Q: I am 39 years old and suffering from diabetes. My Fasting reading was 400, so my doctor advised me to go for insulin. He asked me to take insulin N. I wanted to purchase an insulin pen with refill cartridge facility instead of injection. But I was told that the refill cartridge is available only for insulin-R and not N. Can I take R instead of N and if not, where can I find a pen for insulin-N and in which brand?

A:Now a days insulin can be taken by different pen devices available in market. Now if your glucose is toucing 400mg then you should go for premixed insulin like Mixtard/Humulin 30/70 twice a day rather then N insulin. There are some more options like using Lantus with oral tablets as well. Contact your physician for the correct type of insulin for you.