No More Needles? a New Treatment for Diabetics

In the twentieth century researchers discovered revolutionary new treatments for diabetes: a disease whose victims suffer an ersatz life of pain, debility, deformity, and an early death. These new medical treatments would extended and improve the duration and the quality of life for diabetics. But for many, the pain never went away. For most diabetics, living with the disease meant learning to cope with needles. Needles to draw blood. Needles to inject insulin.

This year, things have gotten a bit better for the people who are wary or even fearful of needles. Exubera, a new form of insulin manufactured and marketed by Pfizer, was approved for sale by the FDA in January, 2006. Exubera is a different kind of insulin. It is recombinant DNA derived human insulin with a unique formulation. Exubera is not a liquid, but a powder. It is not injected with a needle, but inhaled orally. It is not refrigerated but kept at room temperature. Exubera doses are measured in milligrams rather than units.This

powdered form of insulin enters the body through the lungs by means of an hand-held oral inhaler. The inhaler is designed to aerosolize the powder which is inhaled in through the mouth. Once in the lungs, the fine powder rapidly dissolves and is absorbed into the blood stream. The lungs provide a large moist surface area permeated with blood vessels: perfect media for drug absorption. Exubera works fast enough that your doctor may suggest it as a regular insulin replacement for some Type I diabetics.Exubera

is indicated for adult Type-1 and Type-2 diabetics. Your doctor should perform a lung function or breathing test on you before prescribing Exubera. Your initial dose is based upon your weight. Further dose adjustments are made depending upon your blood sugar levels. Exubera has not been tested nor recommend for children under 18 years old. Pregnant women or those who are breast feeding should ask their doctor about the appropriateness of using Exubera. According to the official web site, you should not use this medication if:

You smoke, start smoking, or if you quit smoking less than 6 months agoYou

have an unstable or poorly controlled lung disease (such as unstable or poorly controlled asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or emphysema)

You are allergic to insulin or any of the ingredients in EXUBERA

http://www.exubera.com/

In general, diabetics will use Exubera as a "meal time" insulin dose taken about ten (10) minutes before a meal. The web site has a video showing how to take Exubera. Here are the steps to using the inhaler:

Load the inhaler with the Exubera powder. The powder comes in 1 or 3 mg blister packsApply

Apply pressure toinhalerRelease

ed to as a cloud press

Inhale, braerosolizedslowly and deeply

Like all medicines, ExpressInhaleide effects and there are deeplyLiketuations and medExuberanditions which may mean that you should be cautious or not use it at all. The Express Scripts Drug Digest has a more complete list of warnings and precautions for Exubera. Expect some coughing and a dry mouth since you are breatExuberafine powder. Also, because it is a fast acting form of insulin, beware that your blood sugar levels well lower and hypoglycemia may result. Finally, for optimum control of their blood sugar, Type-1 diabetics will need to take a longer acting form of insulin.

Many medical breakthroughs for diabetes were made in the insulin.Manyntury. The twenty-first century will bring even more as there is much more room for medical innovation. Drug companies and the government will continue to fund and encourage research into ways to make living with diabetes simpler, less painful, and less stressful for patients.