Questions for Levemir users...

[stella117]

I am still trying to hone in on my basal dosage. So if you're on Levemir:

1. How many units do you take?
2. Do you split the dose?
3. If so, how do you split (AM units vs. PM units) and what times do you inject?
4. How long do you find a dose lasts?

I am currently on 14 units. Spiked up to 16 units for a couple of weeks and then had to pull it back down.

I split the dose because my research indicates that Levemir lasts up to 23.2 hours only at the highest (.4 units per kilo) dosages. I am at a lower dosage (@ .24 units per kilo).

I have tried different ways--8/6, 7/7. I may try 6/8. So far I can't figure out if it lasts 12-14 hours or 18-20 hours. If anyone has a some clues/tips, it would really help me out with splitting the dosage correctly. I'm still spiking mid-day, but going low around dinner time and then spiking again before bed. ****--insulin is tricky!

[seacomp]

I am still trying to hone in on my basal dosage. So if you're on Levemir:

1. How many units do you take?
2. Do you split the dose?
3. If so, how do you split (AM units vs. PM units) and what times do you inject?
4. How long do you find a dose lasts?
...
I'm still spiking mid-day, but going low around dinner time and then spiking again before bed. ****--insulin is tricky!
I'm on Lantus, not levemir, but it is similar. I take 19 units, split 9.5/9.5, at 8 pm and 6 am. I'm not exactly sure how long either the Lantus or Levemir lasts except that it is significantly over 12 hours, which gives some flexibility in timing.
You daytime spiking and low may not be due to the Leveir but to your bolus shots. You don't indicate when your testing so it's hard to say.

[Apple]

I am a levemir user


1. How many units do you take?

I too am on 16 units i was risen from 10 units though

2. Do you split the dose?

No i take it all at once in a time that suits me which is early evening

3. If so, how do you split (AM units vs. PM units) and what times do you inject?

N/A. I find it easier injecting all at once, then i dont have to remember to do it twice then plus less likely to go low which is what you seem to be doing

4. How long do you find a dose lasts? I split the dose because my research indicates that Levemir lasts up to 23.2 hours only at the highest (.4 units per kilo) dosages. I am at a lower dosage (@ .24 units per kilo).

Long enough :D i dont believe in facts and figures especially for something like this as everyone is different, everyone reacts differently, people are more active than others etc

I have tried different ways--8/6, 7/7. I may try 6/8. So far I can't figure out if it lasts 12-14 hours or 18-20 hours. If anyone has a some clues/tips, it would really help me out with splitting the dosage correctly. I'm still spiking mid-day, but going low around dinner time and then spiking again before bed. ****--insulin is tricky!

I would certainly try doing it my way i.e. taking it all at once rather than over a split and see if there is a difference. If not then you can always revert back easily enough :)

[LauRa Lu]

I take 16 units at 6pm everyday. I don't split it at all and it works fine for me.

i've never really thought about splitting it!

And it seems to work right through to the next time i take it.

[stella117]

>>You daytime spiking and low may not be due to the Leveir but to your bolus shots. You don't indicate when your testing so it's hard to say.

Lantus and Levemir are similar in that they're both long-acting--but Levemir is more likely to require a split dose than Lantus. I tested post-prandial and was 132. Two hours later I was 180 and two hours after than 185. So my BG goes UP without food, it's a lack of basal not insufficient bolus. And no--I didn't have a big pizza or something that takes excessively long to digest.

[stella117]

>>I would certainly try doing it my way i.e. taking it all at once rather than over a split and see if there is a difference. If not then you can always revert back easily enough

Actually converting to a single dose would require dropping the morning and upping the evening by one unit over the course of about a week. And reverting back would require the same. Unless I wanted to go insanely low for a couple of days or insanely high--which I don't. Not that easy.

Since Lantus didn't last 24 hours for me and the studies with Levemir prove absolutely it doesn't last 24 hours, I opted to get the best coverage by splitting. If I had stayed with Lantus I would have had to split the dose to make it work. "Long enough" might work for you, but I need a bit more specificity of an answer to get it to work for me.

[stella117]

I take 16 units at 6pm everyday. I don't split it at all and it works fine for me.

i've never really thought about splitting it!

And it seems to work right through to the next time i take it.
I am insanely jealous of your results.

[seacomp]

I tested post-prandial and was 132. Two hours later I was 180 and two hours after than 185. So my BG goes UP without food, it's a lack of basal not insufficient bolus. And no--I didn't have a big pizza or something that takes excessively long to digest.
You seem to have a good handle on what you are doing. If your FBG is ok, then perhaps you might want to increase the daytime levemir dose a little and see how that works.
I'm sure you can work it out.:nurse:

[stella117]

You seem to have a good handle on what you are doing. If your FBG is ok, then perhaps you might want to increase the daytime levemir dose a little and see how that works.
I'm sure you can work it out.:nurse:
But my FBG is NOT OK. 4-6 hours after a meal, BG should be at fasting levels. 180 is not good. I'm going to keep the dosage at 14 but try 6 in the AM and 8 in the PM and see if that smooths things out.

[psilocybin]

was on levemir here. i took 8 units total, and yes i split the dose. 9 am and 9 pm

[vrocco1]

A doctor might be more qualified to answer your question, but I don't think any basal insulin will be able to cover big spikes. They are just not intended to do that. If you took enough basal insulin to cover a spike, you'd be hypo at other times of the day. It sounds to me like that is what is happening.

[stella117]

I guess the problem is I don't understand why I'm spiking if it's not due to my basal dose being too low. I'm already bolusing one unit more than I should based on the carb/insulin ratio that works otherwise. I also bolus 20 minutes after eating to allow for the fact the my meal is low GI. Two hours after my bolus, I'm 132. Four hours after I'm up to 180. Six hours I'm up to 185. That doesn't make sense unless it's a liver dump.

[psilocybin]

4 hours after meal u rised...which means your basel dose needs adjusting... if this is within 20-24 hours of your dose i would suggest splitting your dose because obviously its not lasting its full 24 hour duration. but dont do it without a endo. i am no doctor. but from my personnel experience with levemir this is the problem

[stella117]

4 hours after meal u rised...which means your basel dose needs adjusting... if this is within 20-24 hours of your dose i would suggest splitting your dose because obviously its not lasting its full 24 hour duration. but dont do it without a endo. i am no doctor. but from my personnel experience with levemir this is the problem
I am splitting my dose--always have been. Can't raise it because I already go low before dinner. But doing 8 units at night and 6 in the AM seems to be helping. I bolus 4 units for breakfast on my cardio workout days and 5 on non cardio days (I eat the same breakfast every day. Boring I know. That's me!) and this has worked the last couple of days. Actually the cardio dosing seems to be working pretty well--I've been 120 and 93 pre-lunch both days.

It's too early to tell about non-cardio days although I was beside myself with joy that today I was 108 before lunch. Hopefully it will become more consistent.