Hi Farmer Fudge,
Hope u don't have trouble with your doctor over this issue. I was at our local diabetes group committee meeting last week. One of the other committee members told me a type-1 friend of hers, who wanted to change back to animal insulin, was told by her GP that it wasn't available! I was not surprised, as a pharmacist told me same thing the previous week- when I told her she was mistaken and that I have been on it since last May, she looked at me as if I was mad!
You may also want to look at the recent issue of the IDDT newsletter, it's not online at the moment, but if you ring them, I'm sure they'd be happy to send u a copy. There's an interesting letter from one of the 85% of type-1 patients forced on to "human insulin" in the 80's-interesting reading.
You've probably gathered that I feel very strongly about this issue. When I was diagnosed in the late 80's I was told that WE are the experts in our condition -insulin regimes were tailored to suit individual patients with different lifestyles and needs. Back then there was a huge range of different insulins available. Now newly diagnosed patients are only given the option of analogue insulins. After my awful experience on Lantus, it angers and scares me that choice is being taken away from us, not only by healthcare professionals but by pharmaceutical companies. A lot of "human insulins" have recently been discontinued and patients, as in the 80's, are being forced onto the new analogue insulins. It's important that choice remains for patients. There are many people reporting problems on analogue insulins, doctors are not listening and not making the link.
Jus