Help please from people who use Porcine insulin...

robert72

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Thank you @robert72 :)

I won't hold a sigh of relief till I've actually got it though; I wouldn't be surprised if I still may have to battle a bit with my endo - but at least I'm on the right tracks...!

Its really quite remarkable the difference since stopping the Levemir - I was close to looking for the nearest bridge on Monday :-/
- And re Novo, I am, yes - but in super small doses; partially cos I'm exercising lots to counteract the lack of basal, partially cos I'm honeymooning, and partially cos I've cut the carbs even further due to no basal - plus, apparently, is the long acting ones that people react the most to...


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Well at least you have some evidence that the Levemir was causing the problem. Hopefully your endo will be OK and you will not react to porcine (or bovine)
 
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noblehead

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.... @noblehead[/USER] I forgot to say, the lady at the IDDT says her daughter (t1) doesn't really eat carbs.... it was in conversation and I was too absorbed in other stuff to ask her to expand - but she seems to not be on a "typical" high carb western diet, and does well on porcine.... I will ask her more - sure I'm bound to speak to her again ;-)

Well that's good and I'm sure the lady from the IDDT will talk further about her daughter experience. Really pleased that your DSN has agreed that you can try Porcine insulin, hopefully you'll feel better for it over time, good luck Artemis :)
 
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ElyDave

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Thank you @robert72 :)

I won't hold a sigh of relief till I've actually got it though; I wouldn't be surprised if I still may have to battle a bit with my endo - but at least I'm on the right tracks...!

Its really quite remarkable the difference since stopping the Levemir - I was close to looking for the nearest bridge on Monday :-/
- And re Novo, I am, yes - but in super small doses; partially cos I'm exercising lots to counteract the lack of basal, partially cos I'm honeymooning, and partially cos I've cut the carbs even further due to no basal - plus, apparently, is the long acting ones that people react the most to...


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A great strategy, lots of exercise and reduce the insulin. Exactly what I do on longer training/racing days, adn on others I find that when I exercise consistently my bolus needs also come down.

This week has been a pain in the neck so far, with Monday having a 4 hour drive to a 4 hour meeting adn then 4 hours back again, Tuesday travelling to Aberdeen and yesterday back again. No real exercise and instead of being around 5-6, I've been at 6-7.5 even without massess of carbs.
 

ElyDave

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.... do you mean you're reading about the use of porcine insulin with interest @ElyDave - or about how to manage insulin timings in general...? :)
I did a personality test a while ago and that gave me a very strong learning trait, basically if I see something interesting I go and learn about it, doesn't matter what it is, and then find some use for that later.

I see loads of things on this forum that I just think "ooh, that looks interesting" and off I go. Always looking at stuff that might help in terms of managing insulin.
 
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anna29

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:)
@anna29 - I think you used to, but switched...? Soz for tagging lots of peeps, just really want to get as mcuh info as possible on this - have been struggling *a lot* lately and really want to feel better :(
Hi Artemis
Yes I used to use porcine insulin but no longer as the
onset time was getting too long before kicking in .
Leaving me with too high BG levels for too long o_O

I swapped 'back' to Levemir as it does have a quicker
onset time (with ME) 2-2.5hours
Whereas the porcine was getting up to 5.5 - even 6 hours of time
before kicking in !

The reason is of course to get my rising BG levels down more
quickly and prevent any complications developing .

Porcine does give me a clearer head and focus .
Levemir I have gradually adapted to - easier to control
rising BG levels being the greater advantage for me .
In terms of onset time certainly :)
 
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-Artemis-

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:)
Hi Artemis
Yes I used to use porcine insulin but no longer as the
onset time was getting too long before kicking in .
Leaving me with too high BG levels for too long o_O

I swapped 'back' to Levemir as it does have a quicker
onset time (with ME) 2-2.5hours
Whereas the porcine was getting up to 5.5 - even 6 hours of time
before kicking in !

The reason is of course to get my rising BG levels down more
quickly and prevent any complications developing .

Porcine does give me a clearer head and focus .
Levemir I have gradually adapted to - easier to control
rising BG levels being the greater advantage for me .
In terms of onset time certainly :)

Hi @anna29 - thanks so much for getting back to me... I've been away this week but very grateful to hear your experiences.... When you say it taking 5/6 hrs to kick in, were you on the Isophane or Neutral - or both...? And did both take that long to kick in for you...?

Did you inject the neutral before meals? And use the Isophane as your "background"? How many times a day did you inject them?

Sorry for all the questions - still trying to figure out if this is better suited to me or not... :)

Thank you xx
 

Zoe king

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... or even those who know about it as an insulin, even if you don't use it anymore?

I'd be really grateful for your thoughts/insights into it.

I've been on insulin for two months now, and though my numbers are nice and stable, I feel terrible - I'm increasingly lethargic, feel I have a cold coming most days, very low (my doctor suggested anto-depressants as I'm so low), gaining weight at an extremely alarming weight, already not particularly aware of hypos, and have a very, very sore / achy body... This led me to read up on analogues, and find this:

Initially the reported problems were loss of warning symptoms of hypoglycaemia resulting in sudden coma but also personality changes. In some cases these adverse reactions did not occur for several years after the initial use of ‘human’ insulin and a survey carried out by IDDT showed the following adverse reactions were common to many people:

• extreme lethargy

• mental confusion

• memory loss

• joint and muscle pains

• depression

• general feeling of being unwell.

.... I'm now worried I may not be suited to the insulin I'm on - but wonder if any other people can comment on this, before I go charging off to try and change it.... What was/is porcine insulin like? I think I've read it can have absorption problems, and also be less stable.... Would be VERY grateful for any feedback, good or bad... As something has to shift :(
Hi I was on human insulin 24years ago when first diagnosed,I got a the symptoms you have plus an extremely short temper and was he on earth to live with.my diabetic team took me off human insulin and put me on pork to try it,I've never looked back won't say me readings are perfection but there not bad plus I have my pre warnings back so I'm staying where I am insulin wise.hope you sort it soon and start to feel better soon,give it a go,talk it over with your diabetic advisor/nurse ask about your options.good luck.
 
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-Artemis-

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Hi I was on human insulin 24years ago when first diagnosed,I got a the symptoms you have plus an extremely short temper and was he on earth to live with.my diabetic team took me off human insulin and put me on pork to try it,I've never looked back won't say me readings are perfection but there not bad plus I have my pre warnings back so I'm staying where I am insulin wise.hope you sort it soon and start to feel better soon,give it a go,talk it over with your diabetic advisor/nurse ask about your options.good luck.

Ah thank you @Zoe king; so reassuring to hear...!

I've managed to persuade them to prescribe it - today was my second day on it... Trying to get my head around the isophane (medium acting) porcine one - I took it before bed last night but it seemed to only last 6hrs...?

I took it at 11pm - my numbers were a steady 7 through the night, then hiked up to 10 between 5 & 8am... I'm increasing a little tonight but would love to know how others use it...?


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jeb

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... or even those who know about it as an insulin, even if you don't use it anymore?

I'd be really grateful for your thoughts/insights into it.

I've been on insulin for two months now, and though my numbers are nice and stable, I feel terrible - I'm increasingly lethargic, feel I have a cold coming most days, very low (my doctor suggested anto-depressants as I'm so low), gaining weight at an extremely alarming weight, already not particularly aware of hypos, and have a very, very sore / achy body... This led me to read up on analogues, and find this:

Initially the reported problems were loss of warning symptoms of hypoglycaemia resulting in sudden coma but also personality changes. In some cases these adverse reactions did not occur for several years after the initial use of ‘human’ insulin and a survey carried out by IDDT showed the following adverse reactions were common to many people:

• extreme lethargy

• mental confusion

• memory loss

• joint and muscle pains

• depression

• general feeling of being unwell.

.... I'm now worried I may not be suited to the insulin I'm on - but wonder if any other people can comment on this, before I go charging off to try and change it.... What was/is porcine insulin like? I think I've read it can have absorption problems, and also be less stable.... Would be VERY grateful for any feedback, good or bad... As something has to shift :(
... or even those who know about it as an insulin, even if you don't use it anymore?

I'd be really grateful for your thoughts/insights into it.

I've been on insulin for two months now, and though my numbers are nice and stable, I feel terrible - I'm increasingly lethargic, feel I have a cold coming most days, very low (my doctor suggested anto-depressants as I'm so low), gaining weight at an extremely alarming weight, already not particularly aware of hypos, and have a very, very sore / achy body... This led me to read up on analogues, and find this:

Initially the reported problems were loss of warning symptoms of hypoglycaemia resulting in sudden coma but also personality changes. In some cases these adverse reactions did not occur for several years after the initial use of ‘human’ insulin and a survey carried out by IDDT showed the following adverse reactions were common to many people:

• extreme lethargy

• mental confusion

• memory loss

• joint and muscle pains

• depression

• general feeling of being unwell.

.... I'm now worried I may not be suited to the insulin I'm on - but wonder if any other people can comment on this, before I go charging off to try and change it.... What was/is porcine insulin like? I think I've read it can have absorption problems, and also be less stable.... Would be VERY grateful for any feedback, good or bad... As something has to shift :(


For a start your insulins are synthetic rubbish, which remove your sense of hypo and make you feel like **** with irregular blood sugars, hence the depression. You could ask your doctor to try at least for your short acting insulin Hypurin Regular. Synthetic insulins nearly killed me after Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly destroyed the factories which bottled animal insulins back in the early 90s. I have been diabetic since age 3 and am now 62. Once my chemist said that animal insulin still existed in Europe then I tracked down how to get it. and my and had a doctor friend write me a script so I could import it. I have total control, with A1C in the mid 5s. Feel healthy and don't plan on getting any complications anytime soon. I live in Canada now. Have 2 children and 5 grandchildren.
 
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-Artemis-

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Thanks all for the replies - day 5 and apart from adjusting to the new action / profile of the porcine, all is going well... hypo awareness is definitely now there too....!!
 
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azure

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I'm a bit late seeing this but I use porcine insulin in my pump. I contacted Jenny at IDDT and she was fantastically helpful. Before this I was on Humalog. My symptoms were extreme tiredness and aching, sore and stiff joints. I was actually starting to think I had rheumatoid arthritis or something.

After swapping to the porcine, I began to feel better in a few days. It was fantastic! Also, I'd had what I thought was IBS and that cleared up too. I totally blame the analogue. I'd used regular human insulin before and hadn't noticed a problem with that. I'd never used animal insulin prior to going on to porcine.

The only thing I had to do as adjust my insulin to carbs ratios somewhat as the animal insulin is weaker in action. Please excuse that totally non-technical explanation. I suspected this and then found out online that I needed to use different ratios.

I bolus 30 mins before I eat. As an aside, I find any hypo on porcine is less vicious than on the Humalog.

I hope everything works out well for you, Artemis : )
 
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CarbsRok

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The only thing I had to do as adjust my insulin to carbs ratios somewhat as the animal insulin is weaker in action. Please excuse that totally non-technical explanation. I suspected this and then found out online that I needed to use different ratios.

I bolus 30 mins before I eat. As an aside, I find any hypo on porcine is less vicious than on the Humalog.

I hope everything works out well for you, Artemis : )

Animal insulin has a slower onset time and longer duration hence why hypo's are not as violent or quick in onset. Animal insulin is the same strength as in U100
Eating a fatty meal or high protein meal works very well with the bolus given as soon as I eat, and then a basal increase to kick in at about 4AM works wonders as well. Obviously everyone is different. :)
 
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-Artemis-

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I'm a bit late seeing this but I use porcine insulin in my pump. I contacted Jenny at IDDT and she was fantastically helpful. Before this I was on Humalog. My symptoms were extreme tiredness and aching, sore and stiff joints. I was actually starting to think I had rheumatoid arthritis or something.

After swapping to the porcine, I began to feel better in a few days. It was fantastic! Also, I'd had what I thought was IBS and that cleared up too. I totally blame the analogue. I'd used regular human insulin before and hadn't noticed a problem with that. I'd never used animal insulin prior to going on to porcine.

The only thing I had to do as adjust my insulin to carbs ratios somewhat as the animal insulin is weaker in action. Please excuse that totally non-technical explanation. I suspected this and then found out online that I needed to use different ratios.

I bolus 30 mins before I eat. As an aside, I find any hypo on porcine is less vicious than on the Humalog.

I hope everything works out well for you, Artemis : )

Hi @azure, that's really helpful info, thank you... And so odd - I was starting to think I maybe had arthritis too! :/

I also was *extremly* low and emotional, developed bad skin, and put on half a stone in less than two months... Fingers crossed and touching wood as typing... But the former two seem to have lifted too. Not sure about the weight bit - but it's early days... So we'll see...

One question - though I don't know if you can help as it may be different on a pump - but, what time do you take your isophane, if you do in a pump...? I seem to have the daytime doses sussed with good numbers from mid morning through to bed... But I'm still waking with blood sugars around 8. I can't see how I can increase my isophane as I go to be around 5.5, and stay around 5.5 till somewhere between 3 & 5am... When I go up. I'm worried if I increase it, I'll hypo - but I can't figure out the action time exactly, and can't take it later than I do as I take it around 11pm... Any thoughts/suggestions...?

When I convinced them to prescribe it to me, they openly said they don't have any experience with it - so I'm kinda running blind with how to work out doses and times - which is why I'd be v grateful for any advice :)


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-Artemis-

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Animal insulin has a slower onset time and longer duration hence why hypo's are not as violent or quick in onset. Animal insulin is the same strength as in U100
Eating a fatty meal or high protein meal works very well with the bolus given as soon as I eat, and then a basal increase to kick in at about 4AM works wonders as well. Obviously everyone is different. :)

@CarbsRok, are you on a pump too?

As above; I'd be super grateful for any insights around night time basal... It's the only bit I've not figured out yet - as I said to Azure above, I'm still waking with blood sugars around 8, but I can't see how I can increase my isophane as I'm going to bed around 5.5, and stay around 5.5 till somewhere between 3 & 5am... When I go up... So I'm worried if I increase it, I'll hypo - but I can't figure out the action time exactly, and can't take it later than I do as I take it around 11pm... How long do you find the action works for you with it...? Is that why you have an increase at 4am...?

Any tips on this would be super much appreciated :)





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CarbsRok

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@CarbsRok, are you on a pump too?

As above; I'd be super grateful for any insights around night time basal... It's the only bit I've not figured out yet - as I said to Azure above, I'm still waking with blood sugars around 8, but I can't see how I can increase my isophane as I'm going to bed around 5.5, and stay around 5.5 till somewhere between 3 & 5am... When I go up... So I'm worried if I increase it, I'll hypo - but I can't figure out the action time exactly, and can't take it later than I do as I take it around 11pm... How long do you find the action works for you with it...? Is that why you have an increase at 4am...?

Any tips on this would be super much appreciated :)





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Isophane has a few ups ad downs :) hence why you quite often need to have 10 or 15 carbs mid morning and afternoon. Oh and supper before bed as well.
When using Isophane I used to inject the bulk in the morning and about 3 units in the evening with my meal bolus so about 5pm..
:)

Yes I am on a pump as well but used Isophane for about 43 years :) A pump only takes bolus insulin so no isophane to contend with now.:)
 
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-Artemis-

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Isophane has a few ups ad downs :) hence why you quite often need to have 10 or 15 carbs mid morning and afternoon. Oh and supper before bed as well.
When using Isophane I used to inject the bulk in the morning and about 3 units in the evening with my meal bolus so about 5pm..
:)

Yes I am on a pump as well but used Isophane for about 43 years :) A pump only takes bolus insulin so no isophane to contend with now.:)

Oh.... how odd - I only just saw this reply.... :-/

- I take more Isophane in the morning too, and then three units at night :)

I'm starting to wonder about a pump - but I'm confused, as my understanding is that people use pumps as it gives them more flexibility (over exercise choices, food choices, dose choices etc...) - but if I were to use porcine neutral in a pump, wouldn't I still be restricted by the slower onset of porcine...? I can't get my head around how it would work, or more importantly - how it would be beneficial to use a pump with animal insulins, over MDI's...? I know you and @azure use a pump so would love to better understand the benefits of a pump over MDI's when using animal insulins, for you....? :)
 

CarbsRok

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Oh.... how odd - I only just saw this reply.... :-/

- I take more Isophane in the morning too, and then three units at night :)

I'm starting to wonder about a pump - but I'm confused, as my understanding is that people use pumps as it gives them more flexibility (over exercise choices, food choices, dose choices etc...) - but if I were to use porcine neutral in a pump, wouldn't I still be restricted by the slower onset of porcine...? I can't get my head around how it would work, or more importantly - how it would be beneficial to use a pump with animal insulins, over MDI's...? I know you and @azure use a pump so would love to better understand the benefits of a pump over MDI's when using animal insulins, for you....? :)
With a pump no matter what type of insulin you use, you can set your basal (background insulin) by the hour or half hour. I only need 0.025 of a unit from 7 PM in the evening until midnight. This you can not do using MDI. All I do when setting my basal insulin is to start 2 hours before the dose is needed. So if I need an increase at 12 noon then I would set the basal at a higher rate from 10 AM. Bolus though you still need to bolus 30 mins before you eat.
I find it easier to have a snack before unplanned exercise as obviously not enough time for the basal reduction to work. If I know well in advance then fine a temp basal works wonders. Animal insulin has a longer duration than say Humalog or Apidra but most users still have to inject 20 or 30 mins before they eat.
Hope that helps :)
 
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anna29

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Thanks all for the replies - day 5 and apart from adjusting to the new action / profile of the porcine, all is going well... hypo awareness is definitely now there too....!!
You feeling its kick like a mule ?
Levemir is gentle compared to the porcine insulin with
regards to the hypo symptoms .
Well - it is with me .

How are you getting on with it now .
 
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