Lantus Not working properly

[Iain55]

Hi Folks
I have type 1 since 1982, I started on actrapid and Monotard mixing my own insulins, this worked well for a good number of years I was then moved to pre mixed insulin Mixtard 30/70, I couldn't adjust just one insulin, I was changed from Mixtard insulin to Novorapid and Lantus one injection per 24 hours, I noticed that my blood glucose was high the next morning, I tried adjusting the Lantus, No use I started getting hypos early evening, I was then moved onto twice daily injection of Lantus about three years ago and now the same thing is happening in the morning my blood glucose is high I have tried adjusting it again but started to get hypo warnings in the night , So I now have to get up around 4 am to take a small Lantus injection.

I am off to the clinic next week and intend to raise this issue. For me it does not do what it says on the tin, does anyone else have problems with Lantus?

 

[noblehead]

Ian,

There's another basal insulin called levemir which is said to work as well as lantus, often people who have problems with lantus change to levemir and vise-versa, levemir in most patients needs to be administered twice daily although there are a few that find it lasts a full 24 hours.

Speak with your diabetes team about your current problems.

Nigel

 

[copepod]

Another longish acting insulin, more similar to the now discontinued Monotard than either Levemir or Lantus is Humalin I. Might be worth asking clinic about that too - it's older and cheaper, so not as well promoted by manufacturer, which is perhaps why is is "forgotten". In theory, Humalin I can be given once in 24 hours, but usually gives better results when given twice in 24 hours.

 

[Iain55]

Thanks Copepod and Noblehead for the heads up I am at the clinic on Tuesday so I will certainly be raising the matter and I have just been reading about research into Lantus being suspected of being linked to onset of Cancer.

Speak to you soon
Iain55

 

[janabelle]

Ian,

There's another basal insulin called levemir which is said to work as well as lantus,Nigel

Don't give levemir such a hard time Nigel, I'm sure it doesn't deserve the comparison!! :lol:

Iain55,
you are right to be concerned,Lantus is not insulin, but an insulin anaologue and unfortunately a very bad and poorly made copy with many many problems; as may people on this forum are testiment to.
Here's a couple of links to put you right off it , I hope!
http://www.aboutlawsuits.com/lantus-ins ... ncer-4614/ (read the comments section, it's long-winded but worth close scrutiny)
viewtopic.php?f=26&t=2797&start=15

As Noblehead said, Levemir is another analogue alternative but with less associated problems, but as you know there are other safer insulin types, including animal insulin which you might be better suited to. I changed to animal insulin, porcine, 3 yrs ago and aside from feeling human again, I have gained good stable BG control for the first time since diagnosis & on synthetic insulins.
best of luck
Jus

 

[noblehead]

Don't give levemir such a hard time Nigel, I'm sure it doesn't deserve the comparison!! :lol:

How did I know you would pick up on that one Jus! :lol:

Are you keeping well?......not seen you posting much lately

Nigel

 

[janabelle]

Thanks Nigel,
I've Just been busy, taken up an OU course and not had much time 2 spend on forum. But I've always got the time to put the boot into Lantus as u know! :lol:
hope ur keeping well too.
Jus

 

[Freedom1]

I was diagnosed 'Type 1' 32 years ago and used Actrapid and Monotard until I was changed to Novo Rapid and split dose of Levimer a few years ago. Since starting these 'new' insulins my control has been very difficult, with many odd reading in the morning. I often go to bed 8mmol, and wake up 23mmol. I've tested during the night and see my readings getting highter. So it's not a hypo making me high in the morning. If I raise the dose of levimer, I too, have hypos. I remember the day my consultant( I was living in Italy at the time) told me about these new fantastic life changing insulins and I couldn't wait to get started.....what a load of rubbish. I'm about to change to Humalin S which works exactly the same as Actrapid, and I'm waiting for my consultant to decide which basal to put me on....Maybe Humalin I ????
There is rarely anything negative about novorapid/levimer and lantus to be found in publications such as Balance, thank goodness this site exists.
PS I'm about to do a DAFNE course and my consultant gently advised me that the DAFNE educators are very pro Levimer/Lantus and Novo Rapid........very interesting.

Christine.

 

[noblehead]

I've Just been busy, taken up an OU course and not had much time 2 spend on forum. But I've always got the time to put the boot into Lantus as u know! :lol:
hope ur keeping well too.

Good luck with the OU course Jus and hope you pass with flying colours!

I'm just fine and enjoying this beautiful weather, still on Lantus but I won't go there! :wink:

Best wishes

Nigel

 

[Iain55]

Well I went to the clinic and told them, I am now waiting on the Nurse to phone me to start a new regime of BM testing they want want me to take blood test both before and after meals. In the meantime he is going to find out if other medication I take might be affecting the Lantus. My other drug is Tocilizumab Anti TNF every time I have an infusion I always get low blood glucose.

My troubles continue.

Iain55

 

[janabelle]

Hi Christine,
Know what u mean about balance mag, insulin type is rarely mentioned. It annoys me intensely that the mag articles will state that someone is on insulin when the reality is they are on an analogue insulin, which is NOT insulin at all. I will have nothing to do with them, I don't feel they represent me or people like me and certainly do not give the true picture of how people really cope on insulin!! We should all be sky-diving and mountain climbling, but the reality that living day to day on an insulin that makes u feel like **** means u can barely function, let alone treck though the bleeding Sahara. Thank goodness this forum, and the IDDT provide an unbiased (mostly :lol: ) and honest view of what it's like to live with diabetes and how different medications, including insulins, affect us

The medical profession's reluctance to offer the older synthetic human insulins and animal insulins, is down to pressure from pharmaceutiical companies, financial incentives and ignorance. That probably includes ur Daphne lot!

Have u ever tried animal insulins?

Jus

 

[Iain55]

Hi Christine

I tried pork insulin a long time ago, I started to get Lipohypertrophy of the skin because the insulin was not pure enough this also might be because I was injecting six times a day and sites were rotating so fast. Also I had to boil the glass syringe and store it in surgical spirit as throw away syringes were not yet on the market.

I don't trust the analogue insulins and have let the clinic know, what I thought was strange is the Doctor knew nothing of the on going side effect drama with Lantus, It looks like I will just have to battle on using what I have. But a lot of the days just now I feel like ****, could be the Diabetes, or the Arthritis or the Lupus or all three.

Iain 55

 

[janabelle]

Hi Iain55,
I can't imagine having to boil up syringes, what a polava that must have been and inconvenient too!

We've come along way with pens and small needles, but it's a shame the same can't be said for insulins I still use disposable syringes and vials, although I get comments from pharmacists that they're old fashioned! :lol:

Have you thought of trying animal insulin again, it's very highly purified these days wich means there's far less liklihood of skin or other reactions that were reported many years ago.
Some people just don't get on with synthetic insulins and suffer all types of problems, which are rarely recognised as being side-effects.
Jus

 

[Iain55]

Hi Jus
I am waiting for the Diabetic Nurse to call me I will bring up the topic of animal insulins. I also use syringes as some of the other delivery systems are so awkward to use, at one time I had an electronic one with button batteries that ran out every month and you had to contact the manufacturer for new batteries it was rubbish.

I get the impression from the Clinic that they may be getting freebies from some insulin producers (hush my mouth), I can't on this Lantus for much longer Yesterday I took 12 units am and at tea time last night my blood glucose was high, so took evening dose of 14 units, then felt **** through the night woke up sweating and thought I was having a hypo tested my blood and it was 18.5 so took another dose of 6 units Lantus and 4 units Novorapid and eat nothing woke this morning and blood glucose was 7.8.

I find this only happens occasionally, I didn't have anything unusual for my evening meal.

I hoping the nurse phones soon but was talking to some people at the clinic and they have had to wait for 2 weeks for the nurse. The hospital is not handy it about 19 miles away and my G.P only does type 2

Iain55

 

[janabelle]

I get the impression from the Clinic that they may be getting freebies from some insulin producers (hush my mouth), I can't on this Lantus for much longer Yesterday I took 12 units am and at tea time last night my blood glucose was high, so took evening dose of 14 units, then felt **** through the night woke up sweating and thought I was having a hypo tested my blood and it was 18.5 so took another dose of 6 units Lantus and 4 units Novorapid and eat nothing woke this morning and blood glucose was 7.8.

I find this only happens occasionally, I didn't have anything unusual for my evening meal.
Iain55

Hi Iain,
I think a lot of diabetic clinics are getting far more than a few freebies from pharmaceutical companies! It's no wonder clinics are reluctant to take patients off analogue insulins. When I had a look at my clinic notes a couple of yrs ago I was shocked to find that there was no mention of the problems I was continually reporting to them, that turned out to be caused by Lantus. I understand that hospital records relating to medication can be used as retrospective studies for pharmaceutical companies, so it made me very suspicious. I complained to the hospital and had my notes amended. The only accurate info in the notes was that my Hba1c was 7.something, which they said was ok, despite me constantly telling the docs that I was struggling :evil: Doctors set to much store by these results, which are only an average and in many cases completely misleading.

I gave up trying to work out why the insulin didn't seem to work some days, and worked too well on others, so much that I was hypo 4-5 times a day. I'd become resigned to thinking I must be really ill with some awful undiagnosed illness. Especially as I felt so ill most of the time and the no doctor could work out what was wrong with me; the diabetic clinic offered me no help in controlling my erratic BG levels and never once suggested that I change insulin, I wonder why!!

I hope you manage to get an appointment at your diabetic clinic soon. Meanwhile you should give the IDDT (insulin dependent diabetes trust) a call. They were a godsend to me. Here's a link http://www.iddt.org/here-to-help/contact-us/

let us know how you get on at the clinic
Jus