• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Can you become immune to insulin????

Libby3781

Well-Known Member
Messages
162
Location
Bridgend, South Wales
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
I’m currently taking Levemir & NovoRapid....however I’m noticing at the moment that the NovoRapid seems to be having no effect on my sugars!

I have to take NovoRapid 15mins before I eat, I’m adjusting the amount of insulin depending on my glucose reading.

Can that happen?

Any information, & advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance
 

Hi Libby - I'm not T1, or on insulin, so my suggestions are from my reading on here.

How long has this been going on? Does it marry up with the start of the cooler weather?
How high are your numbers running, by comparison to your more usual readings?
How are you feeling with your higher readings?
Have you tried a new vial or pen?
If that didn't work a pen/vial from another batch? Has your insulin got a bit hot or cold?
Do you rotate your injection sites? If you concentrate on one or two areas, they get a bit hardened from over use
Are you unwell at all? That can change how your body reacts to foods/meds
Has your weight or activity levels changed at all? Losing or gaining weight can influence insulin resistance, and similarly for exercise. If you were, say, less active for a while you could see some changes?

Probably also worth ensuring your test strips are in date? If they're out of date, that can impact their accuracy?

I'm sure others will be along some time with more and better ideas shortly.
 
There are several possibilities. Has the Novorapid been in use and out of the fridge for 28 days already ? If so, it can become ineffective because it has been without refrigeration for too long. I find sometimes that insulin becomes less effective before the recommended 28 day discard point. Alternatively. has the insulin overheated through being left next to a radiator or other heat source ? This is the simplest explanation, so it is worthwhile trying a new cartridge/pen from your stock to eliminate this possibility first.

Another possibility is that you could be comng down with a virus/ other infection of some sort. This can make a massive difference to your BS levels and consequently to your insulin requirements. Illness usually causes glucose levels to rise.

Just saw this sort of advice has already been given, so will just add try not to panic and take things easy. Keep monitoring your BS levels and see what new effect new insulin from the fridge has on the situation. How high are your test results and when did this problem start ?
 
Last edited:
Libby3781 said:
I’m currently taking Levemir & NovoRapid....however I’m noticing at the moment that the NovoRapid seems to be having no effect on my sugars!
Click to expand...
How long are you waiting, I ask because I have previously found that it could seemingly take hours to do get my sugars back down to the right level with Novorapid after eating, and I'd see on the libre a sudden drop after 4-6 hours to about the level its should've taken it to much sooner (so it wasn't just that I hadn't taken enough, it was just being particularly slow)
 
Agree with @DCUKMod , rule out issues with test strips and insulin before panicking.

I recently came back from an overseas trip and the day after arriving back here I started getting very high readings. I changed my basal pen, then my bolus pen a day or so later with no effect. Only when I started a new pot of test strips did I see my readings at the level I expected.

I guess the test strips must have been damaged somehow by higher temperatures whilst away.
 


Thanks for your suggestions, I hadn’t thought of any of those factors so really appreciate you highlighting them.

I’ve only noticed this the last two weeks or so. As a rule my glucose levels are normally between 5-8. Whereas now, they are ranging between 10-14 .

Lately, I’ve also noticed I’m having more days feeling not great. Particularly on the days when my sugars have been higher than usual.
 
Until I tried a Libre I thought everything was fine injecting my Novorapid 10 or so minutes before eating, however the Libre showed me that Novorapid had turned to Novosluggish with me and takes at least 45 minutes to kick in. I’m going to be asking about Fiasp at the diabetic clinic later this month in the vain hope I can get something a bit faster acting.

I have also been unwell with a viral infection for a few weeks now and some days I may as well have been injecting water, could it be you’re coming down with something?
 

I’m sure the insulin isn’t acting as fast as it should be. I tend to eat 15mins after I’ve done the insulin. I find if I don’t I’m prone to hypos starting. So that then implies the insulin is working quickly.
 
Hi, im confused, how can it not be working but making you hypo if you dont eat at 15 minutes? You may need a higher dose for your food or eat fewer carbs, do you modify the dose for each differentt meal?
 
Fenn said:
Hi, im confused, how can it not be working but making you hypo if you dont eat at 15 minutes? You may need a higher dose for your food or eat fewer carbs, do you modify the dose for each differentt meal?
Click to expand...

Yes, it’s a huge contradiction, but sadly that’s what has happened but infrequently. I have been modifying my doses according.
 
Its just a dosage issue then, trick for me is to eat the same meals exactly until you get that meal right.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…