Oral Pharmacotherapy as Alternative Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in a 61 Year Old Ethnic Filipino Man with Insulin Allergies.

Allergy to insulin occurs in approximately 2% of patients treated with insulin. However, major guidelines fail to emphasize this serious adverse effect. In this article, we report on a 61 year old ethnic Filipino man who developed urticaria and pruritus with a swollen tongue, which necessitated a visit to the emergency department. His clinical diagnosis was confirmed by a high titer of anti-insulin antibodies. His condition was successfully managed by discontinuing insulin and by treatment with oral hypoglycemic agents, with no additional adverse reactions. At the most recent follow-up visit, his antibody titer had fallen; however, that titer has not normalized. Also, the patient currently does not have uticaria.