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Does anyone find Lantus an issue?

Nicola M

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966
Location
Nottinghamshire
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
I did post a bit about this in the Lantus users thread but I don't think it gets looked at often so thought I'd post here instead. I really think Lantus just doesn't agree with me at all. I used to be on one single dose in the morning but that had to change to a split dose because of high sugars when waking up. But more recently I have had to constantly lower my evening Lantus to a point where it's only at 4 units because I kept getting lows of around 2.5 when waking up. So now my diabetes team have basically said stop doing the evening dose and go back to just a morning dose. But now again I'm getting highs in the morning. I just think that Lantus does not agree with me at all and I feel like it's not going to get better. Does anyone else find Lantus to be such an issue or is it just me?
 
You could ask to try a different basal insulin like Levemir or Tresiba. I was on Lantus for 11 years, but always found it could be unpredictable at times.
 
Yeah I'm in a similar situation. I have been on it for about 14 years, but for the last couple of months my blood sugars have been desperate to crash. I have been gradually lowering my dose, but it seems to be a case of too low or too high. I'm not sure why I am having so much trouble with it all of a sudden, but I'm sure it's my basal dose rather than bolus. I have an annual diabetic appointment tomorrow morning, where I'm going to ask to be changed to Tresiba, or if they won't agree, to Levemir.
 
My next appointment is in March so I could ask about it then but I have just had a CGMS done because they are considering moving me onto a pump and I get to talk to them on my next appointment so it all depends on what happens then. It's just weird how Lantus has suddenly began doing this a few years ago believe it or not I was on 36 units a day now I'm on 17!
 
I can well believe that as I used to be on 34 Lantus a day. My dose was way off because I was poorly controlled due to way too many carbs. For the last year I have been on 18, but have been lowering the dose in half unit increments for the past few days. I have been meticulously noting down my results, and there doesn't seem to be much of a pattern. Therefore I think it's just become too unpredictable. Time for a switch!
 
That's quite a drop. Do you need less Novorapid as well?
 
I do the whole carb counting and I'm on 1:10 which works for me. Only been on that for around a year and a half though. I do less than I did when I was on set doses though. But Lantus for me causes big drops in blood sugars, last night I did a fasting blood test and at 7pm I was 15.0 then at 9pm I was 9.5 that's without any novo rapid involved. I don't know why it does that but they think that's why I keep getting evening low blood sugars everyday. It worries me to be fair!
 
It's still worth asking about a different basal. Even if they agree to a pump it will take some time before you get one, I would think.
 
I'm surprised they have never suggested it really. But will defiantly be asking them about changing it!
 
I use a pump now but ha e strong memories of this, One thing I did find of use was to alter the time that I took the two doses.TAKING one at 8am and one at 8pm didn't quite work and in the end I think I went to 7am and 10pm, It fitted with my life with a young family at the time but in the end I so wish I had been allowed a pump way back, EVERYTHING would have been easier. Good luck with experimenting.Rx

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Yep have a similar thing. Have my lantus at half 7 then have a dip at about 3am (an advantage of having a 10 month old is you don;t have to set an alarm to wake up for a night time check!) then start rising again before breakfast (06:30) levels are fairly stable then until between 3 and 4 when I drop through the floor. Didn't get my carb ratio correct for lunch yesterday and went up to 15 after eating, I was down to 4.9 by 6pm with no corrective dose and not much activity.... I have tried lowering the dose but it's tricky getting a balance between the moring rise and afternoon drop.

I did try levimir briefly which did help my levels but unfortunately I had a local reaction to it so had to switch back, you may have better luck with it though. I'd like to try tresbida but my surgery won't prescribe it unfortunately they say my only other choice is Insulatrd!

I am going on a DAFNE course next week so if they have any good suggestions I'll post back

Matt
 
I just moved off Lantus today to Levimir, after a consultation with the nurse. She believes it will give me better control during the day, and avoid the night time lows, followed by morning highs.
I think also because I was having to take a large dose of lantus to stop the morning high, I was not able to use the correct amount of novorapid for meals, which resulted in being too high 2 to 4 hours later, followed by going low just before the next meal.
She also told me to inject into my butt, instead of the thigh, as that gives a more even absorption, especially during exercise (I cycle most weekends).
I'm also on a DAFNE course 1st week in March, hoping that I will learn a lot, and improve my control.
 


Hopefully (if approved) the pump will resolve your problems as you can set different basal rates for different times of the day.

As a temporary measure you could try moving the single dose of lantus to later in the day to see if it makes a difference, I was injecting mine early evening which cut down on the amount of hypo's I was having through the night from when I use to inject before bed, but don't worry about the amount of lantus you inject Nicola, provided your not making up for the short-fall of basal insulin with correction doses of QA insulin then the 17 units is what your body requires, I was once on 32-36 units of lantus a day and more recently I was injecting 18-20 units.

Hope you get it all sorted.......
 
I'd like to think I'm in with a chance of getting a pump. I'm doing everything possibly suggested to me by my diabetes team which doesn't seem to be working. But hey I will give the early evening injection of lantus a try and see how that goes. It can't possibly get any worse. Thanks for the suggestion @noblehead
 
It made me feel very ill and depressed.. my consultant said it can sometimes have this odd side affect. I now use Levemir and inject twice a day.

I think I get much better background cover and no more feeling rotten. Much happier now!
 
Had a phone call not too long ago from my diabetes nurse to say that when injecting my Lantus at night time it made me go very low. 4 out of 6 nights I was low and she also said I stayed low for hours. That was with only doing 4 units, the scariest thing is I never woke up.
 


So what did she suggest Nicola whilst on the phone?
 
noblehead said:
So what did she suggest Nicola whilst on the phone?
Click to expand...

She said to stop doing the night time lantus completely because it just isn't working for me. I asked her about moving lantus to early evening but she said to stick to keeping it in the morning for now and for the next couple of days I need to do a blood test at 3am. Then call her to tell her what they are next week and we will discuss what to do next. Who knew things could change so quickly!
 
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