As is the case with any other medication, there may be some instances where Basaglar (insulin glargine) use is not recommended or usage will have to be adjusted in order to prevent or reduce the risk of negative interactions occurring from other drugs, medical conditions, or even food and drink.
Drug Interactions
According to the FDA, drugs that may interact with Basaglar include the following.
- “Drugs that affect glucose metabolism,” such as thiazolidinediones (glitazones), in which case dose adjustment may be necessary and glucose levels require monitoring, if the physician deems it necessary to use both concomitantly (at the same time)
- Antiadrenergic drugs (adrenergic antagonists) like beta-blockers, clonidine (Catapres, Catapres-TTS-2, Catapres-TTS-1), guanethidine (Ismelin), and reserpine (Serpasil), as concomitant use may result in masking of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) signs
- Any other medication affecting blood sugar
Please note that this list may not be complete, and other interactions with drugs not listed here may occur.
Basaglar and Lantus
The FDA advises against mixing Basaglar with any other insulin or solution, as it could interact in unpredictable ways.
Basaglar and Lantus are both brand-name drugs that contain insulin glargine as the primary active ingredient. Researchers have found that the two drugs have similar safety and efficacy rates for patients with type 1 diabetes. The researchers speculated that this fact may be due to the fact that they have the same sequence of amino acids.
Basaglar and Admelog
Admelog is the brand name of insulin lispro, which is a synthetic insulin. Unlike Basaglar (insulin glargine), however, admelog is a short-acting insulin. The FDA advises against mixing insulin glargine with other insulins.
Basaglar and Levemir
Levemir is the brand name of the long-acting insulin detemir. Eli Lilly and Company, the manufacturer of Basaglar, states not to mix their insulin glargine injection with other insulins or solutions.
Basaglar and NovoLog
NovoLog is a trade name of the fast-acting insulin aspart. Basaglar (insulin glargine) should not be mixed with this insulin or any other solution, as it could lead to unpredictable interactions.
Basaglar and Humalog
Humalog is a trade name of the short-acting, synthetic insulin lispro. Basaglar and Humalog should not be mixed.
Insulin Glargine and Regular Insulin
Long-acting insulins like glargine cannot be mixed within the same syringe as other types of insulins. Doing so could result in unpredictable interactions.
Regular human insulins (neutral insulin, soluble insulin) is short acting; it starts working in about 30 to 60 minutes. However, it takes about 2 to 4 hours for the drug to reach maximum effectiveness, and its effects last around 6 to 8 hours total. By contrast, the long-lasting insulin glargine starts in about 1 to 2 hours. It does not reach peak effectiveness for 12 hours, and it remains effective for up to 24 hours.
Insulin Glargine and Lispro
Insulin glargine and lispro are both human-made insulins. However, glargine is long acting whereas lispro is short acting. A licensed medical professional will decide which one is best for a patient on a case-by-case basis. Patients should note that mixing long-acting insulins with others insulins inside the same syringe could result in unpredictable interactions.
Insulin Glargine and Lixisenatide Injection
Lixisenatide (Adlyxin, Lyxumia) is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 receptor agonist or, less commonly, incretin mimetic). This term means that lixisenatide can bind to and consequently activate GLP-1 receptors, which increase the rate of insulin secretion to help control blood glucose levels.
The FDA states that interactions may occur between insulin glargine and medications that affect the metabolism of blood sugar. If a doctor deems it necessary to use these two drugs together, close patient monitoring will need to occur, and adjustment of Basaglar doses may be necessary as well.
Insulin Glargine and NPH
NPH (neutral protamine Hagedorn), or isophane insulin, is an intermediate-acting insulin. It can start working anywhere between 1 to 3 hours after injection, reaching peak efficacy after 4 to 8 hours. Its effects can last between 14 to 24 hours.
Mixing long-acting insulins like insulin glargine in the same syringe as other insulins like NPH could result in unpredictable interactions.
Insulin Glargine and Aspart
Insulin aspart is fast acting, unlike the long-acting glargine. Patients should not mix these two in the same syringe, as unpredictable interactions can occur.
Food Interactions
Sometimes the foods we eat and the beverages we drink can also interact with our medications. As is the case with many other insulins, the timing and size of meals can affect the absorption and onset of action of Basaglar.
Basaglar and Alcohol
For more information, please visit our page on Basaglar and alcohol interactions.
Disease & Conditions Interactions
Sometimes certain medications can increase the risk of negative side effects for patients with certain diseases or other medical conditions. According to the FDA, diseases and medical condition interactions for insulin glargine include:
- Diabetic ketoacidosis (insulin glargine is not indicated for treatment of this condition)
- Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
- Hypokalemia (low potassium)
- Liver disease
- Renal (kidney) disease
Please note that this list may not be complete, and there may be other diseases and medical conditions where patients should not take this medication.
Basaglar and Pregnancy
For more information, please visit our page on Basaglar and pregnancy risks.
Disclaimer: this article does not constitute or replace medical advice. If you have an emergency or a serious medical question, please contact a medical professional or call 911 immediately. To see our full medical disclaimer, visit our Terms of Use page.
