Insulin for Gestational Diabetes

What you need to know

Insulin will work faster if:

• It is accidentally injected into a muscle instead of into fatty tissue.
• You have just exercised the muscles in the area where you give your insulin injection.
• You put a heat pack on or massage the area where you have just given your insulin injection.

To learn how to prepare and give insulin injections, see:

Reference Reference Gestational Diabetes: Giving Yourself Insulin Shots.

Things to check

A bottle of insulin may not work well after 30 days. Label each insulin bottle the first time you use it. Then after 30 days, throw away any insulin you did not use from that bottle.

Always check the expiration date on the bottle.

Insulin should be Reference stored properly. If it is not, it may break down and not work very well.

Taking medicine

Medicine is one of the many tools your doctor has to treat a health problem. Taking medicine as your doctor suggests will improve your health and may prevent future problems. If you don't take your medicines properly, you may be putting your health (and perhaps your life) at risk.

There are many reasons why people have trouble taking their medicine. But in most cases, there is something you can do. For suggestions on how to work around common problems, see the topic Reference Taking Medicines as Prescribed.

Checkups

Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor if you are having problems. It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take.

Complete the new medication information form (PDF) (What is a Reference PDF Opens New Window document?) to help you understand this medication.

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