[WhyNotSmile?]

Hi,
can someone explain me in details how to split dose of Lantus? How do you perform basal testing with Lantus? If my dose is 20 U IU, should I take 10 IU twice a day, or aproximately 20 twice a day? I am taking a shot in the morning and my fasts are high.

Thanx guys

[BlueSky]

You are high in the morning because the Lantus you injected the previous morning has run out of steam during the night. Try splitting the dose into 10 units before bed and 10 units when you get up and see what difference it makes. It should spread the Lantus action more eveny over the day. The conversion is easy. Simply halve your morning dose and take the other half before going to bed that night.

When you have done that, test your basal doses using the method described here. Then you can tweak the dosages and/or use different insulins until you get the desired effect.

[WhyNotSmile?]

thanks Blue Sky. I was confused because of my personal thinking that 10 IU of Lantus is simply not enough for my weight no matter is it needed for 12 hours or 24 hours..

[BlueSky]

This graph shows the action profile for Lantus (Glargine, the dotted line at the bottom):



As you can see, it peaks between 2 and 16 hours after it has been injected. There is not a lot of action during the last 8 hours of the 24 hour cycle. This is why it is a good idea to split the dose, and make the injections at least 8 hours apart.

As far as the the dosage amount is concerned, 20 units sounds like quite a lot. I weigh 73 Kg and use 15 units of Lantus a day, split into two shots (7 units before bed and 8 units in the morning). Some people inject the full dose before going to bed. The peak action counteracts the DP effect so morning numbers are good. And the reduced action during the rest of the day is adequate because of increased insulin sensitivity after lunch. This is a common pattern, but you will have to try out the different options and see what works best for you.

[Psycho Penguin]

I love that graph. Also, the best way to basal test is to take a few units, and check every hour or two to see how it slowly affects your BS levels. Splitting doses of lantus is useful for people who get too low or high at certain times of the day. Like the above posters said, simply take half of your units in one time of the day, then the other half 12 hours later. It's actually a better idea for a lot of people, so it won't wear off as easily.