Had some trouble today

Linn · #1 (**permalink**) 04-20-2006, 04:27 PM

Well all, after over 2 years of pumping, my pump alarm started going whacko and called minimed. They are sending a replacement and I'll get it tomorrow.
Now I called my doc and told him and he rx some novolin 70/30 for me.
Said to take 20 units twice a day.
I will get the pump tomorrow afternoon but in the meanwhile I am very anxious about taking this novolin and maybe having lows or what not. What do you think? Any pearls of wisdom? I have not been without my pump in over 2 years. I am to tell you the truth, pretty scared and freaked out

spike · #2 (**permalink**) 04-20-2006, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Linn

Well all, after over 2 years of pumping, my pump alarm started going whacko and called minimed. They are sending a replacement and I'll get it tomorrow.
Now I called my doc and told him and he rx some novolin 70/30 for me.
Said to take 20 units twice a day.
I will get the pump tomorrow afternoon but in the meanwhile I am very anxious about taking this novolin and maybe having lows or what not. What do you think? Any pearls of wisdom? I have not been without my pump in over 2 years. I am to tell you the truth, pretty scared and freaked out

I know squat about 70/30, so I'd be concerned too! I think if I had to go a few days or more, i'd want Lantus for my basal and take my boluses with a needle, just like on a pump, with Novolog or Humalog. I'd get back to the doctor before you do the first injection...

Linn · #3 (**permalink**) 04-20-2006, 04:36 PM

Too late spike, i injected around half hour ago. My reading was at 241 at the time of the injection. When that pumps taken off it don't take long for it to surge. I was at 81 when I took it off.

I need to find out again the peaks for this 70/30
As I recall it was 2 and 12 hrs after injection.

rzrbks · #4 (**permalink**) 04-20-2006, 04:42 PM

Quote:

NPH insulin is an insulin with an intermediate duration of action. It has an onset of action starting about 2 hours following injection. It has a peak effect 4-12 hours after injection, and a duration of action of 18-26 hours.

http://www.medicinenet.com/insulin/article.htm

Linn · #5 (**permalink**) 04-20-2006, 04:48 PM

RZ,
thanks so much for that info. OK, he rx me taking 20 units 2 times a day.
I will only *i think* be taking one injection though depending on when that replacement pump gets here. Ok, I ate a sandwich right after I injected 47 minutes ago... So do I need to eat again before that peak I wonder?

rzrbks · #6 (**permalink**) 04-20-2006, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Linn

Ok, I ate a sandwich right after I injected 47 minutes ago... So do I need to eat again before that peak I wonder?

Quote:

Fast acting - The fast acting insulin is called regular insulin.

The numbers refer to percentage of NPH (1st number) and regular (2nd number)

If I read and do the math correctly, you injected 20 units of 70/30 which means 6 units of fast acting so that would be covered by 90 carbs and the rest should stabilize you. One sandwich would be about 30 carbs.

What I, in my greedy way, would be worrying about is how do I cover all the rest of the food I usually stuff in my face?

Linn · #7 (**permalink**) 04-20-2006, 05:10 PM

oh ****, id better eat some more pretty quick then ty so much rz, you're a Godsend

rzrbks · #8 (**permalink**) 04-20-2006, 05:14 PM

Good Luck, we'll keep our fingers crossed until the new pump get there.

Quote:

Linn

oh ****, id better eat some more pretty quick then ty so much rz, you're a Godsend

Funny, I've been saying that very thing to my wife for years, she just looks at me like I've lost my mind(Rightfully so)

Linn · #9 (**permalink**) 04-20-2006, 05:29 PM

I needed that laugh rz too funny

now just watching and waiting, I ate enough carbs that i THINK will keep hypo at bay. Another question.. Am I supposed to get a peak from this during the night tonight? Or is there any possibility that I will have a low during the night while asleep? With my pump I always pretty much knew what to expect.
Seems when I took this before, one injection of it covered both breakfast and lunch but cannot truly remember and I believe what I took before was Novolog 70/30 but don't know if they are the same, must not be Novolin and Novolog....... Keep fingers crossed for me

rzrbks · #10 (**permalink**) 04-20-2006, 05:51 PM

Here's the best detailed description I've been able to find, so far........

so, if I read this right there could be a peak at 8-9 hours, if there's going to be one.

and the 2nd part says you're covered for 15-18 hours.

Quote:

The relative bioavailability of NovoLog Mix 70/30 compared to NovoLog and Novolin 70/30 indicates that they are absorbed to similar degrees. In euglycemic clamp studies in healthy volunteers (n=23) after dosing with 0.2 U/kg of NovoLog Mix 70/30, a mean maximum serum concentration (cmax) of 23.4 ± 5.3 mU/L was reached after 60 minutes. The mean half-life (t1/2) of NovoLog Mix 70/30 was about 8 to 9 hours. Serum insulin levels returned to baseline 15 to 18 hours after a subcutaneous dose. Similar data were seen in a separate euglycemic clamp study in healthy volunteers (n=24) after dosing with 0.3 U/kg of NovoLog Mix 70/30. A cmax of 61.3 ± 20.1 mU/L was reached after 85 minutes. Serum insulin levels returned to baseline 12 hours after a subcutaneous dose.

http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic4/novologmix_cp.htm

Cinnabon · #11 (**permalink**) 04-20-2006, 06:11 PM

Sorry this happened. Im glad they responded so quickly and you had back up insulin, Just relax and enjoy the lil time you wont have anything attached, but dont, you will miss it more... lol.
Tommorrow is great that you are getting the replacement!

Funnygrl · #12 (**permalink**) 04-20-2006, 06:16 PM

Next time you might be better off just chasing highs with whatever you pump with till you get your pump back, especially since they overnight it. My educator told me to do that in pump failure, and use lantus if I am off pump over 24 hours, making sure to use 0% basal till lantus is out of system when going back on pump.

am1977 · #13 (**permalink**) 04-20-2006, 08:54 PM

Sorry about your pump... I hate when that happens

(and boy have I been there too often

). I'm sure you will be feeling better once you are up and pumping again

.

Hang in there

Linn · #14 (**permalink**) 04-24-2006, 03:04 PM

Thought I would give an update.
That day my pump went out on me, I was put on the 70/30.
It did not control my sugars. I was in the 300s almost all through the night.
Don't know what it was.
The next day I took regular humalog and numbers went down.
I thank you all for getting me through this.
I am going to post on MINIMED and their billing practices soon when I have about an hour. You won't believe what I've been through, it's beyond bad.

spike · #15 (**permalink**) 04-24-2006, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Linn

Thought I would give an update.
That day my pump went out on me, I was put on the 70/30.
It did not control my sugars. I was in the 300s almost all through the night.
Don't know what it was.
The next day I took regular humalog and numbers went down.
I thank you all for getting me through this.
I am going to post on MINIMED and their billing practices soon when I have about an hour. You won't believe what I've been through, it's beyond bad.

You want to bet I won't believe? LOL! I was charged for a transaction 2 YEARS after the fact, AND it was a bogus charge. I went all the way to one of their Vice Presidents because the lady in charge of the billing department was hopelessly clueless, rude, and misinformed on the transaction in question. You can bet the VP got the FULL story from me, in detail. The billing department had their tail between their legs when he got through with them. It took me a while, but I got their attention...