Insulin History?

[DeafDiabetic]

I seem to recall (about 20 years ago?) insulin was then delivered differently? I think it used to be a different type of insulin ingredient delivered via rather large and unweildly (sp?) syringes and needles that had to be constantly sterilised?

As a recently diagnosed T2 non-insulin dependent I'm just curious about this as I understand, at some stage then, the UK govt introduced a different type of insulin such as that used today with the far more hygienic throw away after use prick-pens.

What I'm curious about is if any older members here were involved then. How did you cope with the changeover? As we're all so different it must have been a mammoth task re-assessing everybody's needed dosages?

Twenty years ago I was an ignorant teenager without any knowledge whatsoever about diabetes.

Today I like to think I'm more mature and wiser - but still ignorant! :lol:

 

[noblehead]

Take a look at the following thread DeafDiabetic:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=10070&p=94355#p94355

Nigel

 

[sugar2]

For me, I coped well, as every step forward was just that, a hugh improvement on what came before...certainly in "practical" sense. I was diagnosed in 1977..aged 4, and started with metal and glass syringes, which had to be stored in meths...so moving to the plastic syringes was great...as teh needles were smaller etc.

The biggest change though was teh introduction of blood sugar testing...it used to be all peeing on a a tablet that fizzed and changed colour.

 

[copepod]

You might be thinking about earlier times when there were 2 "strengths" of insulin: 40 and 80 units per ml. Today there is only only "strength", 100 units per ml.

 

[mrburden]

For me, I coped well, as every step forward was just that, a hugh improvement on what came before...certainly in "practical" sense. I was diagnosed in 1977..aged 4, and started with metal and glass syringes, which had to be stored in meths...so moving to the plastic syringes was great...as teh needles were smaller etc.

The biggest change though was teh introduction of blood sugar testing...it used to be all peeing on a a tablet that fizzed and changed colour.

I too was diagnosed in 1977. I was fotunate that my mother was a nurse and "readied" me for what was to come. She had me practicing by injecting an orange to get the insulin into the skin (you had inject at an angle back then). I spent the whole of the summer school holidays in hospital being "balanced". I used Actrapid (bovine) & Monotard (porcine) insulins, drawn up and mixed in the glass syringes. The needles were very long and felt like a pencil to me as a child! I used surgical spirit to clean the skin before injecting. I remember mum boiling the syringes and needles in a pan to sterilize them and for a while my needles used to be sent off for regrinding!
The disposable plastic syringes with needles attached came next. Then later the change to synthetic insulins Novorapid & Insulatard. Now the ease of the pen and cartridges of Novorapid and Levemir. I don't think I had too much bother changing from one insulin to another over the years, just a bit of minor adjusting of levels for a short while, though I do seem to be more unstable now than I was as a child. That could be my body rather than insulin changes!
I understand that Cuba has a fairly good version of our NHS but that their diabetics are still using the glass syringes that we had in the 70's!