We recommend that all patients with diabetes
should have the following medications in their
own Diabetes Survival Kit.
There are specific sick-day guidelines about fluids,
frequency of checking your blood sugar level, and other ideas that you should talk over with your physician or Diabetes Nurse Educator.
Please note that the doses listed below are for adults.
Generic versions of many medications are frequently available, and may be cheaper:
ask your pharmacist. We would recommend the generic versions of all of these, except insulin.
(Some patients on insulin do a bit better if they stay on their usual brand, and
we don't advise switching brands of insulin unless there's a good reason.)
Show this list to your pharmacist,
and keep these medications at your home in case they're needed.
Lispro (Humalog®),
aspart (Novolog®),
glulisine (Apidra®),
or Regular insulin for treating high blood sugar.
Keep a spare bottle of your short-acting insulin in your refrigerator for possible use in sick-day emergency situations when your sugar levels are high. Your doctor or Diabetes Nurse Educator will give you instructions on when and how to use this insulin.
If you are not presently taking a short-acting insulin, it's still important to have a bottle of it in your refrigerator;
buy a bottle of
Humalog, Novolog, or Apidra
of the same brand as your usual insulin.
Do not use this insulin except as instructed by your physician or Diabetes Nurse Educator.
These new insulin analogs works a lot faster than the previously-used Regular to knock down elevated blood sugars, and is preferred for this purpose by most patients.
(Older insulin products do not need a prescription; however, the new analog insulins do need a prescription in the USA.)
Glucagon Kit® for treating severe insulin reactions by injection.
For use by a family member or friend in a severe insulin reaction, if you are unable to cooperate with taking sugar by mouth.
Your Diabetes Nurse Educator will give your family instructions on when and how to use glucagon.
Glucagon does require a prescription.
Compazine® for treating nausea, by mouth or rectal suppository.
Take one Compazine® tablet before each meal, and another at bedtime, if needed for nausea. Or insert one suppository twice a day, if needed for severe nausea.
Compazine® does require a prescription, and is available as generic versions at lesser cost.
Imodium® for treating diarrhea.
Take two at the onset of diarrhea, and one after each additional loose bowel movement. We recommend the capsule version, since the liquid version contains alcohol. Imodium® does not need a prescription.
For women: Monistat® or similar medication.
Follow instructions on the label to treat yeast vaginitis. Telephone your physician for an evaluation if symptoms continue after several doses. Monistat® does not need a prescription.
Instructions for the Pharmacist:
- Dispense Humalog®/Novolog®/Apidra® insulin, 10 cc vial, #1; refill PRN; SIG: As directed.
- Dispense Glucagon Kit®, #1; refill PRN; SIG: As directed.
- Dispense 10 mg Compazine® tablets, #10, & 25 mg rectal suppositories, #4; refill PRN; generic substitution okay. SIG: As directed.
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