Extendbars for avoiding nocturnal hypoglycemia.

[TheBigNewt]

Hi, new here! We all know that nocturnal hypo is the dreaded complication we all have. I've awakened more than a couple times with the paramedic standing over my, IV in my arm, with my wife in tears hoping I'd wake up. I always did, but then I found out about a slow release rice-like carb bar called Extendbar ( I used to use one called Bite Bar but it disappeared). I get them by the box online for like $1.50 per. 130 calories each, and it won't spike your BS like other bedtime snacks like milk and toast. I don't always eat a whole one either. If I'm 100mg/dl (I forget what that is in British units sorry) and I only took 3 units for dinner 4 hours earlier I'll eat 1/3 of one. I have never had a serious episode of nocturnal hypoglycemia after eating part or all of an Extendbar. And my friends with kids who have it say it's like a miracle because they have to wake the kid up in the middle of the night and test them and freak out of they're on the low side then the load them up with snacks and they're 250 when they wake up in the morning for school. So consider this product. And I don't have any connection with this company either.

 

[CarbsRok]

Dumb question, why don't you just reduce your insulin?

 

[TheBigNewt]

Dumb question, why don't you just reduce your insulin?

You mean the Lantus or the Novolog? Usually the Lantus 25J is fine. But sometimes we'll eat around 7 (a lot actually), I'll take my Novolog (3-5 usually depending on what I've eaten), which isn't much. And at 10 I'm at 110. So most of the bolus is used up but that can hang around another couple hrs. So I'll eat half a bar. If I'm at 150 nothing. It's just one more tool to avoid getting low while I'm asleep which we all know is a cause of death in Type 1's. A kid from the local high school died. A college softball player did too. Also if I've played golf or hiked 5 miles I'm more sensitive to insulin and use Extendbars at night. I rarely use them when I'm awake.

 

[tim2000s]

Have you done any kind of basal testing to see how your lantus is affecting you? I think that would be a good place to start.

 

[novorapidboi26]

Hypos are a result of too much insulin, you shouldn't need to eat anything to get through the night.....

Having to be assisted by paramedics even once wouldn't be acceptable for me or my driving license.....

 

[TheBigNewt]

I had maybe half a dozen nocturnal hypos when using Lantus. None since using Tresiba. I'd get mightily peeved if I had to keep eating just to stop having hypos. I'd definitely be doing some basal testing.

Interesting. How much Lantus were you using then, and how much Tresiba do you use now? Most of the time I think it's the Novolog that can result in a decline in BS during the night not the Lantus.

 

[noblehead]

Interesting. How much Lantus were you using then, and how much Tresiba do you use now? Most of the time I think it's the Novolog that can result in a decline in BS during the night not the Lantus.

Only if your bolusing close to bedtime, if your eating early in the evening...... say around 7pm then the Novolog dose should be exhausted around midnight.

 

[TheBigNewt]

Only if your bolusing close to bedtime, if your eating early in the evening...... say around 7pm then the Novolog dose should be exhausted around midnight.

I know, but as I said earlier many times we'll eat at 7 and turn in at 10 (I get up at 5!). I worry that if I'm at a BS of say 110 I'll get low after I fall asleep so that's when I use the Extendbars. Seems to work. Maybe I'll try Tresiba instead of Lantus. I take my Lantus in the morning not at night too.

 

[TheBigNewt]

56 units of Lantus but still had high and unsteady BG. I refused to increase it more and demanded a new basal insulin from my consultant. Now on 50 units of Tresiba. Very rarely above 9mmol/l and steady BG throughout the day and night. Pretty high dose of basal insulin but it works for me.

My insurance is asking me to switch from Lantus (just went "generic" in the US) to the new generic one, or Tresiba. Since I prescribe my own meds I think I'll switch to that soon. Do you take in morning or night?

 

[TheBigNewt]

I take it between 8 and 10 every morning. Because it lasts a lot longer than Lantus, you don't have to be as strict in what time you take it every day.

So it's more like Toujeo (sp?) in that it's longer acting than Lantus. I tried Levemir for a short time but that didn't work, I think you have to take that stuff BID (twice a day).