One week into insulin shots and no change

[Harlow]

My A1c , last Friday , was 14.9. That's two A1c's in row where it was high. Doctor put me on insulin shots( Lantus SoloSTAR), supplemented with my Metformin. I started with 10mgs. 7 days later, I'm up to 30mgs......and no change in glucose level?. It remains at around 14. How much insulin can a person take before finding the right dose?

 

[Alison Campbell]

Hi @Harlow, please put lantus solostar into the search box at the top the page and you will see the varying units other type 2's use.

 

[ickihun]

My A1c , last Friday , was 14.9. That's two A1c's in row where it was high. Doctor put me on insulin shots( Lantus SoloSTAR), supplemented with my Metformin. I started with 10mgs. 7 days later, I'm up to 30mgs......and no change in glucose level?. It remains at around 14. How much insulin can a person take before finding the right dose?

I'm taking a total of 240units of mixed insulin, for comparison. Metformin side affects is off and on so med unreliable. Hence heavy units needed. Also I stopped r-ala supplement which nearly halved my units needed too.
I believe for type2s, it depends how insulin resistant you are more than how much carb you're eating.

 

[kittypoker]

My A1c , last Friday , was 14.9. That's two A1c's in row where it was high. Doctor put me on insulin shots( Lantus SoloSTAR), supplemented with my Metformin. I started with 10mgs. 7 days later, I'm up to 30mgs......and no change in glucose level?. It remains at around 14. How much insulin can a person take before finding the right dose?

I hesitate to insert a comment here as I'm not diabetic, but have you considered some dietary control? Are you reducing/counting carbs and self-checking bsl before and after meals so you know if any particular foods are raising levels?

Edited to ask the lovely @daisy1 to send her excellent introductory post.

 

[Lou73]

I'm on insulin - Humulin I and Humalog. It took some time to get to the right amount of units and gain control. It's best to do it slowly so that blood sugars don't drop too quickly.
I hope that you find the right dose for you soon. Keep in touch with your DSN. I was able to keep in touch with mine by phone and they took my readings daily and advised on how many units to increase by.

 

[Mep]

welcome @Harlow - it sounds to me that you've just started lantus injections. It will take some time to get the dosage right and the numbers where you want them. In my experience metformin doesn't reduce sugar levels very much either. It's a good idea like others have mentioned to concentrate on your diet to make sure you're not taking in too many carbs. Lantus is a basal insulin which works to keep your sugar level in normal range although it doesn't work the same as quick acting insulin does on your carb intake at meals (eg. you will go high if you're eating too many carbs). If you are already doing this and still having trouble, it may be worth checking whether you're on the right treatment. with your doctor or diabetes nurse. Have you had all the diagnostic tests done? (not only hbA1c, but also the GAD test to check for antibodies and the c-peptide test to check how much insulin you produce). The reason I ask that is if you haven't had these tests done as yet you could in fact be deficient in insulin and you may not be type 2 either... helps to know for sure what type you've got first to get the right treatment. ps. I've seen already on this forum some people saying they haven't had these tests done and docs assuming they're type 2. I wish you the best.