insulin human/insulin isophane vs octreotide
Side-by-side comparison of insulin human/insulin isophane and octreotide. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
moderate Known Drug Interaction
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Table 1: Clinically Significant Drug Interactions with HUMULIN 70/30 Drugs that May Increase the Risk of Hypoglycemia Drugs: Antidiabetic agents, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blocking agents, disopyramide, fibrates, fluoxetine, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, pentoxifylline, pramlintide, salicylates, somatostatin analog (e.g., octreotide), and sulfonamide antibiotics Intervention: Dose adjustment and increased frequency of glucose monitoring may be required when HUMULIN 70/30 is co-administered with these drugs.
Recommendation: Your doctor may need to adjust your insulin dose and you should check your blood sugar more often.
Humulin 70/30
Sandostatin
Humulin 70/30 is a mix of two types of insulin. It helps control blood sugar in adults with diabetes.
Octreotide is a drug that mimics a natural hormone in your body. It is used to treat certain conditions caused by too much of certain hormones.
Humulin 70/30 is used to improve blood sugar control in adults with diabetes. Diabetes is a condition where your body does not make enough insulin or cannot use insulin properly. This medicine helps your body use sugar from the food you eat for energy.
Octreotide is used to lower growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1 in people with acromegaly who haven't responded to other treatments. It also helps manage severe diarrhea and flushing caused by carcinoid tumors. Additionally, it can treat watery diarrhea caused by VIPomas (tumors that release vasoactive intestinal peptide).
This medicine is a mix of two insulins: one that works quickly and one that works longer. The short-acting insulin helps control blood sugar after meals. The intermediate-acting insulin works between meals and during the night.
This medicine works by mimicking somatostatin, a natural hormone in your body. It reduces the amount of certain hormones, like growth hormone, that your body makes. By doing this, it helps control the symptoms caused by having too much of these hormones.
- • Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
- • Allergic reactions like redness and swelling at the injection site
- • Skin changes at the injection site
- • Weight gain
- • Gallbladder problems
- • Slow heart rate
- • Diarrhea
- • Loose stools
- • Nausea
- High blood sugar 10,557
- Low blood sugar 3,451
- Wrong dose given 2,164
- Low blood sugar 1,532
- Feeling sick to your stomach 1,473
- Diarrhea 526
- Death 375
- Nausea 345
- Tiredness 305
- Cancer getting worse 235
Never share a Humulin 70/30 KwikPen or syringe with anyone else, even if the needle is changed. Sharing pens or syringes can spread blood-borne diseases. Changes in your insulin dose should be done carefully with your doctor's supervision. Low blood sugar can be life-threatening. Fluid retention and heart failure can occur if you also take thiazolidinediones (TZDs).
Octreotide can cause heart problems, including a higher risk of certain types of heart block. Your doctor may monitor your heart if you receive this drug intravenously. It can also cause gallbladder problems, high or low blood sugar, and thyroid issues. Tell your doctor right away if you notice new or worsening symptoms.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Good control of diabetes is important during pregnancy. This medicine may pass into breast milk, but it is not expected to harm your baby.
There is limited information about the safety of octreotide during pregnancy. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if octreotide passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor about breastfeeding while using this medicine.
How to Read This insulin human/insulin isophane vs octreotide Comparison
insulin human/insulin isophane is classified in the Intermediate-Acting Insulin Combination drug class, while octreotide sits within the Somatostatin Analog 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, insulin human/insulin isophane has 19,177 submissions while octreotide has 1,786. 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 moderate interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to octreotide can lower blood sugar levels, which adds to the effect of insulin and makes low blood sugar more likely.. 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 insulin human/insulin isophane and octreotide - 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.