Lantus- When to take?

[milespro]

I've been taking 15 units of Lantus when I go to sleep at night per my doctors instructions. However I'm curious if it may be beneficial to take it in the morning due to my schedule. Also I'm wondering if anyone else does this?

In any case, my schedule is like the following:

I work until 1am, sometimes 3am. due to overtime..
I get to sleep between 2am and 4:30am. I
I actually take my insulin around 11pm-2am, depending on the following factors:
What time I had dinner, what time I get off work, and/or if I have my insulin with me at work.
I wake up between 11am-1am and eat breakfast at that time. I small lunch or snack around 4pm and dinner around 8pm.

My numbers range from 70s- 140s in the morning depending on what I eat the night before. I typically eat more in the late evening after work and I feel this may be unheathy.. I'm working on fixing this habit..

In any case, the main reasoning for all of this is my odd schedule and also it appears that when I eat in the morning I have way higher spikes then if I were to eat the same thing later in the afternoon or evening.

For example, I eat P&B Sandwiches.
Low carb bread 2 slices total 18carbs - Net 12 carbs after subtracting fiber.
Peanut butter is about 6-10 carbs minus a few fiber depending on how much i use. ( I love PB :P)
Jelly has 5 carbs in 1 server thats about how much i use or less. No sugar.

This morning my sugar went from 70 to 215 after this sandwich but I can frequently eat this sandwich at lunch or dinner with a minimal spike..

I'm thinking that maybe by taking my insulin in the morning I can counter these spikes as I must be very sensitive to carbs in the AM.

I figure that my insulin would work best during the time that I'm having all these meals but it appears most people take it at night..

Any thoughts?

-Miles

[BlueSky]

I've been taking 15 units of Lantus when I go to sleep at night ...... This morning my sugar went from 70 to 215 after this sandwich but I can frequently eat this sandwich at lunch or dinner with a minimal spike..

I'm thinking that maybe by taking my insulin in the morning I can counter these spikes as I must be very sensitive to carbs in the AM. ....
I can't see how moving your Lantus to the morning would help. It takes a few hours after injecting for Lantus to get up to full strength. So, if you inject before bed, it should be up to speed by the time you have breakfast. And you may find that your blood sugar spikes even more if you shift the Lantus shot to the morning.

The morning is always the most challenging time for keeping BG down, because of the DP effect. The easiest way to deal with the problem is to limit the carbs at breakfast and eat them later in the day. :)

[milespro]

I can't see how moving your Lantus to the morning would help. It takes a few hours after injecting for Lantus to get up to full strength. So, if you inject before bed, it should be up to speed by the time you have breakfast. And you may find that your blood sugar spikes even more if you shift the Lantus shot to the morning.

The morning is always the most challenging time for keeping BG down, because of the DP effect. The easiest way to deal with the problem is to limit the carbs at breakfast and eat them later in the day. :)

While I do see what your saying, but by morning time my insulin has already appeared to have most of its effect.. occasionally giving me a low. For instance if I go to bed with my BG being about 125 or less, I will wake up having a low in the morning, in order to counter act my low I must eat some carbohydrate and hence I spike. I suppose I could try lowering my insulin dose, however I've slowly moved up to 15 per my docs instructions due to the BG's numbers I previously had. Only now have my numbers been somewhat decent with this dose amount.

[BlueSky]

..... if I go to bed with my BG being about 125 or less, I will wake up having a low in the morning, in order to counter act my low I must eat some carbohydrate and hence I spike. ....
This shouldn't happen. And, yes, your Lantus does couls bee too high. You can try reducing the dose. Or you could have a low GI snack before going to bed. :proud:

[ProudNanaof5]

I take 28 units of Lantus each morn. around 6a.m. I usually eat 1 1/2 hours later. My endo told me to take in the morn as you can detect hypos more eaiser. I find it more comforting to know that I am not asleep when I take my Lantus. I know it is slow acting but I usually drop several points before I eat breakfast. :hmmmm2:

[GregGolden]

My doc told me not to take Lantus in the morning because is takes a few hours for it to start working, and those hours should be when you were sound asleep, not eating.

[milespro]

My doc told me not to take Lantus in the morning because is takes a few hours for it to start working, and those hours should be when you were sound asleep, not eating.


I agree with this as well, but i sleep for 8-9 hours.. Seems like it would be more effective to take it in the am, and have it working while I'm eating throughout the day.

I suppose I could just try it for awhile and see.. I think I may also trying to lower my dose at night time for awhile as well. Thanks for the feedback thus far. ;)

[grace girl]

I've found that lantus is really an individual thing, just like everything else with diabetes. I took it at night for several months, and I had serious problems with AM lows...but lowering the dose caused problems with highs during the day. (there are limits as to just how much humalog one can take!)
I learned the "pattern" that Lantus has in my body, my endo and I agreed that I needed to take it in the am. I learned from it's pattern what it was doing at what hour in the dose, so when I switched, I knew what to expect.
I no longer have problems with overnight lows, and I am taking normal amounts of humalog. The spike that I get from it now happens during the day, and I know exactly when it happens so I can compensate for it with less insulin.

If you switch to am, it will do the same thing it does to you now, just at different times. If you think it through, you will be able to determine what would be the best time for you to take it to make it work for you. I think that's the whole trick, finding how to make it work for YOU, instead of you working for it. Feeding that lantus every night got old really quick for me.

[milespro]

I've found that lantus is really an individual thing, just like everything else with diabetes. I took it at night for several months, and I had serious problems with AM lows...but lowering the dose caused problems with highs during the day. (there are limits as to just how much humalog one can take!)
I learned the "pattern" that Lantus has in my body, my endo and I agreed that I needed to take it in the am. I learned from it's pattern what it was doing at what hour in the dose, so when I switched, I knew what to expect.
I no longer have problems with overnight lows, and I am taking normal amounts of humalog. The spike that I get from it now happens during the day, and I know exactly when it happens so I can compensate for it with less insulin.

If you switch to am, it will do the same thing it does to you now, just at different times. If you think it through, you will be able to determine what would be the best time for you to take it to make it work for you. I think that's the whole trick, finding how to make it work for YOU, instead of you working for it. Feeding that lantus every night got old really quick for me.

Thanks for the reply - It makes me feel more conformtable hearing this from other people. I really think it will work better for me mainly because my schedule flucuates frequently with what times I eat and go to sleep.. however I typically wake up at the same time.. should help bring some more consistency to my bgs. Thanks again!

[trailrunner]

Sounds like we have a similar schedual, I work from12-12 or 1-1 . I take mine at noon, Seems to work well. I have few lows and my am numbers are great.

[rzrbks]

I actually take my insulin around 11pm-2am

That's a pretty broad span of time. I know, in my case, for me, not necessarily applies to anyone else I know that my B/G is gonna be off the next day if I inject Lantus more that 90 minutes later than normal.

I inject between10:30pm -- 11:30pm everyday, but the few times I have missed the 90 minute window, my B/G was off the next day.

[corwin]

I'm trying to take my lantus at the exact same time every day, logically there should be a difference in bg the further you move from this time.

:topic:

I inject between10:30pm -- 11:30pm everyday, but the few times I have missed the 90 minute window, my B/G was off the next day.

Lets count again rzrbks, slowly this time, how many minutes are there between 10:30pm and 11:30pm? hint: it's not 90.
I know I know, it's not what you meant, I just had to say something :tee:

[Tsukia]

I have been using Lantus for a few years now but what was recommended due to high morning bs was that i split it up so i do half of mine when i get up and half about 8 hours later ( breakfast and supper). This has seemed to help get it under better control.

however as others have noted it really depends on the person and how your body reacts to the lantus

[rzrbks]

Lets count again rzrbks, slowly this time, how many minutes are there between 10:30pm and 11:30pm? hint: it's not 90.

You young whipper-snapper, picking on old folks like that. lol

[thesaber2000]

at first i took lantus at night, but then my doc switched me to the morning because i had higher bg in the evening, but i would consult your doctor before you switch

[Stuboy]

i take mine around 9pm everyday

[TenderVittleS]

I seem to like it better at midnight, I tried adjusting it to take it during the day but I felt a little more tired, maybe because of the adjusting, but now it seems I trained my body that after I take my Lantus I should go to sleep soon.

[fran76]

My husband had to switch to taking it in the morning. He works in construction and was finding that when he woke up he was often very low. It seems to help him to take it in the AM along with a short acting insulin.