Lantus Insulin - Side Effects?

[DanniP]

Hi All,

I am new to this site but have registered following reading some posts about people who have suffered extreme tiredness/fatigue whislt using Lantus. I have also looked on the IDDT website and seen their reports regarding Lantus use too.

Basically, I too suffer from extreme weariness, constantly! I forever have the feeling that my eyes want to close, spend all day yawning (it's getting embrassing that I'm yawning when people are talkign to me), could sleep at any time of the day and for hours and hours. My boyfriend can't understand why I never have the enrgy to do anything. I seem to have felt this way for about 2 years in total, but have beneon Lantus a lot longer. I have alos had all the thyroid tests, anaemia tests,coeliac tests etc and all have come back negative.

Following what I have read I am beginning to suspect that maybe it is my Lantus that is causing this and aim to speak to my DN next time I see him about a possible switch to another type of insulin. Has anyone done this from Lantus? What are your experiences?

Also not only am I tired but I get breathless extremely quickly following exercise or even just walking up a hill. I never used to get this and I am far from overweight and do regular exercise. Does anyone else get this? My heart also hurts at times and I get achy legs.

If anyone has any similar expereinces please let me know as I am unsure wheterh IDDT is just biased towards otehr types of insulin or whether Lantus really is causing my symptoms.

 

[noblehead]

Danni,

As you assure us that your gp has conducted the relevant tests to rule out anything else I would certainly try changing insulins to see if this helps, at the end of the day if it isn't the insulin and you still feel the same way after 3 or 4 months then you can always change back to lantus.

Should you put lantus in the forum search engine you will find countless threads on lantus insulin, I don't know if you also get pain with the fatigue and aching legs but has your gp mentioned Fibromyalgia to you? I believe it's difficult to diagnose and may be worth mentioning to him/her.

 

[))Denise((]

I'm not a Type 1 on insulin, but the one thing you haven't metioned is being tested for is Vitamin D deficiency. This can make you feel incredibly tired. Worth a test for before changing your insulin.

 

[microfazer]

Lantus can, and will, do what you describe to many folks. it can do far worse as well, and unfortunately these unacknowledged side-effects can take upwards of a year to begin, making the tracking a bit tougher.


actually, theyre not unacknowledged side effects, theyre just un-admitted by doctors, nurses, pharma, etc. search here, and hit cafepharma.com for a bit of insider descriptions of your meds' shortcomings.


changing ones insulin can be done in a heartbeat, and although some side effects take a bit to subside, some -- like the achy legs you mention, and the breathlessness -- should go away almost immediately. (speaking from experience here)

 

[mrman]

Hi Danni i had all of what you said but the main reason for my change from lantus to levemir were my erratic levels. I did have extreme tiredness and had regular muscle spasms and headaches. Had been on lantus since diagnosis nearly a year ago and had EVERY test carried out before my dsn finally gave me levemir. - 2 days later feel amazing, and better control. Have to say im a bit biased as some people have no trouble with lantus. Worth a go changing to levemir if you can but do discuss with your dsn/consultant to rule out other possibilities. good luck

 

[nigelho]

Hi folks,
After a lot of begging and letters to the the hospital trust I'm now on porcine neutral and isophane. I'm now looking forward to the tiredness/fatigue feelings GOING AWAY. I started 2 days ago and I'm now working out my doses. I'll keep you intouch of how the porcine works for me instead of novorapid and lantus which was HELL.

 

[Beav]

Hi folks,
After a lot of begging and letters to the the hospital trust I'm now on porcine neutral and isophane. I'm now looking forward to the tiredness/fatigue feelings GOING AWAY. I started 2 days ago and I'm now working out my doses. I'll keep you intouch of how the porcine works for me instead of novorapid and lantus which was HELL.

Should be interesting. Im on lantus and novorapid

 

[nigelho]

Hi Danni,
I hope that things are working out for you, if not beg your diabetic team to let you try animal insulin like porcine. I'm a type 1 for 3 years and was mainly on novorapid and levemir then lantus. ALTHOUGH my Bs were quite good I had to reduce my hours at work due to being tired/fatigue and feeling drugged up ALL the time. My Bs dropped rapidly whenever I did anything physical, had all the usual tests for tiredness etc but all tests came back ok. Get your vit D tested as 'many' diabetics are vit D deficient and also your blood pressure. I'm now looking forward to using the porcine insulin am hopeful that animal insulin will work for me as the analogue and human insulins didn't work for me. I have a daughter who is type 1 (11 years diagnosed) and she uses novomix, novorapid and insulatard and she has NO SIDE EFFECTS, unlike me.

 

[DanniP]

Thanks so much for all your replies. Good to know that it isn't just me that has had this problem. I have been given Levimir to try by my consultant. Plan to start on it in the next couple of days. Really hoping that these symptoms just disappear like some of have described

I will see what the levemir is like and then if no improvmenet it may b a case of pushing for the animal insulin. I'll keep you updated.

 

[DanniP]

Hi Danni,
I hope that things are working out for you, if not beg your diabetic team to let you try animal insulin like porcine. I'm a type 1 for 3 years and was mainly on novorapid and levemir then lantus. ALTHOUGH my Bs were quite good I had to reduce my hours at work due to being tired/fatigue and feeling drugged up ALL the time. My Bs dropped rapidly whenever I did anything physical, had all the usual tests for tiredness etc but all tests came back ok. Get your vit D tested as 'many' diabetics are vit D deficient and also your blood pressure. I'm now looking forward to using the porcine insulin am hopeful that animal insulin will work for me as the analogue and human insulins didn't work for me. I have a daughter who is type 1 (11 years diagnosed) and she uses novomix, novorapid and insulatard and she has NO SIDE EFFECTS, unlike me.

Thanks Nigelho. I will ask about the vit d testing when I next see my doctor. It has never been mentioned or offered to me by them before. I hope the porcine insulin works well for you. I'd be interested to know how you find it as like you I have only ever been prescribed analogue insulin.

 

[nigelho]

Hi Danni,
How are you getting on with the levemir. I started on novorapid and levemir when my tiredness/fatigue and drugged up feelings began. At that time my levemir dose had increased to 50 units twice daily and I had a body weight of 73 kgs. I guessed that things weren't right so as 2 people at work were using lantus without any problems I asked to change. Things went very well for about 2 months and my lantus dose was 28 units..a big change from 100units on levemir..However, all the tiredness etc. returned and I struggled until Dec 2011 when I searched the net as my DSN had NO IDEA what was making me tired.

I couldn't get porcine from the DSN so I used my daughter's insulatard for a while instead of the lantus. The drugged up feelings went very quickly but not the tiredness. My DSN let me try Humulin S and I without any success and my BSs went to pot. Anyway now that I'm on porcine neutral and isophane I'm now feeling much better already. People have commented how much better I SEEM and I'm hoping this will continue. My morning BSs are high so I'm upping the isophane until I get good single figures. My lunch and tea readings are good, so I'm happy for that. I just have to watch how I feel when I do any physical work as my BSs tend to drop very fast..even when I was on novorapid. It can go from 10 to hypo within 1/2 hour. I must remember to eat something when I finish my shift, even if my readings are 8-10 if not by the time I get home I'll be in hypo. When I'm not at work I need less porcine neutral, same as when I took novorapid.

If you're still tired etc. get back to your DSN. I suffered for 3 years..needlessly!!! Most DSN and diabetes teams seem hell bent on using analogue and to a lesser extent..human insulins. Not everyone can take the analogue or human insulins.

 

[etmsreec]

Your side effects don't surprise me either DanniP - I asked to switch from Lantus because of extreme tiredness as well. I could fall asleep when sitting down to take my shoes off! I'm much better on Levemir, though my glucose levels are less predictable.
Lantus is a 24 hour insulin whereas Levemir isn't. You may end up having to split the Levemir dose to get back to a controlled situation.

 

[janabelle]

Hi Danni,
The side-effects you're experiencing sound severe and I would urge you strongly to get off Lantus as soon as possible. I started suffering heart palpitations, ectopic beats while on Lantus and it's only 4 years since coming off it that they've finally ceased.
I've been on porcine insulin for just over 4 yrs and there's no comparison to how I felt on Lantus. Prior to Lantus I had been on Insulatard, which never suited me, but I never felt like the walking dead.
It digusts me that the medical profession continue to brush this under the carpet, as do the UK's most influential diabetes charity Quality of life is more important than "acceptable" Hba1c test results :evil:
Big up to the IDDT though, for the work they do
best of luck to anyone still on it and suffering side-effects. Be persistant!
Jus

 

[nigelho]

Hi Porcine Isophane/Neutral users,
I've changed to porcine insulins after 3 years of HELL on novorapid and LANTUS. Trouble started with Levemir so I get on with analogue. Feeling so much better re: the tiredness/fatiuge/drugged up feelings...but am struggling with my BGs in the mornings. It has varied from 7s to 16s. I've split the isophane to approx 6.15am and between 8-10pm and have even done a small dose around noon but I'm still high in the mornings. I've tried taking a higher at night but gone into hypo around 1.00am. Sometimes I've tested around 2-3am and it can be around 8 so I thought GREAT but by 6.00am it high so it seems I having the 'Dawn Phom'. This morning I'm trying a higher dose 20units this morning and I'll try 18units tonight and see what happens.

What are you isophane users doing. I'm using almost 3 times more neutral than novorapid. I don't mind as I'm feeling so much better than on analogue insulins...Any suggestions please.

 

[CarbsRok]

Hi Porcine Isophane/Neutral users,
I've changed to porcine insulins after 3 years of HELL on novorapid and LANTUS. Trouble started with Levemir so I get on with analogue. Feeling so much better re: the tiredness/fatiuge/drugged up feelings...but am struggling with my BGs in the mornings. It has varied from 7s to 16s. I've split the isophane to approx 6.15am and between 8-10pm and have even done a small dose around noon but I'm still high in the mornings. I've tried taking a higher at night but gone into hypo around 1.00am. Sometimes I've tested around 2-3am and it can be around 8 so I thought GREAT but by 6.00am it high so it seems I having the 'Dawn Phom'. This morning I'm trying a higher dose 20units this morning and I'll try 18units tonight and see what happens.

What are you isophane users doing. I'm using almost 3 times more neutral than novorapid. I don't mind as I'm feeling so much better than on analogue insulins...Any suggestions please.

Hi,
You might find your morning highs are due to the lows in the early hours.
With Isophane you need to feed it. So you need supper before you go to bed.
I used to have my Isophane in the morning and used the neutral 3 times a day.
I found until I stopped the evening Isophane that it worked best having it at breakfast 7 am and 5 pm evening meal. Using syringes I managed MDI just fine on 3 injections a day as I could put both neutral and Isophane in the same syringe.

With your neutral are you waiting 30 mins before you eat?

 

[bobismad]

I found that whilst on Lantus I put massive amount of weight on (4st), even though my diet hadnt changed much, if anything I was eating less than before, I also know of 4 others (2 folk I worked with + family member) who also had substancial weight gain, of the 5 of us 3 are now on levimir, and the weight has come down, if you do go on it keep a close eye on that, and dont take no for an answer, I faught for 3 years to get off it, and when I did lo and behold the weight stopped going up...

but thats just my experience.

Bob

 

[DavidMH]

I was only last week put on Lantus, started @ 10 units every morning, I have been increasing this every three days and am now on 18 and still increasing. The only negative effect I had was a niggling headache in the first few days, this could not be attributed to low sugars as I will still over 200! In the past if I ever got a headache it took serious migraine meds to get rid of it, this was not the same 'pain', it was more in the back ground if that makes sense? I am in my second week now and the headache has diminished to the point it is virtually gone.

If the current trend continues I should be in the 90 - 130 range my GP has asked for by the time I am at about 22 - 24 units per day.

He said once we establish this baseline we can start checking evening and after meal BS levels. He seems quite switched on and actually guessed by my previous history that my units should settle in the 20 - 25 area, not bad huh?

Headache appears to get some and not others, at least it proves we are all different.

BTW, he (my doctor) reckons injecting in the morning reduces the chance of hypos the following night, as opposed injecting in the evening and getting the hypo as your system starts to wind down, again he seems to be calling all the right shots.

Dave