Why do people still inject...

[Nussbrand1937]

...when there are insulin inhalers like Exubera?

[Scratch]

As it currently stands, Exubera only be inhaled in 3 or 9 unit increments of insulin, I think.

My insulin units to cabohydrates grams ratio is 1:10.

I want to eat dinner with 50 grams of carbohydrates. I'd much prefer to inject 5 units of Novolog than have to snort 2 3u's of Exbubera.

In fact, I'd prefer to inject over snorting anyhow.

[JediSkipdogg]

1) Because Exubera is only FDA approved for type 2s.
2) It requires a long acting insulin still like NPH. So you don't eliminate shots.
3) The inhaler is not small and won't fit in your pockets. So for a male, they'd have to carry a bag or something to hold it.
4) The doses are not exact yet. 1 unit of exubera is equal to 3 units of an insulin like Humalog. And you cannot break the dosing up, therefore you are highly limited to how good of a control you can obtain.

[LantusFiend]

I'm under the impression Exubera is approved for anyone over 18.
Exubera only covers meals, so I'd still have to take Lantus injections if I took exubera. Exubera is more expensive, less tried, more bulky, and doesn't come in the teeny dosages I am happy to get from my NovoPenJr.

[DeusXM]

Because the insulin inhaler is one of the worst-designed pieces of kit ever invented - it's overpriced, inefficient and it doesn't even do what it's supposed to do.

Also, injections aren't exactly a big deal either anyway. I'm not fussed at all about doing injections or blood tests. The pain in diabetes comes from having to think through everything first, not the needles.

[Gangrel]

I know another T1 here in town who was on a study for the inhaler. She loved it because she was deathly afraid of giving herself needles, so much so she would skip them sometimes.

In cases like that, an inhaler could be a godsend.

[buzzborne]

1) Because Exubera is only FDA approved for type 2s.

Is this true - its just that I was offered to go on it and I'm T1... :hmmmm2:

[Georgia]

Is this true - its just that I was offered to go on it and I'm T1... :hmmmm2:

When I went on an insulin course last summer the nurse brought in one of the inhalors & said it was suitable for type 1s & type 2s. May be the criteria has changed since?....

It was a big ugly looking device BTW ;)

[JediSkipdogg]

Is this true - its just that I was offered to go on it and I'm T1... :hmmmm2:

It appears they changed it. Originally it was type 2s only, however, it appears from their 2000000 times modified paperwork that it includes type 1s. However, no proof that it helps a type 1 yet.

[Alene]

I can't say I'm interested in the inhaler at all. I would take injections for that any day. At least you can be discreet with injections.

[Nussbrand1937]

From the Exubera website : "EXUBERA helps control high blood sugar. It works in adults with Type 1 diabetes. It works in people with Type 2 diabetes as well."

I'm already afraid of injections done by somebody else - by myself would be even worse for me.

[SueM]

From the Exubera website : "EXUBERA helps control high blood sugar. It works in adults with Type 1 diabetes. It works in people with Type 2 diabetes as well."

I'm already afraid of injections done by somebody else - by myself would be even worse for me.

Well you got 2 choices live or die.
With the inhaled stuff you have to take a break from it anyway, So what are you going to do then?
Oh and an after thought it doesn't act as a basal so you would still have to inject anyway.

[JediSkipdogg]

I know a bunch of other companies are working on an inhaled insulin as well. The biggest problems with the inhaled to date are...

1) Unknown long term effects on the teeth/gums and lungs
2) Dosing is not very accurate. 1 mg of Exubera is equal to 3 units of insulin. However, 3 mg of Exubera IS NOT equal to three 1 mg units of Exubera. So, one has to either be really smart to do alot of math or have a cheat method.
3) Studies to show the long term effects started this summer with completion in 2011 and results published by 2015. So, 9 years away still before we know if this stuff even helps.

[DeusXM]

The 4th problem is that it diverts funds away from something useful...like, oh, I dunno, a cure maybe?

I'm already afraid of injections done by somebody else - by myself would be even worse for me.

No-one likes injections at first. Trust me though, you'll be amazed at what you can get used to when you have to.

[Funnygrl]

Exubera is a remarkably stupid idea imo.

Old people, young people, smokers, and anyone with lung damage can't take it.

You base doses on weight, not food.

You can't precisely adjust doses. Three units is as small as you can go, oppose to 0.05.

You need to take long acting insulin.

The inhaler is massive and more complicated than injecting imo.

It's been proven to cause lung damage, but no one knows how much.

[grace girl]

I personally think the research money could have been better spent on something else. I won't ever use one.

[buzzborne]

I dont particularly like injecting either - and so instead of doing 4+ injections a day I was given the opportunity to use an insulflon which can be used up to 3 days and only have to your long lasting insulin asa 'proper' injection. so four injections through the skin in 3 days - not too bad going compared to 12+!!

[Funnygrl]

I dont particularly like injecting either - and so instead of doing 4+ injections a day I was given the opportunity to use an insulflon which can be used up to 3 days and only have to your long lasting insulin asa 'proper' injection. so four injections through the skin in 3 days - not too bad going compared to 12+!!
Do you use it? Do you like it?

[_em]

I am happy to get from my NovoPenJr.

What's the difference between a NovoPenJr and a NovoFlexPen?

[Funnygrl]

What's the difference between a NovoPenJr and a NovoFlexPen?
Novopen Jr can dose in half units and is reused. Flexpen doses in whole units and is disposable.

[buzzborne]

Do you use it? Do you like it?

Yeh i do use it and love it - so easy - i do have marks from them where they have been on my stomach - an some ppl with give you few dirty looks if they see it - it doesnt bother me - if it helps me that is the main thing, but if they keep on staring then i will say a few words out loud!! lol :rolleyes:

[Funnygrl]

Yeh i do use it and love it - so easy - i do have marks from them where they have been on my stomach - an some ppl with give you few dirty looks if they see it - it doesnt bother me - if it helps me that is the main thing, but if they keep on staring then i will say a few words out loud!! lol :rolleyes:
Sounds a lot like a pump set.

[notme]

Injecting never bothered me after the first one. After that it was a piece of cake. The insulin pump has been the best thing to come down the pike for me in a long time.

After going through a year of watching my father struggle with lung cancer, there is NO WAY that I would ever inhale insulin as a long term treatment.

[PeptideBong]

Different strokes for different folks.

Some people on here have changed their lives with the pump but I couldn't stand being hooked up to a machine all day and can still maintain great blood sugars with 5mm injections. If other people can lead a healthy happy life with the pump and others the same on injections then cudos to us all. If you can do it with inhaling insulin then go for it dude.

However if I can no longer maintain the same control with injections hook me up to one of those pumps and get me a Segway to travel around on.

Sorry for the bluntness. I seem to be on a role tonight. Hey, at least I am posting instead of lurking....

[Cyborg]

I thought Exubera was to help the elderly, handicapped and others that have problems caring for themselves using injection therapy.

[JediSkipdogg]

I thought Exubera was to help the elderly.

It was originally created...well marketed...for those afraid of injections. For those that are in denial of having diabetes and don't like needles they can prescribe exubera instead. However, I look at Exubera like I do everything else, you are going to go on needles/injections eventually...so why not just go on them to begin with and stop doing more harm than good. By that I mean the long term consequences that are assumed but not known (since it hasn't been around long enough) that will come from inhaling a powder medication.

[notme]

I agree different strokes, however the question was "why do people still inject". I was simply answering the question.

[condensr]

From the Exubera website : "EXUBERA helps control high blood sugar. It works in adults with Type 1 diabetes. It works in people with Type 2 diabetes as well."

I'm already afraid of injections done by somebody else - by myself would be even worse for me.

I'm actually sorta the opposite, I'd much rather give myself an injection than someone else do it. At first, yeah I was definitely apprehensive. I got the same apprehension when it came time to put in my first pump set (a regular Comfort set, YIKES!). But, like others have said, I knew the 'gig was up' so to speak and I had to do it or die. This was before insulin inhalers, but I still think I'd prefer to inject because of the accuracy of dosing.

[buzzborne]

Sounds a lot like a pump set.

Yeh it pretty much is - it wsa also to help me 'prepare' myself coz when i was 1st put on them there was a chance that I was a bout to go on a pump and wanted to make sure that I could put them in and was comfortable with it in etc etc...