Lantus Dosing and Timing

[Tyler]

Whether you take one shot or two, what times and dosages do you use for Lantus?

I've been using 15 units of Levemir at 9am and 10 units at 9pm. I'm trying to figure out where to start. I'm going to try to see if one shot will cut it for me first.

[grace girl]

When I took lantus in one shot I took 24 units.

Now I take 16 units at 9am and 4 units at 9pm.

[DanG]

Whether you take one shot or two, what times and dosages do you use for Lantus?

I've been using 15 units of Levemir at 9am and 10 units at 9pm. I'm trying to figure out where to start. I'm going to try to see if one shot will cut it for me first.

I tried split dose lantus... once.
That was it for me, as the paramedics had to visit us at 3AM.
I do 24 units at breakfast, and no more lows at night.
I am happy with that.
Plus, I do a bit more lantus than really necessary, as it does lower bs slightly, I think. But that is much better than lows at night, I think.

[sofaraway]

i use 15 units of lantus at 10pm, it lasts around 20 hours for me and I cover the gap with my dinner novorapid.

any reason for the switch from levemir to lantus?

[Rachel330]

Right now I take 15 units of Lantus at 9 PM:)

[shabbie6247]

Whether you take one shot or two, what times and dosages do you use for Lantus?

I've been using 15 units of Levemir at 9am and 10 units at 9pm. I'm trying to figure out where to start. I'm going to try to see if one shot will cut it for me first.

hi tyler,
what reasons are you on levemir split dose, and why are you switching to lantus?

be aware that if you decide to go 1x with lantus from 2x levemir, you will need to drop the last dose nearest to the first new one (if that makes sense), that way you wont be overloaded with basal, although this way will make you run high for several hours until the new one kicks in.

i recently spent loads of time trying to acheive a balance with my levemir shots ~ failed for me, but not through lack of trying!

[rzrbks]

if your #s are good with Levemir, why change what's working?

to answer your question, tho, 18 units of Lantus at 11:30 pm every night.

[Tyler]

Thanks for the feedback.

I don't like the way Levemir peaks at times. As well, I want to see if I can do well with just one shot a day.

I wonder if it is best to take it at night or in the morning to avoid night time lows?

I would think that it would be best taken at night as that would make sure there was an adequate supply in the morning, the time that most people's blood sugar begins to rise. That way it would be tapering off in the evening so that one, you could catch any highs that may be coming before the next dose, and two, it wouldn't be wearing off in the morning.

[shabbie6247]

i've just noticed that you use a pump. if that is still the case i'm curious to know why you also take a seperate basal?

[howdysf]

I do 18 units of Lantus @ 7:30 p.m.

[Tyler]

i've just noticed that you use a pump. if that is still the case i'm curious to know why you also take a seperate basal?

Whoops, that needs updating. After I came off of my drug trial with AERx I went back to my pump for a week and then decided to go to shots. It's too hot and I'm too active in the summer to be wearing it right now.

[shabbie6247]

makes sense.

almost forgot, i take 12 units levemir at bedtime. covers me all night, all day, but not the evening to bedtime :-(

[jen_slc]

I would think that it would be best taken at night as that would make sure there was an adequate supply in the morning, the time that most people's blood sugar begins to rise. That way it would be tapering off in the evening so that one, you could catch any highs that may be coming before the next dose, and two, it wouldn't be wearing off in the morning.I split my Lantus dose into 8u at 10-11am and 7u at 10-11pm because Lantus only lasts ~18hrs for me.

I would be wary of the "catching any highs that may be coming off before the next dose"... you don't want to have to watch every day, the same time every day, whether your BG is starting to rise. For me, that's not acceptable in my life. I would like to be confident that my BGs are stable without having to monitor more than normal and to have to play catch up with any highs. Of course, if Lantus really does last 24 hours for you, it won't be a problem!

[LantusFiend]

I take my dose whenever I wake up. Today was fifteen units, but it's flexible, has been as low as 8 (and I still went hypo all that day:( ) and as high as 24. Usually it's 12-18.

I take Lantus in the mornings partly because it seems to be a lot less strong by night time.

[Nixo]

I take 10 units of Lantus at 9 in the morning,that sees me through till the next day fine.

[shockme]

hi tyler! i take 10 units around 6 pm trish

[DanG]

I would think that it would be best taken at night as that would make sure there was an adequate supply in the morning, the time that most people's blood sugar begins to rise. That way it would be tapering off in the evening so that one, you could catch any highs that may be coming before the next dose, and two, it wouldn't be wearing off in the morning.

Try it in the morning - full dose and see how you live with that.

For me, breakfast and 5 units humalog are fine - no real peaks to worry about, as I wake up spot on at/near 100. Dinner is 7 units humalog, but lunch is huge at 10 units. 10 units seems huge to me and I often worry about low - but I rarely get after lunch low.

Your concern regarding "...highs that may be coming before the next dose, and two, it wouldn't be wearing off in the morning." should be considered as unimportant, as you are asleep at the time you are considering these things to be occuring. With night time dose, there was nothing for lantus to react against, so it knocked me out. Now, I am fully aware if there is low (as I take lantus at breakfast) - whether the low is lantus or humalog - I don't care - I'm awake and capable of doing something against the low. Whereas at night, the low has gotcha in the wrong place.

[jen_slc]

Your concern regarding "...highs that may be coming before the next dose, and two, it wouldn't be wearing off in the morning." should be considered as unimportant, as you are asleep at the time you are considering these things to be occuring.Why should a high that is coming before the next dose be unimportant just because you're asleep? :confused: Blood glucose that starts creeping up during the night is not a good thing. Sitting at higher than normal glucose levels for the length of time we're asleep, night in and night out so to speak, is damaging over time. Or did I interpret what you're trying to say incorrectly?

[cheryl]

I used to take my lantus at 11pm every night, cause I used to work second shift when I started my lantus and that was the time that was convient, now when I didn't work second shift I took it at 10pm or even 9 pm if i was really really tired, but it seemed to always be about 11pm mostly.....especially towards the last months on it...

I was on 24 units had to drop it down to 17 units before I started pumping.....and still got low in the middle of the night a lot and I never really experienced it running out at all...it seemed to last sometimes longer then 24 hours for me, cause on a few occasions since I took lantus so late, I fell asleep without taking it, and woke up all like omg, and my blood sugar was only in the mid 100's at 3 or 4 am....

Cheryl

[DanG]

Why should a high that is coming before the next dose be unimportant just because you're asleep? :confused: Blood glucose that starts creeping up during the night is not a good thing. Sitting at higher than normal glucose levels for the length of time we're asleep, night in and night out so to speak, is damaging over time. Or did I interpret what you're trying to say incorrectly?

I don't have glucose levels creeping up at night - that was a statement toward my experience.

What you say is absolutely correct - rising glucose levels are damaging over time.

I guess with dinner humalog ending by midnight (6 hours as some say) plus lantus cycle ending probably early AM (20 hours as some say) I cannot imagine a rising glucose level in anyone, based on my experience. But, I am only one statistic in the mix.

Also by my experience, I cannot endorse split lantus dosing - that utterly failed for me, but the breakfast lantus is highly successful for me at present.

[Tyler]

I'm going to try one time at night and see what happens. If that doesn't work I'll start adding a morning dose.

It would make the most sense to take it at night to prevent DP, so that's what I'll do.

[Alice]

After many long years, I now successfully control basel with splitting Lantus. 18 in a.m. and 7 around 9 p.m. I'm flexible with the times and seem to do ok. I do like to remember 9 p.m. so I don't forget to take when I'm tired...or try to remember if I took if I'm tired!

Night dosage of 100% always sent me very low around 4-6 a.m. Remember that although there is no "strong peak" there is a 4 hour acceleration period and some people can feel the kick at 4 hours. I did at 100% on one dose, even when switching to a.m. dosage.

Now, that initial 4 hour kick is diminished by splitting. On top of the 4 hour warm-up, I wasn't getting a full 24 hour at times, then other vials/cartridges, I would, plus some.

The split just took some of the edge off. Two lower curves instead of a giant one. Wish I had done it years ago.