Just started Levemir

stella117 · #1 (**permalink**) 02-06-2006, 07:32 PM

Picked up samples of Levemir from the endo's office today. Won't bore you with my Lantus saga--short version: the first six weeks I was really close to having the basal under control, but out of six vials/cartridges of Lantus, 3 lost potency in the third week, 2 didn't last two days and 1 seemed to peter out after a week. It was maddening. I've come to the conclusion that Lantus is the J. Lo of insulin--total diva!

Anyway, Levemir comes in a Flexpen like Novolog--except with a green push button instead of orange. I think Insulin makers need to make the difference between long acting and rapid acting insulins more obvious to insulin takers!

Figuring out what to dose was tricky. I decided to start at 10 units total (8 was my number on Lantus) and split it 6/4 am vs. pm. I injected at 9 am and at 1:30 pm (before lunch) I was 183. Not good, but not too bad either. Before dinner I was 94. Perfect! I'll update as I go along but I'm very optimistic about this. I just feel better right now. Hopefully it will last. The CDE keeps pushing the pump. Bless her heart she actually wore it for a weekend infusing saline to see how it felt.

stella117 · #2 (**permalink**) 02-07-2006, 06:18 PM

Running a bit high today so I'm upping the dose from 6/4 to 7/5. I find a feeling of pressure in my sinus areas after I inject the Levemir. Nothing excruciating and it dissipates fairly quickly. But if you're prone to headaches, this might make it worse.

Cinnabon · #3 (**permalink**) 02-07-2006, 07:31 PM

Stella.. wish I could help you but I have never tried this insulin. Im sure other members will help out.

rea · #4 (**permalink**) 02-08-2006, 01:52 PM

I have been on it over a week now, and I am quite happy with it.
I only take one dose though, 9 units, and use humalog with meals.

I have been renovating and painting my house, and getting headaches that I thought were related to the paint and dust. its still most likely the paint and dust, but I will have to pay a bit more attention to this though.

stella117 · #5 (**permalink**) 02-08-2006, 08:21 PM

Today woke up at 160, spike to a bit over 200 after breakfast and I'm sure I bolused properly. Did a small correction, was 182 after yoga class. Then down to 111 after lunch--think the basal's kicking in? 77 before dinner--OK, don't like being that low but at least I know I'm closer to the correct basal dose.

So it's 7 units in the AM, going to up it to 6 units tonight--but waiting until 9 pm instead of 7 pm since that's dinnertime and Novolog. Plus I want to overlap a bit in the AM. May have to back off a bit as this goes on.

Rea--however do you get 9 units to last an entire 24 hours? My research shows that only the maximum doses (.4 units per kg) last up to 23.2 hours.

vvti-le · #6 (**permalink**) 02-08-2006, 10:24 PM

I'm waiting to switch to Levemir(Insulin Detemir) from Lantus. The write up seems good on Levemir. I've been waiting two years for this as I first read about Detemir and waiting for it to come on the market as the FDA approved it back in June 2005.

rea · #7 (**permalink**) 02-09-2006, 07:58 AM

I use 9 units I was told last for 18 hours-in me they last 19 hours.

I take it about 9pm, before bed (hmmmmm, 9 units at 9), and it stops working about 4pm. It covers my afternoon snack. Then for dinner, because I am fairly active at night,I take humalog (about 4 units), which is a fast acting insulin.

that lasts me until I take levemir. I usually wake up with a BS of 5. (thats in canadian measurements). If I don't have all the running around and am not active after dinner, I take a larger dose of humalog.

rea · #8 (**permalink**) 02-09-2006, 08:00 AM

thats funny VVti-le, I am thinking of switching from Levemir to Lantus. Levemir isn't covered by my extended health plan and levemir is. I like levemir, but it seems it would be nice to be covered for 24 hours instead of 18.

vvti-le · #9 (**permalink**) 02-09-2006, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rea

thats funny VVti-le, I am thinking of switching from Levemir to Lantus. Levemir isn't covered by my extended health plan and levemir is. I like levemir, but it seems it would be nice to be covered for 24 hours instead of 18.

I was reading that Levemir doesn't cause weight gain and has better advantages than Lantus and that is one of the reasons why I want to switch. My Diabetes Care Connection nurse told me Lantus covers around 18-20 hours so looks like the same time coverage.

http://www.mendosa.com/detemir.htm

rea · #10 (**permalink**) 02-10-2006, 08:40 AM

well, so far I haven't had any problems yet. I have read that alot of people seem to overlap and take two doses during the day. Right now I dont' need enough insulin to warrent that. but since its jsut released in Canada, few companies have coverage of it yet.

good luck to you!

stella117 · #11 (**permalink**) 02-10-2006, 08:18 PM

vvti-le,

Check with your endocrinologist--he/she should have samples now. It will be available for prescription late March.

vvti-le · #12 (**permalink**) 02-10-2006, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stella117

vvti-le,

Check with your endocrinologist--he/she should have samples now. It will be available for prescription late March.

Thanks, I will. I have an appointment in 2 weeks.

stella117 · #13 (**permalink**) 02-11-2006, 12:44 PM

Update:

Upped my dose to 9 units in the evening (@ 10 pm) and 6 units in the morning (@ 8 am). Woke up at 85--first time in fasting range in two weeks. Still really spikey--I guess it takes some time to figure out the correct dose and get your body to adjust to the new insulin. I hope this works--I really don't want to go back to Lantus and I'm not keen on the pump.