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Faulty Lantus?

JCBBFC27

Well-Known Member
Messages
80
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
For the past few days my blood sugars have been very weird, last night a took my Lantus at 8 as normal with 17 units like normal and my sugars reached 24 four hours later! My sugars have been very unusual. Haven't seen it that high in five years. I'm going to use a different pack tonight but has anyone experienced this with this specific background?
 

Hi,

I do Lantus, my suspicions where confirmed since I started using BG sensors.

Did it seem to go wrong after getting halfway down a cartridge, perchance?
I normally change it. Some times it loses it's potency..
 
Hi,

I do Lantus, my suspicions where confirmed since I started using BG sensors.

Did it seem to go wrong after getting halfway down a cartridge, perchance?
I normally change it. Some times it loses it's potency..
That could make sense! I just couldn't believe seeing my sugars that high after not eating anything after the Lantus either
 
I have never thought that Lantus lasts the standard 28 days out of the fridge since I first started using it.
 
I have never thought that Lantus lasts the standard 28 days out of the fridge since I first started using it.

Hi,

I'm not sure about 28 days. My Lantus cartridge can get used in 18. (That's dosage & factoring a 2u airshot.)
I dispose of when it will not accommodate a full dose anymore including an airshot.
But sometimes. About 9, maybe 11 days in? (Judging where plunger is down the barrel.)
Things act like I need to ramp the dose up.
I change the cartridge for the following day I'm back on track.

I personally feel (especially since the advent of using a CGM set up. ) Lantus can be a little unstable. (Even stored as per recomended.)
 
An update but not so positive one so I changed the the cartridge last night, the same happened again, at 12am after 4 hours it was 15 which again Is very high for me then in the morning came down to 5 after a lot of Novo rapid, had a sandwich this morning and put extra rapid to cover a potential rise and 2 and a half hours later it's at 19!! I'm awaiting a call from my Diabetes team and I'll update what they think it could be!.
 

Hi,

Another option. Is your pen dosing correctly? After an airshot priming the needle.
Can 20 units be fired into the needle cap comming up to the line penned in to illustrate on the (sorry.) blurred picture below. (Apreciate it looks "unscientific," but you get a rough idea..)

 
It does fill to the line! I wasn't aware of that so thank you! My doctor has got me a new pen we're going to trial it tonight, hopefully that does the trick.
 
It does fill to the line! I wasn't aware of that so thank you! My doctor has got me a new pen we're going to trial it tonight, hopefully that does the trick.
If you do not already have a spare pen, please request two new pens, You must have a spare pen as you never know when it will fail.
You need a spare pen for basal and bolus. And, if you travel anywhere overnight, remember to take the spare with you. Insulin equipment may rarely fail but when it does it is never at a convenient time.
 
The doctor said the same thing always having a spare pen for each insulin, they're going to order me another one aswell.
 
Thankfully it does seem to be that specific pen with the problem. Since I've used it my morning sugars have been much better phew!
 
We all have quite enough to deal with without unreliable technology as well. I have always found this sort of problem really annoying. At least you know for the future that failures like this are possible.
 
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