Lantus users that go low A LOT!!!

[Scarlett]

OK... so the other thread is going a little slow. Maybe this is a more relative thread since there are quite a lot of this in some of the posts I've been reading.....any takers???

Do you find that you go low (Lantus users!)even if you're on a "good" regimen?

[jen_slc]

Yes, yes and yes. Like you mentioned in your other thread about NOT going low a lot, I also wake up on the low side in the same range as you, and if I tweak my PM dose (or even my AM dose) I end up high... I'm beginning to think there just isn't going to be a perfect dose and I'll just have to be satisfied with what I'm already doing - I'd rather wake up a wee bit low than high, or higher later on in the day.

Have you ever played with half doses? I think I might try that and see if I can remain stable through the night without a bedtime snack. Most of the time I don't mind the snack b/c I'm hungry, but some nights eating is the last thing I want to do.

I do still consider myself on a good regime though... it's just that these minor tweaks can take so much effort! and you're not guaranteed they will even work. :T

[christie]

i'm on lantus and i still have some low's,although not the low's i had when i was on humalin u,when i was that one i never knew if i could get up in the am. lantus although not perfect is better for me.

[Gary_W]

Over the last few days, yes. And before Christmas I used to bounce off the end stops but that was purely because I had no idea of what dose I should have been on.

Early this year, I realised I was taking way too much lantus and spent most of my time feeding it. If I didn't feed the beast, the beast bit me and hard.

I cut the amount from 35 units to 20 units overnight. Desperate, but an incredibly lucky guess as that has been bang on for the past few months.

A fortunate side effect of this lantus cut has been that I've lost 30lbs already, which is great. Oh, and my A1c is is <6.5 for the first time ever. Due to the welcome weight loss, the lantus needs to come back a little. I'm finding that at the 4 hours after eating point I'm still dropping a bit so that sounds like a basal issue to me as the Novorapid is all gone by then. Or it is in me anyway :)

So back to 18 last night and we'll see how it goes... I'm 2.5 hours after eating and a BG of 8.4 (151). I'm normally better than this at the 2.5 hour point, but I'm not changing anything for a few days; as others here have said, Lantus does seem to take a few days to settle when you make changes.

Good luck with sorting yours out. If my evening BG's stay in the 8's I'll be asking my own Lantus question in a day or two, but I'm just keeping my fingers crossed at the moment.

Gary

[grace girl]

I think getting the dose set correctly is the secret; and it doesn't always end up being perfect...just the best you can do. I used to have terrible lows from it, then I started doing some basal testing and I've backed off from 24 total units a day to 16...doing MUCH better but I still have one time of the day that I have to watch out for. (I take a split dose)

It takes some serious playing around with it, lots of testing...and remember to give it three days after a change to really see the true results.

[HelenM]

I have a fair number of hypos(12 in the last 14 days)but I don't think that its because of lantus in particular- more because any basal insulin can't adapt for variation in activity levels and mine varies a lot.

I 'm fine as long as I don't move!. Overnight, my BS doesn't change much, if I sit down at the computer, read a book etc it hardly varies after the novorapid has finished working. As soon as I move whether its gentle exercise such as shopping or more active such as running then my BS falls quickly. In the early evenings, about 2 hours before the lantus injection is due (and 'run out' ?) my BS will rise. I've found its a good time to exercise as I can avoid the otherwise inevitable hypo.
I actually don't see a solution to this, a cut in basal dosage would mean higher BS when inactive and overnight. For me its easier to corrrect the hypos. (although I realise that some people including my doctor feel that that it might be better to run at a higher level)

[owlyn]

I get far fewer lows with Lantus than I did with that nasty Humulin NPH. I can almost always account for the lows, though. Usually due to a miscalculation on my part regarding Humalog and exercise. BTW, I use Lantus one a day in the morning! This is how one avoids overnight lows.

[JasonJayhawk]

Lows happen on any insulin! No biggy! But if you have them frequently, consider lowering your basal. When you do that, you may need more for your bolus shots. Not a problemo!

If you aren't already spreading out your shots over twice a day, you might try that.

[Oradev]

I used to be on the pump and now I am on Lantus. I do have some lows on Lantus, but it is usually b/c of a bolus issue (too much bolus or correction) or heavy exercise. When I started Lantus a few years back (before I got on the pump), I was taking 23 units at night and 10 in the morning. Currently (post pump), I'm taking 11 units at night and 6 in the morning. I'm considering cutting my morning Lantus dose to 4 or 5 b/c my activity level has gone way up.

Adam

[spirosway]

I make 10 units lantus(and 10 humalog)and i dont have hypo because i know how fast or how slow my glycose change!!!(Sorry for my english,Im Greek hehe)!!!