Hi, I've been type-1 almost 20 years, and after a 4 years of hell on Lantus, I changed to Pork insulin. I suffered joint pains, severe exhaustion, anxiety, and countless other side-effects while on Lantus. It didn't control my blood sugars either although I thought it did at first. I was yo-yo-ing all over the place, and my consultant even told me it was ok for my BS to rise to 15 every day-that's the state of diabetes care in this country now! The proof of the pudding, to quote the old cliche, is in the eating. If you change to real insulin ie; purified animal insuin, and have improved control and your side-effects disappear, as mine did- then you know what the cause it. Lantus is poison, and should be taken off the market in my view. After 4 years on the stuff, and the misery it caused me, I now worry about the long-term effects.
It is worth remembering that there is no evidence that these new "analogue insulins" are any more effective in diabetes control or management than animal insulin. Yet they are pushed at us left, right and centre. People might think it's great having the flexibility, but I still have that, and the best control I've never had in nearly 20 years on synthetic insulin. Pork insulin is the closest to natural human insulin, and it should be being offered as a treatment option to newly diagnosed patients-IT IS NOT, why??
Why also are doctors reluctant to change patients' insulin when they are having problems?
If a doc thinks your HBA1c is acceptable then he says you're ok- but a good HBA1c result can be achieved despite huge daily fluctuations in blood sugar-how reliable is this test? It also provides another reason for your doc to ignore your concerns, maybe I've hit the nail on the head.
Totsy, I remember you having big probs that you thought were related to Lantus last summer, surprised to read your recent posts.
For anyone having probs on any synthetic insulin it's wll worth you contacting the IDDT- a great source of HONEST information.
Jus
