insulin detemir
Brand names: Levemir
Levemir is a long-acting insulin that helps control blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. It works slowly over about 24 hours to keep your blood sugar stable.
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Brand Price
$10.36/unit
Generic Available
No
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Levemir is used to improve blood sugar control in adults and children with diabetes.
Common side effects
Upper respiratory infection, Headache, Sore throat
Key warnings
Never share your Levemir FlexPen, needle, or insulin syringe with anyone else, even if you change the needle.
How It Works
Levemir is a long-acting form of insulin. It works by helping your body use sugar from the blood for energy. This lowers your blood sugar levels and keeps them more stable over time.
How to Take It
Inject Levemir under your skin in your thigh, upper arm, or abdomen. Change your injection site each time within the same area to avoid skin problems. You can take Levemir once a day with your evening meal or at bedtime. If you take it twice a day, take one dose in the morning and the other with your evening meal, at bedtime, or 12 hours after the morning dose.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Good control of diabetes is important during pregnancy for both you and your baby. Levemir can be used during pregnancy.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose of Levemir, take it as soon as you remember. Then, continue with your regular dosing schedule.
Storage
Store Levemir in the refrigerator (36°F to 46°F [2°C to 8°C]) until you are ready to use it. Do not freeze. Keep away from heat and light.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 19,055 FDA adverse event reports.
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 38,664 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
38,664
Death-Related Reports
2,535
Hospitalization Reports
12,948
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BLOOD GLUCOSE INCREASED | 6,220 |
| 2 | NAUSEA | 1,972 |
| 3 | BLOOD GLUCOSE DECREASED | 1,568 |
| 4 | FATIGUE | 1,534 |
| 5 | DIARRHOEA | 1,399 |
| 6 | DRUG INEFFECTIVE | 1,366 |
| 7 | VOMITING | 1,313 |
| 8 | DYSPNOEA | 1,293 |
| 9 | MALAISE | 1,203 |
| 10 | FALL | 1,189 |
| 11 | DIZZINESS | 1,161 |
| 12 | HEADACHE | 1,099 |
| 13 | PAIN | 1,077 |
| 14 | ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 1,067 |
| 15 | HYPOGLYCAEMIA | 1,061 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Never share your Levemir FlexPen, needle, or insulin syringe with anyone else, even if you change the needle. Sharing these items can spread blood-borne diseases. Changes in your insulin regimen can cause high or low blood sugar. Always check the insulin label before injecting to avoid medication errors. Low potassium can occur, monitor potassium levels. Heart failure can occur when taking Levemir with thiazolidinediones (TZDs).
Known Drug Interactions
Table 6: Clinically Significant Drug Interactions with LEVEMIR 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 analogs (e.g., octreotide), and sulfonamide antibiotics, GLP-1 receptor agonists, DPP-4 inhibitors, SGLT-2 inhibitors.
Mechanism: Fluoxetine can interfere with how your body manages sugar, which increases the risk of your blood sugar falling too low while on insulin.
What to do: Monitor your blood sugar levels closely and ask your doctor if your insulin dose needs to be changed.
Table 6: Clinically Significant Drug Interactions with LEVEMIR 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 analogs (e.g., octreotide), and sulfonamide antibiotics, GLP-1 receptor agonists, DPP-4 inhibitors, SGLT-2 inhibitors.
Mechanism: Both drugs lower blood sugar, so taking them together increases the chance of your blood sugar dropping to a dangerous level.
What to do: Your doctor may need to lower your insulin dose, and you should check your blood sugar more often.
Table 6: Clinically Significant Drug Interactions with LEVEMIR 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 analogs (e.g., octreotide), and sulfonamide antibiotics, GLP-1 receptor agonists, DPP-4 inhibitors, SGLT-2 inhibitors.
Mechanism: Octreotide can lower blood sugar, which adds to the effect of insulin and makes low blood sugar more likely.
What to do: Monitor your blood sugar closely and ask your doctor if your insulin dose needs to be adjusted.
Drugs That May Decrease the Blood Glucose Lowering Effect of LEVEMIR 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.
Mechanism: Albuterol can increase blood sugar levels, which counteracts the blood-sugar-lowering effect of insulin.
What to do: You may need to check your blood sugar more frequently when using these medicines together.
Drugs That May Increase or Decrease the Blood Glucose Lowering Effect of LEVEMIR Drugs: Alcohol, beta-blockers, clonidine, and lithium salts. Drugs That May Blunt Signs and Symptoms of Hypoglycemia Drugs: Beta-blockers, clonidine, guanethidine, and reserpine Intervention: Increased frequency of glucose monitoring may be required when LEVEMIR is co-administered with these drugs. ( 7 ) • Antiadrenergic Drugs (e.g., beta-blockers, clonidine, guanethidine, and reserpine): Signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia may be reduced or absent.
Mechanism: Clonidine can make blood sugar levels unpredictable and can also hide the physical warning signs of low blood sugar.
What to do: Increase how often you check your blood sugar since you may not notice the typical signs of a low.
Common Questions
What should I do if my blood sugar is too high?
Can I mix Levemir with other insulins?
Where should I inject Levemir?
How often should I check my blood sugar?
What are the symptoms of low blood sugar?
What should I do if I have low blood sugar?
Can other medicines affect Levemir?
What happens if I take too much Levemir?
How long does Levemir last?
Can I travel with Levemir?
What are the common side effects of insulin detemir?
Does insulin detemir interact with other medications?
What drug class is insulin detemir?
Is insulin detemir safe during pregnancy?
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What the FDA Data Shows for insulin detemir
The FDA label for insulin detemir (sold under brand names such as Levemir) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Long-Acting Insulin class. Levemir is used to improve blood sugar control in adults and children with diabetes. Official labeling lists 6 commonly reported side effects, including Upper respiratory infection, Headache, Sore throat.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 19,055 voluntary reports. The database also lists 11 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated moderate severity. NADAC pricing from CMS.
Report counts do not establish causation — a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice — always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: March 12, 2023
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book — approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed — NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) — post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm — standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files — federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database — current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages