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albuterol vs insulin glargine

Side-by-side comparison of albuterol and insulin glargine. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

minor Known Drug Interaction

Drugs That May Decrease the Blood Glucose Lowering Effect of BASAGLAR Drugs: Atypical antipsychotics (e.g., olanzapine and clozapine), corticosteroids, danazol, diuretics, estrogens, glucagon, isoniazid, niacin, oral contraceptives, phenothiazines, progestogens (e.g., in oral contraceptives), protease inhibitors, somatropin, sympathomimetic agents (e.g., albuterol, epinephrine, terbutaline), and thyroid hormones Intervention: Dose increases and increased frequency of glucose monitoring may be required when BASAGLAR is co-administered with these drugs. Drugs that may decrease the blood...

Recommendation: Check your blood sugar more often and talk to your doctor about whether your insulin dose needs to be increased.

Drug Class
albuterol Short-Acting Beta-2 Agonist
insulin glargine Long-Acting Insulin
Type
albuterol Prescription
insulin glargine Prescription
Summary
albuterol

Albuterol is a drug that helps you breathe easier. It opens up your airways when they get too narrow.

insulin glargine

Basaglar is a long-acting insulin that helps control blood sugar levels. It is used to treat type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

What It Treats
albuterol

This medicine treats or prevents bronchospasm in adults and kids 4 years and older who have reversible obstructive airway disease. This means it helps when your airways narrow, making it hard to breathe. It can also prevent bronchospasm caused by exercise in adults and kids 4 years and older.

insulin glargine

Basaglar is used to lower blood sugar in adults and children with type 1 diabetes. It also helps adults with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar. However, Basaglar is not for treating diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious condition with high levels of ketones in the blood.

How It Works
albuterol

Albuterol is a beta-2 agonist. It works by relaxing the muscles in your airways. This allows more air to flow in and out of your lungs.

insulin glargine

Basaglar is a long-acting form of insulin. It works by replacing the insulin that your body does not make, or helping your body use insulin better. This helps to lower your blood sugar levels over a longer period.

Common Side Effects
albuterol
  • Throat irritation
  • Viral respiratory infections
  • Upper respiratory inflammation
  • Cough
  • Muscle or bone pain
insulin glargine
  • Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
  • Allergic reactions
  • Injection site reactions (redness, swelling, itching)
  • Skin thickening or pits at the injection site
  • Itching
FAERS Reports
albuterol
  • Difficulty breathing 15,966
  • Asthma 9,278
  • Cough 7,340
  • Pneumonia 6,990
  • Nausea 6,757
insulin glargine
  • Increased blood sugar 38,213
  • Decreased blood sugar 10,314
  • Taking the medicine at the wrong time 9,798
  • Feeling sick to your stomach 9,566
  • The medicine was stored incorrectly 8,531
Serious Warnings
albuterol

In rare cases, this medicine can make your bronchospasm worse. If this happens, stop using it right away and get medical help. Using too much albuterol can be fatal. If you need more albuterol than usual, your asthma may be getting worse.

insulin glargine

Never share your Basaglar pen with anyone else, even if you change the needle. Sharing pens can spread blood-borne diseases. Changes to your insulin plan can affect your blood sugar. Make sure a doctor supervises any changes and that you check your blood sugar often. Low blood sugar can be very dangerous and even life-threatening. Watch for symptoms and check your blood sugar often. Low potassium can also be life-threatening. Tell your doctor if you have heart problems or take certain diabetes medicines called thiazolidinediones, as this can lead to heart failure.

Pregnancy
albuterol

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if albuterol will harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of using albuterol while pregnant or breastfeeding.

insulin glargine

Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Poorly controlled diabetes during pregnancy can harm both the mother and the baby. Basaglar's effects during pregnancy are not well-studied.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

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How to Read This albuterol vs insulin glargine Comparison

albuterol is classified in the Short-Acting Beta-2 Agonist drug class, while insulin glargine sits within the Long-Acting Insulin class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, albuterol has 46,331 submissions while insulin glargine has 76,422. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to albuterol is a stimulant-like drug that can raise blood sugar, making your insulin work less effectively.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between albuterol and insulin glargine - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.

Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.