If you have antibodies against insulin, your body reacts as if the insulin in your body is a foreign protein that needs to be removed. This result can be part of the testing that diagnoses you with autoimmune or type 1 diabetes.

If you have diabetes and develop anti-insulin antibodies, this may make insulin less effective, or not effective at all.

This is because the antibody prevents the insulin from working the right way in your cells. As a result, your blood sugar can be unusually high. Many people who are taking insulin to treat their diabetes have detectable antibodies. However, these antibodies do not cause symptoms or change the effectiveness of insulin.

The antibodies can also prolong the effect of insulin by releasing some insulin long after your meal has been absorbed. This can put you at risk for low blood sugar.

Other medicines, such as antihistamines or low-dose injectable steroids, may help to lessen the reaction. If reactions have been severe, you may need a treatment process called desensitization or another treatment to remove the antibodies from your blood.