ASK DIABETES HEALTH

I have recently been diagnosed with Diabetes and my doctor has prescribed insulin. Can you please tell me if insulin is addictive?A common myth about insulin is that it is addictive. This is categorically untrue. Insulin is a natural hormone secreted by the beta cells of pancreas in response to increasing blood glucose level. People with Type 1 Diabetes, there is beta cell failure to produce insulin and hence there is insulin requirement right at the time of diagnosis. People with Type 2 Diabetes have insulin resistance which eventually results in inadequate insulin production. In such cases, even though anti-diabetic medications initially help lower blood glucose level, people with Diabetes later require insulin often in addition to the anti-diabetic medications. Insulin is administered as subcutaneous (below the skin) injection for good control of blood glucose and prevention or delaying of complications of Diabetes.Insulin was first isolated from dog pancreas in 1922 by Banting and Best. Since then production of insulin had gone through a lot of advancements with the latest availability of insulin which mimics physiologic (similar to what happens in our body in response to blood glucose) pattern. There are mainly two types of insulin: long acting insulin which controls blood glucose levels in between meals and fasting blood glucose, and short acting insulin which controls the rise of blood glucose levels following meals.Insulin in the past used to be administered in the syringes. Now-a-days, with advanced technology, it can be given from insulin pens and insulin pumps. So administration in public will not be associated with any misconception of drug use.Misuse of prescribed drug is a well-known fact and this is not confined to only drugs with addictive potential. With this in mind, a physician should evaluate people with uncontrolled blood glucose, and who have insulin dependent Diabetes, especially when there is a concomitant psychiatric illness. There has been a case report of insulin misuse in a male adolescent with borderline personality disorder, who compulsively sought the excitement and euphoria associated with the rapidly declining blood glucose values. Blood glucose value less than 70 mg/dL is considered hypoglycaemia or low glucose value. If there is a mismatch in insulin dose and meals (excess insulin with light meal) the chances of hypoglycaemia are high and prolonged hypoglycaemia can cause permanent damage to the brain. Hence insulin dependent individuals should always be cautious about the tight glucose management.Dr Suganthi KumaranConsultant Physician