Tresiba Dosage Calculator

Tresiba dosage calculator is an online calculator designed to help health professionals calculate the correct recommended dose of Insulin degludec for patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. 

It is easy to use and has a clean user interface. The calculator offers flexibility in the unit for body weight, allowing you to choose between calculating the dose based on weight in Kilograms or pounds. Try it out below.

About Our Tresiba Dosage Calculator

BigPharmOnline’s Tresiba Dosage Calculator is a simple web tool programmed to help healthcare providers easily calculate the correct recommended dose of Insulin degludec to place their patient on. 

It is designed to work based on generally acceptable recommended dosing rules for insulin degludec. To use the calculator, all you need to do is fill in the required details which are 

1. Age of the patient
2. Body weight of the patient
3. Indication for which Tresiba is intended.

After providing the aforementioned details, you can click the Calculate Dose button to have your recommended dose calculated and displayed to you. 

The doses calculated by this Tresiba dosage calculator tool are based on the recommended standard doses as found in Medscape, a renowned health and drug information resource for health professionals.

Dosing Rules for Our Tresiba Dosage Calculator

The dosing rules that our calculator uses to calculate its doses based on the provided information are obtained from Medscape and are as follows.

For Type 1 Diabetes in Adults

If you select Type 1 diabetes as the indication on our tool, the obtained dose will be calculated based on the usual initial dose range of 0.2 – 0.4 units/kg.

This dosing range is indicated for insulin-naïve patients (patients who haven’t been on insulin before). 

It is recommended to start Insulin Degludec (Tresiba) as approximately 1 ⁄ 3 of the total daily insulin dose. And to then use short-acting insulin such as Insulin aspart or insulin lispro as the remaining 2/3 of the daily insulin dose. The short-acting insulin is divided between meals. 

For Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

The dose of insulin degludec for adults with type 2 diabetes for which this calculator is based is 10 Units subcutaneously every day. This dose is indicated for insulin-naïve patients.

The doses of other oral hypoglycemics which the patient is currently on, may need to be adjusted. This helps to reduce the risk of the patient coming down with hypoglycemia.

What is Tresiba?

Tresiba is a brand name for a form of insulin used in the management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes in both adults and children above the age of 1. It contains Insulin degludec as the active ingredient.

Insulin degludec is an ultralong-acting insulin analog. Its duration of action is between 30 to 90 minutes while its duration of action is over 24 hours, up to 48 hours as compared to insulin glargine (lantus).

Insulin degludec does not reach a peak concentration in the blood because it is released slowly. It is designed to mimic basal insulin. Hence, it provides glycemic control coverage between meals and at night.

Tresiba is dosed once a day and can be taken at any time of the day but at the same time each day. 

The adverse effect of Tresiba is not so different from that of the other forms of insulin. It can cause 

• Low blood sugar level (hypoglycemia)
• Low blood potassium level (hypokalemia)
• Skin thickening or pitting at the site of injection (lipodystrophy)

Other uncommon side effects such as allergic reactions may occur.

Forms of Tresiba

Tresiba is available in two major forms. They include the Tresiba FlexTouch and the multidose vial.

1. Tresiba FlexTouch Disposable Insulin Pen

The FlexTouch disposable pen offers two concentration options:

• 100 units/mL – Each 3mL prefilled pen contains 300 total units of insulin degludec. It can inject up to 80 units per dose.
• 200 units/mL – Each 3mL prefilled pen contains 600 total units of insulin degludec. It can inject up to 160 units per dose.

2. Tresiba Multidose Vial

Tresiba multidose vials contain 100 units/mL concentration. Each 10mL vial provides 1000 total units of insulin degludec. A compatible U-100 insulin syringe should be used to precisely measure out the prescribed dose.

The Tresiba FlexTouch disposable pens offer fixed doses of up to 80 or 160 units. The multidose vials allow drawing up customized doses for the treatment plan using an appropriate U-100 syringe.

When starting or adjusting Tresiba dosages, check blood sugar levels routinely to avoid hypoglycemia.

Patients should learn proper rotation of injection sites to lower irritation risks and contact their healthcare provider with any questions when administering insulin degludec.

Warnings

1. Insulin degludec should not be used in the management of diabetic ketoacidosis. It is a long-acting insulin with a comparably longer onset of action when compared to its rapid-acting counterparts. Instead, rapid or short-acting insulin should be used. 
2. Tresiba should not be diluted before use. 
3. It shouldn’t also be replaced with another product without the consent of the prescriber.
4. Patients should ensure that they are taking the correct concentration prescribed for their condition. A 100-unit/mL pen should not be replaced with a 200-unit/mL pen unless instructed by the doctor.
5. Tresiba is not recommended for use in children below the age of 1. Its safety and efficacy have not been established in patients falling within this age group
6. People who are hypersensitive to insulin degludec should not use this product.
7. Needles nor Tresiba itself should not be shared.

References

• Medscape: dosing and use of insulin degludec.
• Tresiba Dosage and Administration. Official Tresiba website
• InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-. Insulin degludec (Tresiba) for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults: Overview. 2019 Mar 28. 
• MedlinePlus: Insulin Degludec (rDNA Origin) Injection