Lixisenatide Injection
Lixisenatide injection is used along with diet and exercise to treat type 2 diabetes (condition in which the body does not use insulin normally and therefore cannot control the amount of sugar in the blood). Lixisenatide injection is not used to treat type 1 diabetes (condition in which the body does not produce insulin and therefore cannot control the amount of sugar in the blood). Lixisenatide is not used instead of insulin to treat people with diabetes who need insulin. Lixisenatide injection is in a class of medications called incretin mimetics. It works by stimulating the pancreas to secrete insulin when blood sugar levels are high. Insulin helps move sugar from the blood into other body tissues where it is used for energy. Lixisenatide injection also slows the emptying of the stomach and causes a decrease in appetite.
Over time, people who have diabetes and high blood sugar can develop serious or life-threatening complications, including heart disease, stroke, kidney problems, nerve damage, and eye problems. Using medication(s), making lifestyle changes (e.g., diet, exercise, quitting smoking), and regularly checking your blood sugar may help to manage your diabetes and improve your health. This therapy may also decrease your chances of having a heart attack, stroke, or other diabetes-related complications such as kidney failure, nerve damage (numb, cold legs or feet; decreased sexual ability in men and women), eye problems, including changes or loss of vision, or gum disease. Your doctor and other healthcare providers will talk to you about the best way to manage your diabetes.
Your doctor or pharmacist will give you the manufacturer’s patient information sheet (Medication Guide) when you begin treatment with lixisenatide injection and each time you refill your prescription. Read the information carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. You can also visit the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website (http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm085729.htm) to obtain the Medication Guide.
🔔 How should this medicine be used?
Lixisenatide injection comes as a prefilled dosing pen to inject subcutaneously (under the skin). It is usually injected once a day, within one hour (60 minutes) before the first meal of the day. Use lixisenatide injection at around the same time every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Use lixisenatide injection exactly as directed. Do not use more or less of it or use it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
Your doctor will probably start you on a low dose of lixisenatide and then increase your dose after 14 days.
Lixisenatide injection controls diabetes but does not cure it. Continue to use lixisenatide injection even if you feel well. Do not stop using lixisenatide injection without talking to your doctor.
In the U.S., healthcare spending accounts for 17.7% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), or the total value of goods and services produced by the entire nation for the entire year, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
You will need to buy needles separately. Ask your doctor or pharmacist what type of needles you will need to inject your medication. Be sure to read and understand the manufacturer’s instructions for injecting lixisenatide. Also make sure you know how and when to set up a new pen. If you are blind or have poor eyesight do not use this pen without help. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to show you how to use the pen. Follow the directions carefully.
Always look at the lixisenatide solution before you inject it. It should be clear, colorless, and free of particles. Do not use lixisenatide if it is colored, cloudy, thickened, or contains solid particles, or if the expiration date on the pen has passed.
Lixisenatide injection can be administered in the thigh (upper leg), abdomen (stomach area), or upper arm. Use a different site for each injection. Allow the pen to warm to room temperature before using it if stored in the refrigerator.
Never reuse needles and never share needles or pens. Always remove the needle right after you inject your dose. Throw away needles in a puncture-resistant container. Ask your doctor or pharmacist how to dispose of the puncture resistant container.
