Insulin glargine is a prescription drug. It comes as a self-injectable solution. Insulin glargine is a long-acting, manmade version of human insulin. Insulin glargine works by replacing the insulin that is normally produced by the body and by helping move sugar from the blood into other body tissues where it is used for energy. It also stops the liver from producing more sugar.

• Insulin glargine is used to treat type 1 diabetes (condition in which the body does not produce insulin and therefore cannot control the amount of sugar in the blood).
• It is also used to treat people with type 2 diabetes (condition in which the body does not use insulin normally and, therefore, cannot control the amount of sugar in the blood) who need insulin to control their diabetes.
•  Over time, people who have diabetes and high blood sugar can develop serious or life-threatening complications, including heart disease, stroke, kidney problems, nerve damage, and eye problems. Using medication(s), making lifestyle changes (e.g., diet, exercise, quitting smoking), and regularly checking your blood sugar may help to manage your diabetes and improve your health.
• This therapy may also decrease your chances of having a heart attack, stroke, or other diabetes-related complications such as kidney failure, nerve damage (numb, cold legs or feet; decreased sexual ability in men and women), eye problems, including changes or loss of vision, or gum disease.

•  Low blood sugar. 
•  hunger
•  nervousness
•  shakiness
•  sweating
•  chills
•  clamminess
•  dizziness
•  fast heart rate
•  lightheadedness
•  sleepiness
•  confusion
•  blurred vision
•  headache
•  feeling confused or not like yourself, and irritability
•  Unexplained weight gain
•  Swelling in your arms, legs, feet, or ankles (edema)

 Reactions at the injection site. Symptoms may include:

•  a small indent in your skin (lipoatrophy)
•  increase or decrease in fatty tissue under the skin from using theinjection site too much
•  red, swollen, burning, or itchy skin

•  Don’t use this drug again if you’ve ever had an allergic reaction to it. Taking it again could be fatal (cause death).
•  Alcohol may make it more difficult to control your blood sugar while you’re taking insulin glargine. Limit alcohol while taking this drug.
•  For people with liver disease: Your liver may not be able to make glucose and break down insulin glargine as well as it should. Your doctor may give you a lower dosage of this medication.
•  For people with kidney disease: Your kidneys may not be able to break down insulin glargine as well as they should. Your doctor may give you a lower dosage of this medication.
•  For people with edema: Insulin glargine can make your edema worse. This drug can cause your body to retain sodium. This can trap fluid in your body tissue, which in turn causes swelling (edema) of your hands, feet, arms, and legs.
•  For people with heart failure: Taking oral diabetes pills called thiazolidinediones (TZDs) with insulin glargine can trap fluid in the tissuesof your body and cause or worsen heart failure.
•  For pregnant women: It is not known if insulin glargine is safe to use in pregnant women.Tell your doctor if you’re pregnant or plan to become pregnant. You should only use insulin glargine during pregnancy if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk.
•  For women who are breastfeeding: It isn’t known if insulin glargine passes into breast milk. You and your doctor may need to decide if you’ll use insulin glargine or breastfeed.
•  For seniors: People aged 65 years or older may be more sensitive to insulin glargine. This may raise your risk of a low blood sugar reaction.

You doctor may start you on a lower dosage, and increase your dosage
slowly.

• For children: Talk to your child’s doctor about the use of insulin glargine in children. Special care may be needed.