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Insulin lispro User Reviews & Ratings

Brand names: Humalog, Admelog, Lyumjev, Humalog KwikPen, Humalog Junior KwikPen

Insulin lispro has an average rating of 4.1 out of 10 from a total of 96 reviews on Drugs.com. 25% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 56% reported a negative experience.

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Reviews for Insulin lispro

  • Ren...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • December 31, 2019

For Diabetes, Type 1 "I have been diabetic since I was 12. Getting an insulin pump was the best thing I ever did. Then, my insurance decided to no longer cover Humalog, which has been working great for me for years. They put me on Admelog. I was on it a month before I called the doctor and told them it did not work. They blew me off. Now, several months later, I have called again. I have left messages at my doctor's office, I have talked to my insurance company, I have called the pharmacy, and I have called the FDA. Admelog does not work, and not just for me. I have taken at least 200 units of insulin today, and my blood sugar is still 297. If you take Admelog and it is not working for you, please go to the FDA MedWatch page and report it."

1 / 10
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  • Typ...
  • February 26, 2020

For Diabetes, Type 1 "My sugars have been terrible since switching from Humalog to Admelog as a Type 1 diabetic. It may be equivalent to others, but is not for me. My A1c is through the roof, and no one will listen because of $$$. I may go to Canada to get Humalog just so I can live longer. Is anyone listening?"

2 / 10
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60 Report
  • Gin...
  • Taken for 10 years or more
  • April 16, 2023

For Diabetes, Type 1 "Type 1 diabetic for 63 years, well controlled until the use of Admelog, replacing Humalog, no longer covered by our government health insurance. From the first dose, my blood sugar levels reached unrecommendable heights, dose after dose. Luckily, I had some Humalog (pen) left over to correct the dose of Admelog not responding. On the 7th day of trying the Admelog, suppertime, I gave a full dose of Admelog + intermediate acting insulin, at exactly 6 PM. Didn't eat right away (wanted to keep working a few more minutes). However, it was 9 PM when I realized that I hadn't eaten yet but was surprised I hadn't experienced hypoglycemia. I retested my blood sugar and despite giving my full dose 3 hours earlier, my blood test result hadn't changed a single mmol. Conclusion: Admelog has no effect at all. It just doesn't have any effect on blood sugar at all. Based on the above reviews, it becomes urgent that Admelog be eradicated without fail from the CPS in Canada and the PDR in the USA."

1 / 10
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Frequently asked questions

  • Swe...
  • August 15, 2020

For Type 2 Diabetes "I never had problems with Novolog pens, but this Humalog pen is horrible! I watch my diet carefully, so I don't have to use it as often, but when my blood sugar shoots up, I need it. Twice, the same pen stopped working, so I had to take it back to the pharmacy. Every Humalog pen I have used since, you have to keep pumping and twisting so that you end up with bruises! It never delivers what you put it on, so you actually don't know how much you are injecting! This product is horrible, and those making it should either make it right or be accountable!!!"

2 / 10
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39 Report
  • Tru...
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • August 28, 2021

For Diabetes, Type 1 "I have used Humalog for 5 years. My insurance company told me I could no longer use any other insulin. Why they told me that, only they know. It appears to be a result of Lily's sales team. Humalog worked well for a few years. Last year it suddenly stopped working well. I suddenly needed TWICE as much insulin for each dose. I count carbs and use 1 unit of Humalog for every 10 carbs eaten. Suddenly, my BG was through the ceiling. On a guess, I increased my Humalog by 60%, my BG went down considerably. I increased it more until my BG was back to normal. You can blame whatever reason you want, but I think Humalog has been altered by Lily. It just isn't as effective for me, it goes bad twice as fast, it can NOT be allowed to get to room temperature (warmer than 75°F) or it stops working at all. I stopped using Humalog. I use Novolog. Novolog works better, quicker, and is more dependable than Lily's altered Humalog. If Humalog works for you, great. It is terrible for me."

1 / 10
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  • Kan...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • November 24, 2019

For Diabetes, Type 1 "Insurance switched me over to this without even letting me know. My sugars on Humalog were very stable, but the second I switched over to Admelog, I couldn't get them under control. I was never in my target range, no matter how much insulin I gave myself. The last straw was when I was at work and became extremely nauseous and started throwing up because I couldn't get my sugars under control. This insulin is not the same thing as Humalog, as I was told, it's just a way for insurance to cheap out at the expense of its users."

1 / 10
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33 Report
  • Mer...
  • Taken for 10 years or more
  • January 21, 2020

For Diabetes, Type 1 "I have taken insulin for 68 years. The last 2 years, I have had horrible experiences with Humalog KwikPens. Have reached out to Eli Lilly and FDA. FDA seems to be a useless contact, but Eli Lilly was somewhat helpful. I have had to actually throw away over 25 Eli Lilly Humalog KwikPens in the past two years due to malfunctioning of the pens."

1 / 10
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More FAQ

  • Sar...
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • July 24, 2020

For Diabetes, Type 1 "I was switched to Admelog from Novolog last year, and my A1C has gone from 6 to 9% and has stabilized to over 8% since. My endo knows it is due to Admelog not being a good insulin, but his hands are tied. Unfortunately, my insurance will not switch me back to Novolog no matter what. This is by far the worst insulin I have ever used, and I have used Novolog, Humalog, and Fiasp. The last few months have been the worst, as I absolutely cannot get my blood sugars under 200. I am terrified I am going to die of DKA because of this awful insulin. There needs to be a class action lawsuit against the makers of this horrid insulin, and it needs to be taken off the market and studied more."

1 / 10
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  • Dur...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • November 9, 2020

For Diabetes, Type 1 "My daughter was on Humalog and doing well with her levels. I went to the pharmacy to pick up a refill, and without notice, our insurance switched her to Admelog. She has been on it for 3 weeks. Her levels will not come under 300, ketones, nausea, headaches. Also, no one keeps the vials in stock for the pumps. Not CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, etc. It has to be ordered days ahead, and that's if they get it in. One of the above pharmacies was supposed to have it in 2 days, I went to pick it up, and they said, 'Sorry, we are not sure when it will get here.' We had no insulin over the weekend. Now my daughter is sick. We never had issues with Humalog. This insulin is horrible. Fight it!"

1 / 10
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20 Report
  • Dam...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • October 15, 2019

For Diabetes, Type 1 "I have been a type 1 diabetic for 22 years now, and my insurance recently had me switch to Admelog a month ago. This insulin is not the same as Humalog, as the doctors still try to convince you. It is very slow acting compared to Humalog, and it takes 2-3 hours for blood sugar levels to lower, even a little bit. For example, every day on this insulin I have blood glucose levels (BGL) of 260+, and after taking Admelog and fasting, 1 hour later my BGL only drops by 10 points. Wait another hour, still haven't eaten anything, 10 more points. I have also had my BGL rise while on it. While on Humalog, my BGL drops and regulates within half an hour. Admelog will kick in in over 3 hours and give me a very low BGL. This insulin has made me very sick and nauseous! I have done so well managing my BGL to be under 180 every day in the past, and now on this insulin it goes up to 400 constantly!"

3 / 10
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23 Report
  • Sar...
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • December 12, 2020

For Diabetes, Type 1 "I have had type 1 diabetes for 10 years and was originally using Novolog, then Humalog, but was recently switched to Admelog. This insulin is by far the worst I have ever used. It is extremely unpredictable. Right now, I cannot get my blood sugar under 400 mg/dL no matter how much of this insulin I take. There are days when I am nonstop low. My endocrinologist knows that this insulin is garbage, but my insurance will not switch me no matter what. I've complained to the FDA, but it probably fell on deaf ears. I'm not even sure how this was even approved by the FDA considering that there are numerous complaints about it."

1 / 10
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17 Report
  • Fru...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • December 25, 2021

For Type 2 Diabetes "Been using these pens for about 1 year. Mostly, they work well. But, I have noticed that they are inconsistent in strength from one lot to another. Let's say I'm finishing a pen where my numbers are beautiful. When that's empty, I start using a new pen with a different lot number. Suddenly, my numbers are crazy high. Same foods and exercise. I have to inject more units with the next meal just to bring my numbers back down. The pharmacy gave me a new pen as an experiment. Sure enough, my numbers went back to normal immediately. I went back to the old pen and high numbers again. Called Lilly to report this, and they blame me for 'doing something wrong.'"

8 / 10
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15 Report
  • Ric...
  • Taken for 5 to 10 years
  • November 3, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "I've been on Humalog for several years. I've tried Novolog and Apidra, and both have given me terrible side effects. Humalog also gave me side effects, and I have noticed that throughout the years it has gotten worse. The headaches start from the back of my head, then it works its way down the back of my neck and spine. It has also created an upset stomach that leads to acid reflux, chest pains, and an increase in blood pressure. It has sent me to the ER several times, at first not realizing it was the insulin causing all the problems. When I stopped it to use Apidra, all the symptoms disappeared for about a week until I started getting other side effects from the Apidra that were worse, and I had no choice but to go back to Humalog. I seem to have run out of options. I'm damned if I do, damned if I don't...in search of a better solution before it kills me..."

5 / 10
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19 Report
  • SBM...
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • July 19, 2018

For Diabetes, Type 1 "I used to take Novolog, was forced to change by my insurance provider. This does not work as well as Novolog. The delivery system is shoddy. I have had more pens jam and become unusable in the 1 year of using the KwikPen than in the 10+ years I used a Novolog FlexPen."

6 / 10
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22 Report
  • Cyc...
  • Taken for 10 years or more
  • May 2, 2024

For Diabetes, Type 1 "I am on a Medtronic insulin pump, and have had good results from this medication. Unfortunately, Medicare told me that Humalog was no longer covered; I was switched to Fiasp. Within two days, my average blood sugar went from 130 to 680. In the meantime, I had changed my diet three times and doubled my daily insulin dose, to no avail. I was switched back to Humalog, and within a day my blood sugars were back down to normal. Now, I am having trouble paying the $450.00 a month for the insulin... shame on Medicare."

10 / 10
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7 Report
  • not...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • October 8, 2019

For Diabetes, Type 1 "Worst insulin I have ever taken. My dose of insulin has more than tripled since I started taking it. It has always made my blood sugars rise. I can eat nothing and take insulin to correct the high - it doesn't fall, it raises more. I carb count correctly, use the correct dose, and again my blood sugar rises. This 'follow-on' insulin is not like the more expensive insulins."

1 / 10
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18 Report
  • cat...
  • Taken for 10 years or more
  • April 23, 2018

For Type 2 Diabetes "I used to have effective treatment of diabetes with Humalog and Lantus, but recently the Humalog is not working. I gave the Humalog company a call, but they said they had not recently received other complaints. I've been on the 100, 200, and now the 500 strength, and none of them are working. Seems like the pens are filled with water, not insulin."

2 / 10
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23 Report
  • sim...
  • Taken for 10 years or more
  • September 19, 2018

For Diabetes, Type 1 "I note there are comments on the sticking of Humalog Kwik pens, which is also my experience with them. I have been using Humalog (Lispro) pens for a long time. Recently, in the past 3 months, I have had 4 pens sticking while injecting. The rest of the insulin in the pen goes to waste. I would like to send the pens back to Lilly, but I do not know how. Like others, I had to switch over from a smoother Novolin pen to the Humalog pens due to insurance cost agreements with Lilly. Having worked in management positions at manufacturing industries, I can see how these deals of price reduction compromise quality and cost to the customer while filling the pockets of executives in the drug company and insurance companies. The FDA is useless."

4 / 10
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20 Report
  • Vic...
  • April 6, 2021

For Diabetes, Type 1 "I have been using Humalog for approximately 1 year, in addition to Lantus. It has been working fine, but my complaint is in the pens. I have had 4 pens malfunction over the past year. I understand there are flaws in any item. But when I called Lilly to get replacements for the pens, they flatly refused to stand behind their product. I just want to warn everyone who plans or is using this medication that Lilly does not stand behind their product, and you will be spending extra money in the event you experience a bad pen. These pens can get expensive. Buyer beware!!!"

5 / 10
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13 Report
  • JJa...
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • August 22, 2019

For Type 2 Diabetes "The Humalog drug works very well. The Humalog Kwik Pen SUCKS. The pens stick and are very inconsistent with the ease of injection. I used Novolog until I went on Medicare, and my drug plan switched me to Humalog. Never had a single problem with the Novolog pens."

8 / 10
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16 Report
  • Jac...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • April 27, 2022

For Diabetes, Type 1 "Just switched over from Humalog to Admelog and right away felt sick after using as numbers went through the roof. Type 1 diabetic for over 30 years and have used many insulins, but this is the first time one was completely ineffective. Even when taking extra, it will not lower. I am now suffering from headaches and am urinating constantly. I am worried because I read doctors cannot help and insurances will not make the change. I will also contact the FDA and plan to sue Sanofi-Aventis. They must know this isn't working."

1 / 10
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9 Report
  • Lyn...
  • May 29, 2018

For Diabetes, Type 1 "These pens are horrible! I went to use it when my type 1 daughter's pump failed, and it did not administer correctly. The pens she used in the past were great. They made a clicking sound for each unit delivered, where these quick pens were silent and barely had pressure enough to indicate whether she got a proper dosage, if any at all. They also don't have half units, and rounding up or down to full units can be very dangerous. These pens also create excessive waste. The previous pens themselves were reusable! Would love to go back to them!"

2 / 10
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16 Report
  • Ret...
  • Taken for 5 to 10 years
  • May 27, 2017

For Diabetes, Type 1 "I've been a T1 diabetic for 52 years and am a retired Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE). I and my patients have all had a problem with Humalog KwikPens: sometimes a box has not one pen that works. I have followed their (Lilly, the manufacturer) directions (try a new needle, etc.), but sometimes you get a batch that doesn't work. You can't get a refund either, so we're 'out' hundreds of dollars in co-pays. I've tried several times to contact Lilly, and they keep referring me back to the website for answers, which is useless. They also imply that the customers aren't able to use the pens correctly. Amazing that I've been successfully teaching patients for decades on using pumps, pens, etc., and never had ANY problems except with these KwikPens. They're unpredictable!"

2 / 10
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17 Report
  • Alx...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • September 12, 2013

For Type 2 Diabetes "I have had diabetes for three years, and I was not able to control it much. I had been on Lantus and Humulin. Unfortunately, my sugar readings were too high. It's been a month now since I'm on Humalog, and my readings have never been better. I'm so glad my doctor put me on Humalog, it really works."

10 / 10
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23 Report
  • Alw...
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • June 28, 2023

For Diabetes, Type 1 "Using Lyumjev insulin in both a Medtronic and a Tandem TSlim IQ pump has been an improvement over Novolog and Humalog. The difference for me is the timeframe in which the insulin works. Both the pumps I have recently used were connected to a continuous glucose monitor, and both self-adjusted insulin amounts. I have scar tissue from taking insulin for 59 years (yes, I have always rotated my injections and infusion sites). I have used every quick-acting insulin on the market to find one that would deliver, affect blood sugar, and not overlap because it stayed in my system too long. The times I experienced extremely low blood sugars were compounded greatly by these overlaps. With Lyumjev, I can pay more attention to adjusting dosages for each meal without trying to figure out what layover there would be from my previous boluses. Correcting for highs is also much easier because of the quick action. Now if only pumps were set to pull back insulin early enough when blood sugar moves down, I would be safer."

9 / 10
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6 Report

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Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or remove inappropriate content. Reviews appearing to come from parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any medication and should not replace the expertise and judgment of healthcare professionals.