Lantus timing

[gavin86]

apologies about the hypo thing, had confused @Karenchq and @Kristin251's posts.

Can I ask how you felt (@Karenchq) during the lantus switch while it was split? I take mine half in the morning, half at night and find even then I can notice when I'm a bit late dosing and only just half has worn off for an hour (like if I sleep in on the weekend). But it does ease the peaks and troughs definitely.

 

[TorqPenderloin]

Frankly I'm tired of hearing my doses are irreverent and I shouldn't even take insulin. GAD is over 250 and c peptide .4. So.. I don't produce insulin and I have antibodies. If I eat and don't take insulin I will not ever come down, only rise. I eat very low carb and very small meals but I eat all day long. Fat heavy.
One unit lantus doesn't drop me, two can and three does. I take 1/2 units humalog 4 times a day with food and I stay steady. If I do t take insulin lettuce raises me. Doesn't matter what everyone else does, I eat to my meter and my body.

Seems my insulin is also economical for me. Lol. Whether people understand it or not it works for me. Insulin is NOT irrelevant in my life seeing as I don't make it. Eat what you want, do what you want and eat to your goals.

24 units lantus and 18 novorapid would be suicide to me. I'm way past my honeymoon. I can't imagine ever needing that much insulin but I'm vlc hf. Are you?

Tired of being judged and told I don't need it. Endo knows I do just based on GAD and c peptide. Argue with him, not me.

The concern I have (which is shared by others) is that you're equating your low insulin needs to lifestyle factors (diet in particular). I'm not making accusations nor am I suggesting that you should change your doses. You know your situation better than any of us.

What I am suggesting is that you're an anomaly and an incredibly rare case, and that deserves to be noted when sharing experiences with others. There are other factors beyond your diet and exercise (perhaps genetics?) that are contributing to your insulin sensitivity.

To put things into perspective:
An average adult without diabetes produces around 30-50 units of insulin a day and their pancreas can hold about 200 units of insulin. By your admission, you take 5-6 total units of insulin per day.

Consequently, your insulin needs are 80-90% lower than the average adult. That's not judgement. That's simple math and science.

 

[Kristin251]

The concern I have (which is shared by others) is that you're equating your low insulin needs to lifestyle factors (diet in particular). I'm not making accusations nor am I suggesting that you should change your doses. You know your situation better than any of us.

What I am suggesting is that you're an anomaly and an incredibly rare case, and that deserves to be noted when sharing experiences with others. There are other factors beyond your diet and exercise (perhaps genetics?) that are contributing to your insulin sensitivity.

To put things into perspective:
An average adult without diabetes produces around 30-50 units of insulin a day and their pancreas can hold about 200 units of insulin. By your admission, you take 5-6 total units of insulin per day.

Consequently, your insulin needs are 80-90% lower than the average adult. That's not judgement. That's simple math and science.

I understand I'm an anomaly but I believe Karen is an anomaly too. Didn't she say she hypos at one unit? That's why I commented. She's not alone. I will hypo all day if I take lantus in the morning. I'm much better served at night. I am also doing great since switching from novolog to humalog.
Fortunately, through much effort and testing everything has been sorted ( as much as you can sort diabetes) for a good year. Not sure what I'd do without my half unit pen. Wish lantus would come out with one!
I only commented as Karen seems to need incredibly low doses as well. Rare or not, it is what's it is. Perhaps after she's done breast feeding that will change. Or just when the wind blows mine could change as well.

 

[Kristin251]

Oops. I stand corrected. It was HLC2017 that was needing to snack while taking 1 unit levemir in the morning. Apologies.
Here's to the 1/2 unit pens. Too bad they don't make them in basals. At least as far as I know.

 

[gillianoleary]

I only took 7u @ 7pm and 2u @ 7am when I used Levemir as my basal insulin. I am quite slim and very athletic.
I eat quite a few carbs to keep going and have a basal to bolus ratio of 28%.
I am now using a pump and my basal dose is 7.7u a day.
I average between 18u - 24u a day.
We are all different, even my endocrinologist says I'm odd (in a good kind of way)!!
I've also been a diabetic for almost 41 years, I'm nearly 43!

 

[TheBigNewt]

8-9 units/day is 8-9 times higher than 1 unit/day.

 

[DiabeticDadUK]

On Lantus, when I took it before bed (10pm) I would run low in the morning. Reducing my dose made me high in the morning, so my DSN suggested taking Lantus in the evening (6pm). This worked for me.
Unfortunately we are all different, but timing certainly does seem to make a difference.

Timings certainly make a difference for me.

 

[Kristin251]

Timings certainly make a difference for me.

When and how much do you take?

 

[DiabeticDadUK]

When and how much do you take?

I try to keep them 12 hours apart. 20u AM and 13u PM. I was 20u/15u. How about you?

 

[NinaB73]

Due to running a bit on the low side at night, my doctor advised me to change the timing of my long acting insulin. I was taking Lantus (7units) at 9 pm and over a week have changed from 9pm to 9am. I felt like this drastic time change would be hard on me so I changed gradually by taking 6 units at night then 1 in the morning, then 5 units at night 2 in the morning etc until all 7units at 9 am. I am now 1 week into the time change and have felt rubbish. Two days ago I had a mild hypo during the day that would not normally have not affected me very much, but it knocked the stuffings out of me for two days. I feel like it was a mistake to change the timing and wonder if it is better to go back as before or wait it out to see if I feel better. Any advice from those who have made this sort of big time change would be helpful.

I used to take split dose Lantus morning and the majority at night but crashed during the night, not always massively but enough to cause havoc with morning readings. I decided to try and switch the majority of it to the morning and like you did it unit by unit until I actually only take it in the morning (except pre 'time of the month' when I need to add a couple of units at night, that usually only lasts a week or so) Having said that Lantus is not always as 'flat' as it says on the tin! I still find a drop about an hour after taking my morning dose and have altered my short acting a little in expectation. But everyone is different and I am active five mornings out of seven and the two more relaxed days I don't find it an issue. Perseverance has shown the rest of the day is fairly flat. In my experience it does take a while to stabilise even what you think is a small change, frustrating... Good luck I am sure you will get there as you seem pretty on the ball