FAQs
Answers to common questions about Tresiba®.
About Tresiba®
Tresiba® is a long-acting insulin used to manage high blood sugar in adults and children as young as 1 year of age with diabetes.
Tresiba® is not for people with diabetic ketoacidosis.
Tray-si-bah is the correct pronunciation of Tresiba®.
Our "Question for Your Doctor" guide can help prepare you for a conversation with your health care provider about taking Tresiba®. Download the guide, print it out, and bring it to your next appointment.
Tresiba® is the only long-acting insulin approved for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes in children as young as 1 year of age.
Tresiba® is approved for adults and children as young as 1 year of age with diabetes.
Tresiba® is FDA approved to manage high blood sugar in adults and children who are 1 year of age and older with diabetes.
Adults can take once-daily Tresiba® at any time of day and can decide on a time and place that works best. However, children must take their dose at the same time every day.
Adults who miss or delay a dose should take Tresiba® as soon as they remember, then continue with their regular dosing schedule, making sure there are at least 8 hours between doses. If children miss a dose, their health care provider should be contacted, and blood glucose levels should be monitored more frequently until the next scheduled dose.
Yes, Tresiba®, a long-acting insulin, is often paired with a rapid-acting insulin to mimic the body’s natural insulin patterns.
Tresiba® can be used in combination with diabetes pills or fast-acting insulins.
Heart failure may occur in some people if taken with thiazolidinediones (TZDs). This can happen even if you have never had heart failure or heart problems. If you already have heart failure, it may get worse while you take TZDs with Tresiba®. Tell your health care provider if you have any new or worse symptoms of heart failure, including shortness of breath, tiredness, swelling of your ankles or feet, and sudden weight gain.
Other medicines also may interact with Tresiba®.
Tresiba® is taken by subcutaneous injection once daily. Your health care provider will tell you how to take Tresiba® based on your individual needs. If you think you need to adjust your insulin dose because of illness, new medicine, stress, change in diet, or change in activity level, make sure to talk to your health care provider.
Do not make any changes to your dose or the type of insulin you use, unless you are told to do so by your health care provider.
After wiping the skin on your thighs, upper arms, or abdomen with an alcohol swab, inject your prescribed dose of Tresiba®. Make sure to change (rotate) your injection sites within the area you choose with each dose to reduce your risk of getting lipodystrophy (pits in skin or thickened skin) and localized cutaneous amyloidosis (skin with lumps) at the injection sites.
Talk to your health care provider about possible side effects.
Tresiba® may cause serious side effects that can be life-threatening, including:
- Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Signs and symptoms that may indicate low blood sugar include dizziness, light-headedness, sweating, confusion, headache, blurred vision, slurred speech, shakiness, fast heart beat, anxiety, irritability, mood changes, and hunger
- Low potassium in your blood (hypokalemia)
- Heart failure in some people if taken with thiazolidinediones (TZDs). This can happen even if you have never had heart failure or heart problems. If you already have heart failure, it may get worse while you take TZDs with Tresiba®. Tell your health care provider if you have any new or worse symptoms of heart failure including shortness of breath, tiredness, swelling of your ankles or feet, and sudden weight gain
Your insulin dose may need to change because of change in level of physical activity or exercise, increased stress, change in diet, weight gain or loss, or illness.
- Common side effects may include serious allergic reactions (whole body reactions), reactions at the injection site, skin thickening or pits at the injection site (lipodystrophy), itching, rash, swelling of your hands and feet, and weight gain
Get emergency medical help if you have trouble breathing, shortness of breath, fast heartbeat, swelling of your face, tongue, or throat, sweating, extreme drowsiness, dizziness, or confusion.
Tell your health care provider about all medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Your Tresiba® dose may change if you take other medicines. Dosages of other medicines may change, too.
Heart failure may occur in some people if taken with thiazolidinediones (TZDs). This can happen even if you have never had heart failure or heart problems. If you already have heart failure, it may get worse while you take TZDs with Tresiba®. Tell your health care provider if you have any new or worse symptoms of heart failure, including shortness of breath, tiredness, swelling of your ankles or feet, and sudden weight gain.
There are other medicines that may cause clinically significant drug interactions with Tresiba®:
- Drugs that may increase the risk of hypoglycemia: antidiabetic agents, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blocking agents, disopyramide, fibrates, fluoxetine, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, pentoxifylline, pramlintide, salicylates, somatostatin analogs (eg, octreotide), sulfonamide antibiotics, GLP-1 receptor agonists, DPP-4 inhibitors, and SGLT-2 inhibitors
- Drugs that may decrease the blood glucose lowering effect: atypical antipsychotics (eg, olanzapine and clozapine), corticosteroids, danazol, diuretics, estrogens, glucagon, isoniazid, niacin, oral contraceptives, phenothiazines, progestogens (eg, in oral contraceptives), protease inhibitors, somatropin, sympathomimetic agents (eg, albuterol, epinephrine, terbutaline), and thyroid hormones
- Drugs that may increase or decrease the blood glucose lowering effect: alcohol, beta-blockers, clonidine, lithium salts, and pentamidine
- Drugs that may blunt the signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia: beta-blockers, clonidine, guanethidine, and reserpine
Data from one unpublished trial and the published literature with Tresiba® use during pregnancy have not identified a drug-associated risk of major birth defects, miscarriage, or other adverse maternal or fetal outcomes. There are risks to the mother and fetus associated with poorly controlled diabetes in pregnancy.
Both long-acting, basal-insulins differ in their risk factors for major cardiovascular events. In a large safety study vs Lantus® in adults with type 2 diabetes and heart disease, Tresiba® did not increase their risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death.
Tresiba® also had a lower rate of severe low blood sugar, a possible serious side effect of insulin.
Tresiba® FlexTouch® and Vial
Tresiba® is available from pharmacies in the following ways:
- 100 units/milliliter (U-100): Tresiba® FlexTouch® (5 pens/pack)
- 200 units/milliliter (U-200): Tresiba® FlexTouch® (3 pens/pack)
- 100 units/milliliter (U-100): Tresiba® multiple-dose, 10-mL vial (1 vial/pack)
Tresiba® FlexTouch® is a prefilled insulin device from Novo Nordisk. Tresiba® FlexTouch® has been designed with no push-button extension and offers an audible click when your dose is delivered.a
aAfter dose counter has returned to 0, keep needle in skin for 6 seconds before the needle is removed. If you do not, you may not have received your full dose and you should check your blood sugar levels more often because you may need more insulin. You may or may not hear an audible click at end of dose.
There are 300 units of insulin in the Tresiba® U100 pens (1500 units total in the pack of 5) and 600 units of insulin in the Tresiba® U200 pen (1800 units total in the pack of 3).
Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Tresiba® affects you. Do not drink alcohol or use prescription or over-the-counter medicines that contain alcohol.
For Tresiba® FlexTouch® U-100, the minimum dose is 1 unit and the maximum dose is 80 units in a single injection.
For Tresiba® FlexTouch® U-200, the minimum dose is 2 units and the maximum dose is 160 units in a single injection.
Other prefilled injection pens have a push button that extends when the dose is dialed up. Tresiba® FlexTouch® has a spring-loaded mechanism that allows the push button to stay in place at any dose.
Tresiba® FlexTouch® is compatible with all universal fit needles. We recommend NovoFine® Plus needles—our shortest, thinnest needles available.
Do not reuse or share your needles with other people. You may give them a serious infection or get a serious infection from them.
The Tresiba® vial allows you to dose in half-unit increments, which may be helpful if you or your child are taking a small dose of Tresiba®.
The vial offers an option for patients who prefer vials or children who require fewer than 5 units a day.
Store unused Tresiba® FlexTouch® pens and vials in the refrigerator at 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C). After use, Tresiba® may be kept at room temperature (up to 86°F) or refrigerated for up to 8 weeks.
Store unused Tresiba® FlexTouch® pens and vials in the refrigerator at 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C). After use, Tresiba® may be kept at room temperature (up to 86°F) or refrigerated for up to 8 weeks.
Used needles or syringes and any empty Tresiba® FlexTouch® pens should be discarded in a sharps container or some type of hard plastic or metal container with a tight-fitting, puncture-resistant lid, such as an empty detergent bottle. Disposal requirements may vary locally. Check with your health care provider about the right way to throw away used needles. Order a free sharps disposal or medicine return container from Novo Nordisk.
Tresiba® Savings and Support
If you have any additional questions, ask your health care provider or call Novo Nordisk at 1-800-727-6500.
Novo Nordisk is committed to your success with Tresiba®. That’s why we give you plenty of resources to help you stay on track with your diabetes care plan. In addition to information about Tresiba®, there are educational videos and downloadable resources specifically tailored to you. Visit the NovoCare® website to have access to all these diabetes management tools.
Tresiba® has 89.2% national formulary coverage (commercial and Medicare Part D combined) and is covered nationwide on the majority of Medicare Part D plans.
Insulin degludec is the unbranded biologic version of Tresiba® available from Novo Nordisk Pharma, Inc. If you have any additional questions, ask your health care provider or call Novo Nordisk at 1-800-727-6500.
For commercial (private or employer-based) insurance patients: With the Tresiba® Savings Offer, you may pay as little as $35 or no more than $99 per prescription.
For Medicare Part D patients: As of January 2023, pay no more than $35 per 30-day supply (applies to patients on any Medicare Part D plan that covers Tresiba®).
Low-Income Subsidy or Extra Help patients likely pay $10.35 per month or less.
If you have private or commercial insurance (such as insurance you receive through your employer or purchase yourself), you can apply for the Tresiba® Savings Offer and you may pay as little as $35a or no more than $99 per prescription.
Novo Nordisk understands how important it is for people to get the medicine they need. We have developed a variety of affordability options to help you get your insulin.
Visit the NovoCare® website for affordability options.
