Lantus Uses

Blood glucose plays a role in many body processes and is the main source of energy for the body. Insulin hormone controls the movement of glucose from the bloodstream to the body’s cells.

Lantus is a lab-made version of endogenous insulin (natural human insulin hormone). It is used to achieve glycemic control by lowering blood glucose levels in adults and children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (where there isn’t enough insulin in the body) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (where there is impaired glucose tolerance and lack of response to insulin). It is not used to treat diabetic ketoacidosis.

There may be other uses of Lantus—your doctor or health system pharmacists can give you further drug information.

Lantus Mechanism of Action

Lantus (insulin glargine) and other insulin analogs lower blood glucose by mimicking the effects of natural insulin hormone in the body. Insulin helps to regulate blood glucose levels by stimulating peripheral glucose uptake (moving sugar from the bloodstream to the tissues in the body for use as energy) and inhibiting hepatic glucose production (stopping the formation of glucose in the liver). Also, insulin inhibits lipolysis (breakdown of fats into fatty acids for use as energy).

Lantus Doses

Insulin glargine is available as a 10-mL multi-dose vial and a 3-mL prefilled Lantus SoloStar insulin pen. The injection solution contains 100 units of insulin glargine per milliliter (mL).

The basal or total insulin dose is individualized for each patient based on blood glucose levels and other factors like type of diabetes, metabolic needs, prior insulin use, and results of blood glucose monitoring.

In people with diabetes mellitus type 1, Lantus (insulin glargine) must be used with a short-acting insulin. In people with diabetes mellitus type 2, insulin glargine may be used with other insulins and/or oral diabetes medications.

The starting insulin dosage of Lantus in people with type 1 diabetes mellitus should be approximately one-third of the total basal insulin dose.

The baseline starting dose of insulin glargine (Lantus) in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus is usually 0.2 units per kilogram of body weight or up to 10 units per day in insulin-naive patients (people who are not currently treated with insulin). Your doctor will tell you how to switch from another type of insulin, for example, if you have had NPH insulin administered before starting insulin glargine.