Struggling....

[kemist]

I've been Type I now for over 14 years, and have noticed over the years that I now have to take a considerable does of N or intermediate acting insulin before I go to bed to counteract highs that peak around 6-7 am.....

I did not have to do this in my early years of being diabetic.

I am struggling with this same dose, and have had multiple seizures because of too much, and grossly high readings from too little.... in a struggle to get some much needed sleep, one might understand the frustration in dealing with this....

i take a shot of 8-10 units of Humulin N and 6-8 units of Ultralente (basal) before I go to bed.... during the day I use Novorapid for my meals and that comprises my routine....

My sugars are not in great control, mainly due to a bad start in the morning....

can anyone relate and/or offer a solution?

thanks

kemist (new member).

P.S - I tried the Diestronic H-tron for about 6 months if anyone is looking for feedback.

[Gina]

the dose your on isnt really that much...before i was on the pump i took 22 units of n in the morning and 15 at night...and humalog at dinner....with a sliding scale.....do you eat alot of carbs or maybe too little during the day...maybe that can be the problem....

your body changes as you get older so maybe you just need a little more to help you with the highs or to just take a fast acting when you eat...the other insulins your on are longer acting ....

Maybe the insulin your using isnt good for you and you may need a different regimen...you should always keep in touch with your doctor to find the best treatment for you!

[Tony]

How come you have to take two long acting insulins?

Ask your dr. about lantus. They say your bgs stay more steady with it. Lantus has no peeks.

How did you like being on the pump? How did that work for you?

[Gina]

tony im guessing that kemist didnt like it!!! being on the pump that is lol....

yea why are you on two long acting insulins that is weird....i dont think i know anyone that is on that

[kemist]

Well the N that I take at Bedtime controls the highs I would normally otherwise experience from 5-8...... If I miss this shot of 8-10 units of N at night, I would wake up with a Sugar ranging from 16-24 mmol/l.

The UltraLente serves as my 24 hour basal (only 6 units), so that no matter what I am doing with my meals, I always have a little bit of insulin for balance.....

You say this regime is weird? Can you guys recommend something better ? I took on this regime on my own.... sick of doctors that only hold me back in trying new things - like the pump.

BTW, I did not like the pump mainly because of the highly inconsistent absorption rates I would get depending on where I placed the infusion set. If it was in my leg, it was like I had no insulin going in at all.... it seemed that my abs were the only place I could get good absorption, but then I started the get sores at the sites. When I first went on it, it kept my sugars under super tight control, then it kinda drifted off from there.....

The H-tron plus pump is an excellent choice though.... very easy to use. I did it without the help from a doctor - or trainer, so that should say something.

keep those replies comin please!

thanks

kemist

[Tony]

I'm on the insulin pump. Before going on the pump, I was taking Humalog when I would eat. I would also take N at bed time and at lunch. I would take about 4 to 6 shots a day.

I just looked up some different insulins to find out there peaks and how long they last.

After N is injected it hits the blood stream about 2 to 4 hours. peaks 4 to 12 hours later and last for about 12 to 18 hours.

Ultralente hits the blood stream 6 to 10 hours after injection and last for 20 to 24 hours.

Lantus hits the blood stream around 1 hour, has no peak last for 24 hours.

From what I have read, alot of people are going with lantus and using a fast acting Insulin humalog or novolog pens. When eating.

Do you see any dr.s at all?

[mweber]

kemist
I currently am taking lantus once a day and I use novolog for my short acting for meals thru out the day.was on nph n and humillin r for about 12 yrs this is a big improvement for me.let me know if you have any ques

[kemist]

Lantus hits the blood stream around 1 hour, has no peak last for 24 hours.

From what I have read, alot of people are going with lantus and using a fast acting Insulin humalog or novolog pens. When eating.

Do you see any dr.s at all? [/B]

Who makes Lantus? can it be mixed with humalog and novorapid?

I switched to Novorapid, because humalog sucks in the heat.... Novorapid would 'hold its cool' in the summer weather better.
This is also a concern for pump users who are outdoors.

I am going to try this Lantus.... overall, would you say its a more potent basal insulin than Ultralente??

I'll probably start with 6-8 units at night and closely monitor throughout the night and day to get the dose fine-tuned....
That's about how much U i take now... but with N at the same time...

MWEBER: When do you take your Lantus shot? at night?

thanks for your help.

kemist

[Tony]

I don't think you can mix the two. You would have to take two shots. If you need to take them at the same time.

Lantus is made by aventis. Here is the link to Lantus (http://www.lantus.com/information/home.html) Website.


I'm using humalog in the pump, And i'm out doors alot.
How much longer does novorapid last.
Thanks for the info, I didn't know that.

Is Novorapid the same as novolog?

[Tony]

Kemist,

Compare the humalog and novorapid, for you did they work the same? Or was one the fast than the other?

[mweber]

kemist
No you can't mix lantus with anything,I take mine in the evening[5:00 pm].I fond my dosage was at 80% of the amount of nph n, I was taking daily[thats what my doctor set me up at].The only thing about lantus is sometimes it dosent seem to last 24hrs,maybe more like 22 to 23hrs,at least for me.

[kemist]

Regarding Novo vs Humalog:

Yes Novorapid is the Canadian name for Novologue.
It's available in Vials/Cartridges.

I believe the Novorapid did work a little quicker, but my schedule of activities is so dynamic that I really can't be 100% certain of it, it may have been in my head. I did find Novorapid to be a little more potent however.

I found myself throwing out humalog cartridges in my NV pen because it just doesn't hold up in the heat. Novorapid excels in this area.

kemist

[kemist]

You guys think I could get away with a Lantus shot in the evening or at night before I go to bed to control my sugars in the early morning (which have a tendancy to climb around 6-8am)?

Anyone else having any luck with this?

I'm going to switch over to a regime of a Lantus shot and Novorapid shots for my bolus, and see how this works out.

What I believe to be happening is the N is kicking in a little too hard at the wrong time (too early)... It might not be the right insulin for this nighttime-morning coverage... I'll see how it goes with the Lantus.

kemist

[mweber]

kemist
One reason I went from N to lantus was my morning bs,would go high on weekends due to sleeping in verses getting up earlier during the week.Now I can take lantus in the evening and not worry about sleeping in.

[kemist]

Ok is it true that Lantus is not available in Canada?

If so, I need help investigating any possible means of acquiring it.
I have spoken to my Pharmacist already, who is a master of getting me things from reps, etc, but this is not guaranteed.

I guess a US pharmacy won't sell this without a prescription either?

I excited to try this.... I have all the same problems you have all mentioned and would like to see them go away also!

kemist

[lelvins]

Hello I'm a new type 1 as of saturday night, I found out in ICU with a diag of Ketoacidosis.

I'm on Lantus and Novolog.

The doctor started me out at 30 Lantus and 15 NovoPen but I'm supposed to toy with them until the sugars are better.

I wake with sugars 230 - 300 so far , last night I upped the Lantus to 35 and novo to 17.

[Vic L]

I'm very glad you are being helped and have changed your regimen. I am sure you will get the D monster under control. Your body is adjusting to the new insulin so give it at least two days to see results. Are you counting carbs? Sliding scale? As far as the ketoacidosis, what did they tell you to do about that? What measures do you need to take to reduce them? I know you will like using Lantus and feel more in control. Keep us posted, we all have similiar test to endure.

[lelvins]

Apparently my keytones were so high I should have been in coma when I walked into emergency.

It took 7 bags of saline to rehydrate and flush the keytones down to a clean level. The doctor doesn't have me testing for keytones at home yet.

The new doses have helped I'm feeling better today compaired to last night so I'll probably up them a little more tonight.

The Dietition has me on a 1800 calorie diet for now. I was 270lbs before I started getting sick and lost 40 lbs in 5 weeks. Counting what I eat through the exchanges lists right now..

Btw: Male, 26 - First type 1 in the family tree.

[Gina]

lelvins,

Your story sounds exactly like mine did two years ago, i was dxd at 25...i went to the doctor for a checkup that i hadnt had in a very long time before that....i had ketones in my urine and i went straight from my Primary doc to the hospital, i was on saline for two days and they told me the same thing that i would have been in a coma if i waited another day....i lost so much weight, i was down to 115 pounds,

its very hard to get used to all this in the begining but trust me when i tell you ...YOU WILL GET THROUGH IT