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Tresiba vs lantus when injected in blood

C

chromaloma

Member
Messages
21
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
I have been experiencing severe lantus hypos 30-40 minutes after injecting. If I see some blood coming out after injecting, I might be in trouble. This is taking up my whole morning routine, as I need to be ready to get my crash stash at any minute. It's not that I'm injecting into muscles or veins, but I've had tiny blood drops coming out after the injections. I am insulin sensitive and use 9 lantus a day, and take 0,5 - 1 u novorapid for meals.

I have therefor started to split my morning dose in two, so I am taking 4+3u in the morning (with 40 minutes space, to be sure it doesn't work as fast acting), plus 2u in the evening. I am rather skinny, so I have little body fat. I avoid those injection spots where I have experienced hypos, and my available injection spots are down to a minimum. Another thing is that I also tend to inject too shallow (to avoid going too deep), so I get those mosquito bites. I suspect that might contribute to erradical absoprtion too.



I am thinking of switching to Tresiba, as I've heard rumours that this insulin doesn't cause hypos like what Lantus does, because of the difference in crystallisation. However, in the Tresiba package it says "Never inject TRESIBA® into a vein or muscle", just like it says in the lantus package.


Do anybody know for sure how Tresiba works if it's mixed with some blood when you inject? It would have been great if it doesn't make you go crash, because then I can start using more injection spots, and also start to eat breakfast again. Now the breakfast time is entirely reserved to injecting lantus.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Nobody on the forum can guarantee you that. The main reason that Tresiba and Levemir are advised not to be injected into muscle or blood is that it can change the absorption profile.

In terms of pharmacodynamics, the mechanisms by which they release slowly into the body should mean that Tresiba and Levemir won't give you the killer hypos if you miss fat.
 
I think they should've described if it's "not working" or"working as fast acting" if it happens to encounter some blood. It's pretty essential information.
 
chromaloma said:
However, in the Tresiba package it says "Never inject TRESIBA® into a vein or muscle", just like it says in the lantus package.
Click to expand...

All insulins will state the same for good reason.

Have you tried injecting your basal in your bum?
 
noblehead said:
All insulins will state the same for good reason.

Have you tried injecting your basal in your bum?
Click to expand...
I am using small part each side of the bum, plus a couple of spots in the stomach. But why don't they describe further. Do they think it's a myth that lantus can work as fast acting even if not injected obvious in a vein or muscle, just being unlucky and hitting a bad place with a few small vessels? People should very much be informed about this severe effect from lantus, and all other long acting as well.

I'll take it then that no long acting insulins are guaranteed to not work rapidly, and if so, they should have been informing people about it. They are "just take this once a day, and remember to rotate." Let me say this, nobody should take a fast acting or eat anything 40 minutes after taking lantus, as it may mask any action or make a deadly drop even more deadly due to bolus.
 
chromaloma said:
I am using small part each side of the bum, plus a couple of spots in the stomach. But why don't they describe further. Do they think it's a myth that lantus can work as fast acting even if not injected obvious in a vein or muscle, just being unlucky and hitting a bad place with a few small vessels? People should very much be informed about this severe effect from lantus, and all other long acting as well.
Click to expand...

Speak to your diabetes team about your concerns, but it's not unusual to have a small bleed at the injection site, there's small capillary blood vessels that lay close to the skin that can break when the needle is administered.
 
chromaloma said:
I am using small part each side of the bum, plus a couple of spots in the stomach. But why don't they describe further. Do they think it's a myth that lantus can work as fast acting even if not injected obvious in a vein or muscle, just being unlucky and hitting a bad place with a few small vessels? People should very much be informed about this severe effect from lantus, and all other long acting as well.

I'll take it then that no long acting insulins are guaranteed to not work rapidly, and if so, they should have been informing people about it. They are "just take this once a day, and remember to rotate." Let me say this, nobody should take a fast acting or eat anything 40 minutes after taking lantus, as it may mask any action or make a deadly drop even more deadly due to bolus.
Click to expand...
@chromaloma have you yellow carded lantus? I did after my (similar) experiences with it. https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/
 
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