Whether to take insulin with or without glucose-lowering drugs should be judged on its own merits, and each patient is different. Insulin can be used alone or in combination with oral hypoglycemic drugs. Diabetic patients have absolute or relative insufficiency of insulin in their bodies, so they can be treated with exogenous insulin. Clinically, they are categorized as rapid-acting, short-acting, intermediate-acting, long-acting, and premixed insulin based on the rapidity of onset and duration of maintenance. Insulin can be used either alone or in combination with oral hypoglycemic agents. Indications for insulin include type 1 diabetes mellitus, severe acute or chronic complications of diabetes mellitus, type 2 diabetes mellitus that does not achieve glycemic control goals with oral hypoglycemic agents, and specific types of diabetes mellitus. Common adverse effects of insulin include hypoglycemia, mild edema, blurred vision, allergic reactions, and lipoatrophy or hyperplasia. Whether you need to take glucose-lowering drugs to take insulin, you need to use the medication according to your doctor’s advice.