[hels]

I have been to Diabetic Clinic today to review the results from wearing the glucowatch. These have shown that I get the Dawn phenomenon and so they have suggetsed I try Lantus. The doc tells me this will give me a smoother insulin pattern and no night hypos.

Has anyone been using this insulin and what has your experience been? I am going to give it a go tonight but am a bit wary about changing my night insulin. I have been on insultard for years and this feels like a big step.

Anything I need to know that the 'professionals' haven't told me?

[hels]

Well i'm still here My sugars are a bit high (13.7) but the glucowatch shows no peaks and troughs overnight, just a straightish line of readings. I just need to get my bedtime reading down a bit and I should be looking good:p So far I am pleased with this new insulin.

[Jon]

Keep me posted on how the lantus is going. I asked the doctors about getting my son on it, but they said that was too many shots for him. I don't know why, the only meal he doesn't take a shot with is lunch, and he is always high then, even with the nph kicking in.

[hels]

Jon

My sugars have been a bit high today but thats because they started me on a low dose. I don't believe that Lantus is licensed for children in the UK but it might be different in the US.

[Mick]

I have been on Lantus since it came out in June 2001. I know of children as young as a year who have been put on it. I was on NPH & Regular for 36 years before I switched to Humalog and Lantus. The switch has not been without adjustments, difficulties, continuous juggling of times, amounts, tests, etc., but in all, I have been VERY pleased with the overall improvement in control. Yes, Jon, I have had to increase the number of injections I take from 2. I take 3 or more every day. I say "or more" because, with the Lantus, there is quite a lot of leeway in what you can do. If I skip lunch (most days) then I take 3 shots--breakfast and dinner boluses of humalog, and my bedtime basal of Lantus. If I decided to to eat lunch, I take a shot according to what the test is and how much I'll eat, so up to 4 per day. I sometimes mis-calculate my dinner bolus, and need to give a correction bolus before bed--maybe once or twice a week. Since no other insulin can be mixed with Lantus, that's yet another injection. I seldon do more than 5 a day, and most days only 3, but that's because I DO skip lunch. A child would generally need 4. The nice thing is that, without the peaks of NPH, if a meal is late you don't need to worry. It is a MUCH more flexible routine.

I have occasionally had problems with overnight lows even with the Lantus-- in fact, for a while, I was waking up hypo (below 60) almost daily. I tried a lot of things for that--changing the amount (taking less made me go high later in the day) changing the time to dinner time, and even to breakfast time (basically traded problems at one time of day for another time!), and finally have been able to adjust my bedtime readings and bedtime snack to prevent these lows. Still, sometimes I'll wake up high or low if I don't figure it out quite right... However, with the Lantus, even when I am low, I always feel it, know enough to test and take glucose, no more falling down without warning lows. That's been almost the best of it.

Michael

[Jon]

Thats good to know. I didn't realize the Lantus couldn't be mixed with other insulin. My son already takes 4 shots a day. I would imagine that he would still be on 4 a day with Lantus. As it stands now, his morning NPH is supposed to cover lunch, but it looks like he will have to start taking a 5th shot every day because his lunch readings are always high. He gets another shot right after school, because his NPH is wearing off. Then he takes H with dinner and N at bedtime. I am going to talk to the doctors again about Lantus.

[Mick]

Jon--if he's already on 4 injections, and possibly going to a fifth, than Lantus will be MUCH better. BUT--he WILL have to inject either novolog or humalog at lunch. Does he use a pen? That's the way to go for injections on the run. I just take mine out of my pack, test, screw on a needle, dial up the dose and shoot--it takes about one minute. With the lunchtime dose bringing him down then, and the Lantus keeping him even all day, he'll definately only need 4 shots, unless he's high at bedtime, and then he'll probably get a schedule of correction bolus amounts. He definitely won't need that shot when he gets home--The Lantus almost always lasts pretty close to the 24 hrs advertised, all other things being equal. Don't just ask about it--demand it!

Michael

[hels]

My sugars are still high so I guess I need to up my dose tonight. I have also swapped over to the novorapid pens today so its all a bit of a mess at the moment.

Hopefully things will settle down over the weekend as i'll have more time to dedicate to sorting out the doses.

[Jada Mae]

Hels,

I have been taking Lantus ( 78 U ) for about a year and I have had good results with it. FBS are great between 70-115. Just wanted to share my experience with it. Good luck.

JadaMae

[Gina]

Did you ever consider putting your son on the pump it is so much easier and will make both your lives much easier also...i am on the pump...and i talked my moms friends into making their daughter go on the pump shes 9 and they love it too...the kid got her life back she plays soccer and basketball and all other kinds of sports and it has made it real easy for her to do things ....i think its better than being on lantus...they say being on lantus is the poor mans pump ....why be on four shots a day if you can use the pump and change it every 3 days....i love it....

[hels]

Jada

Thanks for your positive response ) My sugars are much better now, even when I was diving I had fewer hypos than before.

Gina

Lantus is pretty new to the UK, its only been avaliable for the last six months here. As for it being the poor man's pump all i can say is that I earn a pretty good wage in the UK but the difference between lantus which is free on prescription and paying for a pump and all the accesories, which aren't free here would take a significiant chunk out of my pocket each month. I have never found doing 4 shots a day a problem but am not sure about having a needle in me 24/7 . I guess it's what you get used to, and i would welcome your experience on how you manage a pump 24/7.

As a child, and now I never lost my life to diabetes, I would guess it's more of a mental attitude than what regime you use.

[Jon]

I want to get my son on a pump, but the doctors are giving me the runaround. They don't think he is ready, and they keep wanting more records. The last records I turned in I had tested him every 2 hours for 3 days straight. They said it was the best records they had ever seen, but it still wasn't enough information.

My son is very active too. We don't let the diabetes control our lives. It is still frustrating though.

[statdeac]

I think that there might be a bit of confusion over the idea of Lantus being a "poor man's pump" anyway. In fact, Lantus is now being substituted in pumps by many endos in place of NPH and other intermediate to long acting insulins because it is peakless and makes management easier even for pump users.

Mabye some refer to the MDI therapy as the poor man's pump. I could see that, though I really think that it's a matter of matching the best method for each individual based on how that person is able to manage the situation and financial considerations might also factor into the decision.

It may be that the pump would be great for Jon's son, but more difficult for the next person.

[Gina]

statdeac,
i totally agree with you when you say:

"I could see that, though I really think that it's a matter of matching the best method for each individual based on how that person is able to manage the situation and financial considerations might also factor into the decision."

i was replying to one of jon's comments and referred to him not to make it seem like i was trying to reply to anyone else....because of jons post and the nph issues...at school with his son....thats all hehehehe...

I dont in anyway want to discourage anyone from being on lantus...if it works for you t hen great if you cant afford the pump then lantus is the best way to go....

hels,
as far as the pump and a needle being in you 24/7 its not what you think...its not a needle like your syringe its more like an iv type of thing...

and since i was diagnosed at the age of 25 and now i am 27...i have encountered major problems with lifestyle change... it took me almost a year to get myself back to normal after i found out...and yes everyone is different and so are their regimens....and for me the pump has given me back what i was used to for 25 years ....im sure that everyone on here has a different story and feeling about everything...and thats why we are here so we can all share our thoughts and experiences ....and to help each other

I just want to help i dont want anyone to think that i am trying to say that their regimen stinks or anything....

[Jon]

Ok Gina, this one is for you now. I still haven't found that foot in mouth pic.:p