Re: Some notes on insulin terms

[We Hope]

Just going to add here that some other insulins are also U 100:

Humulin R/Novolin R= U 100 = 100 international units of insulin in 1 mL of solution

Humulin 70/30/Novolin 70/30= U 100 = 100 international units of insulin in 1 mL of solution

Lantus= U 100 = 100 international units of insulin in 1 mL of solution

Humalog/Novolog/Apidra= U 100 = 100 international units of insulin in 1 mL of solution

There's also another U 40 commonly used, but mainly for cats:

PZIVet= U 40 = 40 international units of insulin in 1 mL of solution.

BTW--PZI Vet will be discontinued. Notice was made April 8, 2008:

http://www.idexx.com/animalhealth/pharmaceuticals/pzivet/index.jsp

IDEXX notice

http://web.archive.org/web/20070211093636/http://www.idexx.com/animalhealth/pharmaceuticals/pzivet/index.jsp

Link from IDEXX PZIVet pages February 2007--via Internet Archives. This page has now been replaced with the April 8, 2008 "Dear Doctor" letter; the old one can be read by using the link above.

"Proven stability for 3 years from date of manufacture"

http://www.vetsulin.com/PDF/Vetsulin_Dear_Doctor_Letter.pdf

Vetsulin is now FDA-approved for cats.

There are also some insulin strengths which can be obtained through a compounding pharmacy. The most common is U 40, but there is a U 50 strength available in beef insulin through a Texas compounding pharmacy, BCP:

http://www.bcpvetpharm.com/products_bovine.htm

"BCP PZI® insulin is available in 100u/ml 5ml or 10ml, 50u/ml 10ml & 40u/ml 10ml."

The compounding pharmacies are able to produce vials of just about any strength insulin required. This compounding pharmacy works with compounding human insulin for pets, but most compounded insulin is beef:

http://members.tripod.com/diabetics_world/pets.htm

Congaree Veterinary Pharmacy
1309-B State Street
Cayce, SC 29033
Toll free: 1-877-939-1335
Fax: 803-939-0073 803-939-1335

http://www.congareevetrx.com/

"PZI r-DNA human insulin. Their general order is for U100 strength in 5ml vials. Pharmacist Terry Fiffick says he has made strengths ranging from U2, U40, U50 and U100."

If you're using one of the not so common strengths of insulin, you'll need to ask your vet the type of syringe to be used with this special prescription.

If you take a look at the U 40 and U 100 syringes, you will see that the U 100 ones seem to have "shorter" units.

http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/gifs/products/BDUFS1cc.jpg
http://images.wikia.com/petdiabetes/images/9/9d/40iusyringe.jpg

The U 100 BD 1 cc syringes with varying needle gauges and lengths are on top--the U 40 1 cc Caninsulin/Vetsulin syringe is at bottom.

But if you were to fill both of them and measure how much liquid they hold, each of these would hold a total of 1 cc.

http://diabetesindogs.wikia.com/wiki/Syringe#U40_Syringes

http://diabetesindogs.wikia.com/wiki/Syringe

Link with tables, etc. on the two types of syringes.