Apidra Side Effects

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Serious side effects: Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) can be very serious. Hypoglycaemia is a very commonly reported side effect (may affect more than 1 on 10 people). Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) means that there is not enough sugar in the blood. If the blood sugar level falls too much the patient may become unconscious. Serious hypoglycaemia may cause brain damage and may be life-threatening. If the patient has symptoms of low blood sugar, take actions to increase the blood sugar level immediately.
If the patient experiences the following symptoms, contact the doctor immediately: Systemic allergic reactions are side effects reported uncommonly (may affect up to 1 in 100 people).
Generalised allergy to insulin: Associated symptoms may include large-scale skin reactions (rash and itching all over the body), severe swelling of skin or mucous membranes (angiooedema), shortness of breath, a fall in blood pressure with rapid heart beat and sweating. These could be symptoms of severe cases of generalised allergy to insulin, including anaphylactic reaction, which may be life-threatening.
Hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar) means that there is too much sugar in the blood. The frequency of hyperglycaemia cannot be estimated. If the blood sugar level is too high, more insulin may be needed. This can be serious if the blood glucose level becomes very high.
Other side effects: Tell the doctor, pharmacist or nurse if any of the following side effects are noticed: Skin changes at the injection site: If insulin is injected too often at the same place, the fatty tissue may either shrink (lipoatrophy) or thicken (lipohypertrophy) (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people). Lumps under the skin may also be caused by build-up of a protein called amyloid (cutaneous amyloidosis; how often this occurs is not known). The insulin may not work very well if injected into a lumpy area. Change the injection site with each injection to help prevent these skin changes.
Common reported side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 people): Skin and allergic reactions at the injection site: Reactions at the injection site may occur (such as reddening, unusually intense pain on injection, itching, hives, swelling or inflammation). They can also spread around the injection site. Most minor reactions to insulins usually resolve in a few days to a few weeks.
Side effects where the frequency cannot be estimated from the available data: Eye reactions: A marked change (improvement or worsening) in the blood sugar control can disturb the vision temporarily. If the patient has proliferative retinopathy (an eye disease related to diabetes) severe hypoglycaemic attacks may cause temporary loss of vision.
Reporting of side effects: If any side effects occur, talk to the doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not previously listed. By reporting side effects, the patient can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.