Now, there’s a much easier way to take the fast-acting insulin diabetics need at meal time. It’s called Afrezza — and it’s inhaled. What makes it possible is a unique combination of molecules that micro-encapsulate the fragile insulin, protecting it until it gets deep into the lungs where it dissolves and released into the bloodstream.
Imagine, once in for all, being able to say farewell to painful insulin injections! No more annoying needles lancing your skin, no more feeling like a pin-cushion. Well, a newly developed inhalable insulin is promising just that… to allow you to put the needle away.
Inhalers are a much more effective way of delivering insulin. In fact, the process of inhalable insulin is much simpler than the traditional needle delivery of insulin. That’s why type-1 Diabetic, Bradley Saveth has made the switch. It is a profound change from what he was doing before. “I probably took eight to ten shots of insulin per day and followed it up with 12 or so finger sticks,” he told CBS2’s Dr. Max Gomez.
Dr. Anastasios Manessis from the Endocrine Associates of New York City’s West Village notes that you have to do it at the moment when you’re ready to eat. “You have to check your sugars, you have to give yourself insulin. Not only that, you have to take it 15 to 20 minutes before you eat in order to cover the elevation of sugars after you eat.”
The burden of repeated insulin injections is often cited as a factor of resistance to starting traditional insulin products.
Now, there’s a much easier way to take the fast-acting insulin diabetics need at meal time. It’s called Afrezza — and it’s inhaled. What makes it possible is a unique combination of molecules that micro-encapsulate the fragile insulin, protecting it until it gets deep into the lungs where it dissolves and released into the bloodstream.
Inhaled insulin provides patients showing resistance to traditional insulin products new hope. However inhaled insulin’s contraindications, lung toxicity concerns, and throat irritation may limit appeal. In addition, it is also significantly more expensive than other insulin delivery systems.
Bradley Saveth still needs to inject long lasting insulin once or twice a day. However, he uses now uses Afrezza instead of the half dozen short-acting insulin injections he needed before. Saveth said that this new inhalable insulin had changed his life and that he no longer feels like a diabetic anymore.
