Lantus - any of it absorbed instantly?

[Morris "Type 1"]

I don't know if its psychological, today I haven't been feeling amazing but sugars are reasonable. 5.0 on average, 5.5 - 6.0 after food. I haven't been taking my novorapid for maybe a week now, but the reason I created this thread is because I feel like I receive an instant effect from the lantus.

Anyone else noticed this or am I imagining it ?

Just to clarify I am definitely injecting into SC.

[sarahspins]

It's most likely imagined.. because it's an acidic suspention, it has to be neutralized by the body before the insulin is biologically available for use. That's how it sustains such "level" action without really pronounced peaks.

If you're worried, you may consider switching to levemir.. it's method of absorption/action is completely different.

[Subby]

What do you mean by effect?

[Morris "Type 1"]

I can't really recall at the moment, but tonight if I notice it again I will make a point of jotting a note here.

I think it kind of made me settled, maybe even less tired, :$, after reading what sarahspins wrote I am slightly embaressed lol

Thanks for clearing that up lol

[Subby]

Nah, don't get embarrassed by any questioning, and don't take any person's opinion or experience as absolute. Here's what I found with Lantus: sometimes it would give me a kind of buzzing, dopey feeling, completely unique to it, in the few hours after injecting. Not often, but sometimes.

In the longer term, I found that it caused something like (but not quite the same as) depressing, confused thoughts, weird sensations "in the head", and a sense of draining fatigue. I wasn't quite sure at the time it was the Lantus although I half suspected. On going off it I felt like a new person within 2 days.

OK, I know it's frustrating when someone says something like that and you have no way of verifying if it was happening or if they were just imagining it. But something clinched it for me personally: when I got off it, it was going onto the pump. This range of issues cleared up and went away. A few weeks later I lost a bit of the pump and had to go back to injections for a weekend. On injecting, within 3 hours I felt a horrible return to these same issues. I had a terrible weekend. On going off the Lantus again, it just vanished quickly, for a second time, and never returned. Being someone who won't go without testing at least 8 times a day, you can at least discount it was just a change in BG control doing this - I would have been correcting if I was having issues, so, not a big jump in BG levels (which can have a set of awful effects).

There seems to be some people who (somewhat controversially) have had similar issues with Lantus - commonly people call it "depression" although it didn't quite feel that way to me. So a search on Lantus and depression would get you some info on that (and probably a number of posts of me suggesting the same thing to various people ;) )

Unfortunately, different insulins can have side effects for some people. It's better you know about it "just in case" rather than being in the dark for years, as I was.

[sarahspins]

after reading what sarahspins wrote I am slightly embaressed lol

Don't be! You wouldn't know if you didn't ask, right? :D

[It Ain't Over]

Subby, there are some reports out there about Lantus have possible side effects. Didn't understand them and this is the first I had heard from anyone with that experience.
I wonder about all the chemistry in insulin. I have used nothing but Novolog for years. Even when my pump has failed I just go to shots every two hours to get by. But even a simpler formula like Novolog smells to high heaven. It has the odor of ether.
I guess I hope this stuff isn't causing even more damage than we already deal with. Guess there is little choice in the matter.

[Subby]

Subby, there are some reports out there about Lantus have possible side effects. Didn't understand them and this is the first I had heard from anyone with that experience.
I wonder about all the chemistry in insulin. I have used nothing but Novolog for years. Even when my pump has failed I just go to shots every two hours to get by. But even a simpler formula like Novolog smells to high heaven. It has the odor of ether.
I guess I hope this stuff isn't causing even more damage than we already deal with. Guess there is little choice in the matter.

Well, bodily fluids can reek as well ;) I don't think insulin is very high on the list of worrying about side effects, unless they happen to occur. I get smaller side effects like nausia, headaches, with everything except Novorapid (and I suspect from observation, Novorapid increases my fatigue to some degree... that sucks but I'm stuck with it). In general I think these are mostly simple mild allergies, that some people are susceptible to.

With the Lantus, I have no theory that's it's "bad" and no theory that it causes permanent damage. But it did seem to work in a significant body and mind altering way, for me. It's tricky to convey how a set of symptoms are unique to a drug or situation. But the Lantus effects were extremely prominent to my perception, once I got off it.

Here is a thread worth browsing through. I don't put it here as conspiracy fodder, I'd suggest taking any theories with a grain of salt. Plus, I think many of the posts don't quite clue into what is being discussed, that it might be giving side effects... for example those saying Lantus improved their mental state - because obviously it's given them better control - ... but in there you'll find a few reasoned people who seem to have found similar issues to what I did.

http://www.diabetesforums.com/forum/type-1-diabetes/26520-re-all-lantus-users.html

[Morris "Type 1"]

One of the things I have noticed with lantus is I get muscle cramping, or at least it feels like my muscles may be on the verge of cramping and if i change position it goes away. I rarely get cramp otherwise, weird.

I didn't notice any effects of it really last night, it stung a little bit on injection though, its funny.. If I inject one side it stings, the other side I feel no irritation (stomach area).

By the way, thank you for encouraging me to ask questions, feels nice :D hehe