin. The body reacted to injections of insulin by producing antibodies to insulin. These antibodies were capable of reacting against the insulin and changing the way it worked, but usually this did not matter. The antibodies were provoked either by impurities in the insulin or by the beef or pork species itself. With modern techniques of purification and the use of human insulin, antibodies should not develop. This might be an advantage theoretically, but in practice the antibodies did not appear harmful.

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