How Long Does It Take Levemir to Work? Plus, 4 More Levemir FAQs

Since its discovery, insulin has been a mainstay in the management of diabetes. Insulin helps your body change glucose (sugar) from the food you eat into energy. Without it, your blood glucose levels can go from severely high to dangerously low. Over time, these spikes and dips cause damage to your organs and can be life-threatening.

Levemir (insulin detemir) is a commonly prescribed insulin for people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. It’s a long-acting (basal) insulin, which means it requires fewer injections and keeps working all day long to lower blood glucose. But there’s more to know about this insulin than that.

Below, we’ll answer five frequently asked questions, including how long it takes Levemir to work and more.

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1. How long does it take Levemir to work?

It takes Levemir about 2 hours after you inject it to start working. As a long-acting insulin, it has a more gradual effect than rapid-acting insulins, such as Humalog (insulin lispro). This allows Levemir to lower glucose levels in a more predictable way throughout the day.

2. How does Levemir work?

Levemir is a lab-made version of insulin that’s injected just beneath your skin. Once injected, it works like natural insulin made by the pancreas. As mentioned earlier, insulin helps move glucose from your blood into your cells. Once inside your cells, glucose can be used to make energy.

3. How long does Levemir stay in your system?

Levemir can stay in your system for a full day, depending on your dose. Higher doses of Levemir last for close to 24 hours, and you’ll only need to inject yourself once a day. If you’re taking a lower dose of Levemir, its effects seem to wear off about 19 hours after an injection. In this case, you’ll likely be instructed to inject doses twice a day.

Whether you’re using it once or twice a day, it’s important to remember to inject Levemir at the same time(s) each day. This helps your body maintain steady levels of insulin, leading to better glucose control.

4. Does Levemir cause weight gain?

Just like most forms of insulin, Levemir can cause weight gain. Levemir helps your body use glucose more efficiently. After moving it into your cells for energy, any remaining glucose is turned into fat. And this can cause some people to gain weight. But the amount gained varies between people.

On average, people with Type 2 diabetes gain about 4 lbs during the first year of insulin treatment. But Levemir may actually cause less weight gain than other insulins. Clinical trials have shown weight changes of 0.5 lb of weight loss to 1 lb of weight gain for people with Type 1 diabetes taking Levemir. People taking it for Type 2 diabetes experienced an average of 1 lb to 2.5 lbs weight gain.

For many, the health benefits of taking insulin outweigh the risks of potential weight gain. Lifestyle changes, such as a diabetes-friendly diet and exercise, may help you maintain a healthy body weight.

5. Do you have to take Levemir forever?

For some people, yes — Levemir is a medication they might take long term. But the answer for you depends on which type of diabetes you have and how well you manage your blood glucose. It’s important to note that there’s no cure for diabetes. And insulin is just one part of a person’s overall diabetes treatment plan.

People who have Type 1 diabetes don’t make enough insulin on their own. So taking insulin is necessary. They will have to take some type of insulin for the rest of their lives. Whether or not that’s Levemir, or a combination that includes Levemir, is a decision that you and your healthcare provider should make together.

People with Type 2 diabetes make insulin, but they can’t use it as well as a person without diabetes. So people with Type 2 diabetes don’t always need insulin. Treatment with a medication such as Levemir may be recommended if lifestyle changes and other diabetes medications aren’t working well enough. But depending on how well-controlled your glucose levels are, you may not always need insulin.

Discuss your diabetes treatment plan with your healthcare provider if you’re concerned or have questions about it. There may be alternatives to Levemir that you can take. But never stop or try to change your insulin dosage without your provider’s guidance.

How can you save on Levemir?

There are ways to save on Levemir, which is only available as a brand-name medication. GoodRx can help you navigate between patient assistance programs and copay savings cards to save money on your prescription.

• Save with patient assistance programs. If you’re uninsured or underinsured, you may be eligible for Levemir’s patient assistance program, which offers the medication free of cost.

• Save with a copay savings card. If you have commercial insurance, you may be eligible to pay as little as $99 for Levemir using a savings card from the manufacturer.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Kristine Foley, PharmD

Kristine Foley is a licensed pharmacist with over 13 years of community pharmacy experience. She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Rutgers University.

Edited by:

Christina Aungst, PharmD

Christina Aungst, PharmD, is a pharmacy editor for GoodRx. She began writing for GoodRx Health in 2019, transitioning from freelance writer to editor in 2021.

Reviewed by:

Austin Ulrich, PharmD, BCACP

Austin Ulrich, PharmD, BCACP, is a board-certified ambulatory care clinical pharmacist. In his early career, he provided direct patient care in a variety of settings, including hospital and community pharmacies, and in a primary care clinic as a clinical pharmacist.

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