Gestational diabetes: Time-action of different insulins

Insulins

Starts working

Peaks

Stops working

Rapid-acting

• Humalog® (Lispro)
• NovoLog® (Aspart)
• Apidra® (Glulisine)

• less than 15 minutes
• 10 to 20 minutes
• less than 15 minutes

• 1/2 to 1 1/2 hours
• 1 to 3 hours
• 1 to 3 hours

• less than 5 hours
• 3 to 5 hours
• 3 to 5 hours

Short-acting

• Regular (R)

• 30 minutes

• 2 to 5 hours

• 5 to 8 hours

Intermediate-acting

• NPH (N)

• 1 to 3 hours

• 6 to 12 hours

• 16 hours

Pre-mix*

• 75/25
• NovoLog® Mix 70/30
• 70/30
• 50/50

• less than 15 minutes
• 30 minutes
• 30 minutes

• 1/2 to 10 hours
• 3 to 10 hours
• 3 to 10 hours

• 16 to 20 hours
• 16 to 20 hours
• 10 to 12 hours

Basal**

• Lantus® (Glargine)
• Levemir® (Detemir)

• 1 to 1 1/2 hours
• 1 to 1 1/2 hours

• no peak
• no peak

• 24 hours
• 24 hours

*Pre-mixed insulins are a combination of longer-acting and shorter-acting insulins.

**Lantus and Levemir cannot be mixed with any other insulin.