How does Novomix 30 work? (The idiots guide)

[June_C]

I totally agree, if it ain't broke then don't fix it.

 

[rochari]

Interestingly iHs I keep a box of Novorapid in the fridge. This was on the recommendation of my GP who said that if I am high, particularly late evening time or perhaps due to an infection, 1 or 2 units max will bring the level down, but of course, to keep checking using my meter. It's become a joke between us but I've never needed that little boost and every so often I need to get another supply as the previous was expired.

June, have you always used the premixed cartridges? This thread got me to thinking back and I remembered the nuisance it used to be when I had two bottles of insulin (I think Soluble and NPH) and drawing from each into one syringe, then injecting. Mind, that was in the days of the clunky glass syringe which I used until I got my first insulin pen. Getting it all pre-mixed was a blessing.

Bill

 

[June_C]

Hi Bill, I was only diagnosed in Oct 14 and was put straight on Humalog Mix 25 and told to inject before breakfast and dinner. In the starter goody bag I was given there was also a pen with just Humalog, different to the mix 25. I was told this could be used if I was unwell. Reading through all these threads it looks as though I might have a bolus pen after all. However, no-one has suggested I switch to a basal/bolus regime, so the pen just sits in the fridge. As mentioned before I'm happy with my routine and don't want to change to umpteen meter readings and injections.

June

 

[Spiker]

June if you have been diagnosed less than 6 months it's likely your team will want to move you off mix and onto basal bolus before too long.

 

[June_C]

I hope not. I manage to keep my bg levelsin the, 5s and 6s and after food they're in the 8s. As a novice I think I'm doing quite well.

 

[Alanp35]

HumalogMix 25 - I have been on this since October 2013 and it suits me. By following advice, including from people on here, I can keep my BGs within recommended levels. There is an occasional blip but that is diabetes for you. As long as things are under control, as is, then I have no wish to move to a basal/ bolus routine. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

 

[Spiker]

I hope not. I manage to keep my bg levelsin the, 5s and 6s and after food they're in the 8s. As a novice I think I'm doing quite well.

Definitely you are doing well but this may be your "honeymoon" period, during which residual pancreatic function smooths out the highs and lows. If so, when that ends you might need more precise means of control than novomix can provide.

 

[June_C]

HumalogMix 25 - I have been on this since October 2013 and it suits me. By following advice, including from people on here, I can keep my BGs within recommended levels. There is an occasional blip but that is diabetes for you. As long as things are under control, as is, then I have no wish to move to a basal/ bolus routine. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

My sentiments exactly.

 

[June_C]

Definitely you are doing well but this may be your "honeymoon" period, during which residual pancreatic function smooths out the highs and lows. If so, when that ends you might need more precise means of control than novomix can provide.

I hope not. Like Alanp35, I'm a late onset Type 1, auto immune diabetes. Frankly, I think my pancreas just gave up the ghost last summer and consequently I was drinking like a fish and weeing for England. The massive weight loss rang the alarm bells and I was found to have a bg of 27. Eeek..... After two weeks the levels were dropping and with some tweaking I've got them where they are today. I know that if I'm daft enough to fall off the diet wagon, then my bg level will rise to 11+. Anyway, I'll see how things go and hope I can stay on mixed.

 

[urbanracer]

At the point of diagnosis I was put on Novomix 30, but the hospital then wrote to the GP advising him to give me Humalog Mix 25 and rapid acting Humalog (Lispro) for sick days. The Novomix lasted me about 3 months and I didn't have particularly good control during that time. It ran out between Christmas and New Year so I switched over to Humalog Mix 25 and there was a step change in the stability of my BG levels. Although the medics say that Novomix 30 and Humalog Mix 25 are basically the same, they certainly seem to affect me differently.

Until a few weeks ago, the rapid acting insulin was sitting in the fridge unused. It hadn't occurred to me to try and use it for a bolus type injection until the last hospital visit when the DN pointed out it could be used this way. I've lowered my Mix 25 to 10u in the morning and 8u at night - then take a couple of units of rapid if I feel like 'carbing' a bit. I've tried it a few times now and it seems to work OK with BG's being within expected ranges 1 to 2 hrs after food.

Also at the last meeting with the DN I was asked if I wanted to change to a proper basal/bolus regime and after considering it for a few moments I decided to stick with what I have for the time being as it seems to be working.

 

[June_C]

Delighted to hear someone else who's happy with Humalog Mix 25. I inject the same amount of units as you, except mine is 8 in the morning and 10 at night. I'm totally content with my regime and like you, don't want to change to basal/bolus for the moment. I notice you are in Worthing, so am I. Our hospital obviously favours Humalog Mix 25 as it produces good results.

 

[Alanp35]

Delighted to hear someone else who's happy with Humalog Mix 25. I inject the same amount of units as you, except mine is 8 in the morning and 10 at night. I'm totally content with my regime and like you, don't want to change to basal/bolus for the moment. I notice you are in Worthing, so am I. Our hospital obviously favours Humalog Mix 25 as it produces good results.

June - I have 50 units prior to breakfast and 22 units prior to evening meal. Phew !!

 

[June_C]

That sounds like a lot compared to my meagre dose. As a bit of a pig ignorant newbie, do you have a lot of carbs in your diet?

 

[rochari]

Hi Spiker. They've now given up trying to persuade me to move to basal/bolus. One doctor whom I'd never met before sat complimenting me for, in his words, my great hb1ac result and tight control, terrific cholesterol level, my fitness and having no complications after 50 years etc etc. In the next breath he said he wanted to change me over to a basal/bolus regime. I explained that after such fulsome praise wasn't this a bit contradictory and why did he feel it necessary? He explained that at the clinic it's the regime they try and set for most. Not for me I explained and refused.

As I mentioned earlier in the thread if basal/bolus suits a patient and gives then great control then that is fantastic.

Perhaps I am an old cynic now but sometimes I wonder if some clinics and the doctors who practice there are perhaps over-influenced by drug reps and financial incentives and not what the patient either needs or wants. Good grief, I’ve seen that for years with the issuing of boxes of new ‘just launched’ meters. It happens every time I am at the clinic. No doubt that company’s rep visited a few days before.

We all need to have a choice and not be afraid to say no sometimes.

Bill

 

[Spencer67]

You need background (basal) insulin to deal with the glucose that is constantly released by the liver to keep your body functions ticking over. You need bolus insulin (NovoRapid in your case) to deal with the carbs you eat at mealtimes.

You are on a very odd regime using Novomix and NovoRapid. You should really be on a separate basal like Levemir, Lantus or Tresiba. You don't count carbs for that but need to adjust it to suit your bassl requirements. Only then can you start to do proper carb counting with your rapid insulin (NovoRapid) at mealtimes.

Hey @robert72 , I've got a telephone appointment with my doc on Friday morning to have a word with him about the Novomix and Novrapid dilemma i'm having and i noticed you use and mentioned Tresiba, which i've never heard of until i spotted it in your signature, do you recommend this one, how have you got on with it and how does it compare to Levemir or Lantus or are they all just a regular basal?

 

[Spencer67]

Hi Alba,

Mixed works for some of us. Apart from 12 months on Novorapid and Levemir around 7 years ago (for me that regime wasn't good) I've been 40 years on mixed. For the 10 years prior to that I was on a single insulin (lente).

I guess it's what keeps us healthy with good test results, suits our lifestyle and what we feel comfortable with that's important. To be honest, after this length of time on insulin without complications I'd much prefer to stay on mixed. I'm the first to admit though that at my age now I'm not so good with change.

Bill

I've been on nmix since i was diagnosed and i've never been able to get consistently good bg readings, too many highs and lows and i've now got fed up with it, and i want to try another method and see how i get on. Its only since i came on the forum i've seen there are other options and after some research i've seen how some people just couldnt get on with nmix but on the basal/bolus they are pretty stable. its dawned on me i'm one of those that are just not getting on with nmix. It forces me to eat when i don't want to eat and its really hard to judge how much to eat when i'm on it cos of the 30/70 mix and ive got this constant yoyo'ing of bgs it just not normal. I like using the nrapid bolus its suits me but the nmix having a bolus in it screws my carb counting up amongst other things, I hope its the answer to my problems but i have to convince my doc to change me over yet.

Hey @noblehead can you fix the thread header for me if that is at all possible please, i've typed 'Novorapid 30' instead of 'Novomix 30' i'm concerned it may confuse pips if any newbies come along, sorry my fault. doh.

 

[Alanp35]

That sounds like a lot compared to my meagre dose. As a bit of a pig ignorant newbie, do you have a lot of carbs in your diet?

June - I aim for less than 60 carbs per day, but depending on my diet for the day could be as low as 40 or even as high as 70 or so. I follow LCHF which helps enormously but always bear in mind that we are all different. I have some health issues which have put me on an unenviable drug therapy regime and again these "conspire" against me. Not to worry though, the battle may be over but the war is not yet won.

 

[June_C]

Alan, I quite agree we're all very different. I don't follow the LCHF diet as I'm trying to stay away from fats - well saturated anyway, due to highish cholesterol. My carb intake varies from 160 - 220 per day and yet I can get away with just 18 units of insulin per day. I did notice you're swallowing half a pharmacy !!!!

 

[robert72]

Hey @robert72 , I've got a telephone appointment with my doc on Friday morning to have a word with him about the Novomix and Novrapid dilemma i'm having and i noticed you use and mentioned Tresiba, which i've never heard of until i spotted it in your signature, do you recommend this one, how have you got on with it and how does it compare to Levemir or Lantus or are they all just a regular basal?

Tresiba is fairly new background insulin. Lasts up to 42 hours but you take it once a day. I have found it to have a very flat profile. The main hurdle to getting this is cost - Lantus and Levemir are around £42 per 5 carts whilst Tresiba is around £72. I originally asked my GP about trying it but he said no, so I asked my consultant who was happy for me to try it... probably because he isn't paying

 

[Spencer67]

Tresiba is fairly new background insulin. Lasts up to 42 hours but you take it once a day. I have found it to have a very flat profile. The main hurdle to getting this is cost - Lantus and Levemir are around £42 per 5 carts whilst Tresiba is around £72. I originally asked my GP about trying it but he said no, so I asked my consultant who was happy for me to try it... probably because he isn't paying

Hey tx @robert72 could you expand a little on what you mean by a flat profile as compared to Lantus or Levemir?