PDA

View Full Version : Bad batch


NJL
07-01-2008, 02:24 PM
Last Wednesday I picked up two new vials of Lantus from my pharmacy. That night I injected 28 units (prescribed dosage) at 10 pm the usual time. Immediately following I felt something was wrong. I checked my sugar at 10:05 and I was 156, then @ 10:10 it read 101. At that point i knew something was up and assumed I had accidentally injected Humulog instead of the Lantus. I proceeded to chug oj while keeping track of the amount of servings consumed. 18 servings later I was 65 and out of oj. I rushed to the store down the road to get more juice. Luckily there was a cop and an EMT hanging out in the parking lot of the store. I told them my predicament, the EMT tested me and it read 20. He immediately gave me an IV and pumped full of simple sugar. A minute later I was 201 but appeared to be falling again. So they took me to the ER where they monitored me for about 3 hours.
This whole time I thought I had taken the wrong insulin, which I had never done before, and was extremely upset that I could have been so stupid and almost killed myself.
So the next night I was a bit nervous taking my nightly lantus shot because of the previous nights disaster, but told myself it couldn't happen again. I left myself high (mid-high200's) and took 25 units. Long story short the same thing happend but this time i was prepared and acted quicker. One sandwhich and 14 srvings of oj i lvld off at 75.
Next day I told my Dr at the Joslin Cntr and he said there is no way Lantus should be doing this..I aggreed. He suggested trying half the dose at night and then half 12 hours later. I was fine that night but still crashed even with half the dose and then the next day severly crashed again when I took the second half.
Talked to the Dr again he said he would call in a new prescription and don't use that bottle again. Picked up the new vial of Lantus on Saturday, and everything has been fine since while back on the regular dosage. The pharmacy was calling the FDA and Aventis to let them know.
Sry for the long post but has this happened to anyone else before? Secondly, any opinions on what I should do about this...if anything.....Thx for reading.

poodlebone
07-01-2008, 04:01 PM
Wow, if it happened one time I'd say maybe you injected into a the bloodstream by accident somehow, but not when you've had repeated episodes. Does Aventis make a short acting insulin? I used Lantus briefly 3+ years ago and don't remember a whole lot about it, but I know it's clear.

UpNorth
07-01-2008, 04:25 PM
Aventis has Apidra too, which is rapid...

But gee... That must have been really scary! It's really lucky you ran into that EMT!

shiftzor
07-01-2008, 05:25 PM
Ouch, get some glucogel it tastes like sh*t but does the trick when you are in dangerous situations like that, as it should absorb faster than your insulin can act.

http://www.bbihealthcare.com/assets/glucogel.jpg

NJL
07-01-2008, 07:59 PM
That was the first time I have been "Scared" in my DB career. Also my first, and hopefully last, trip in an ambulance due to diabetes. I take pride in taking care of myself and keeping tight control so this experience was an eye opener. A rep from Aventis gave me a call today to try to down play the situation, which did not make me feel any better. I told him I am sending the vial off for independent teting and that did not make him feel very good. So we shall see if it was tainted in the near future. In the meantime, I went out and bought a case of that gel...never can be to sure ;) Thx for the replies.

mortis505
07-01-2008, 10:58 PM
Scary!!! Glad you are ok though. Let us know the results of the testing.

EazyE77
07-02-2008, 04:59 AM
That was the first time I have been "Scared" in my DB career. Also my first, and hopefully last, trip in an ambulance due to diabetes. I take pride in taking care of myself and keeping tight control so this experience was an eye opener. A rep from Aventis gave me a call today to try to down play the situation, which did not make me feel any better. I told him I am sending the vial off for independent teting and that did not make him feel very good. So we shall see if it was tainted in the near future. In the meantime, I went out and bought a case of that gel...never can be to sure ;) Thx for the replies.

I hate when people care more about making themselves look better to try to avoid a legal case or what not and make it sound as if it were part of the users fault rather than taking responsibility putting the thing that should be priority #1 in importance which is you the customer because lets face it it's your life that's in the hands of this medicine. People like that rep appall me and it sickens me to an extreme point. Good luck with the testing and let us know what happens. Also on a main note I'm glad you're ok and sorry you had to experience that horrifying back to back scare! Keep up the great work in taking pride in taking control of yourself.