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Insulin Problems:

V

violentloser

Member
Guys,

I was just wondering what evidence, clinical trials etc there are of major problems with different insulins.

I hae tried the two main slow acting analogue insulins. While I have to say Lantus (and Levemir) gave fantasticaly tight BS control I would say that I personally found Lantus to be horrific in terms of how it made me feel. I felt groggy, foggy, tired, paranoid, achey and incredibly irritable. It made me feel massively nervous (though I am not sure if that is the right word) in certain social situations where I hadn't been before. To expand slightly on this I had a permanent feeling that speaking was a major effort, found it hard to get my words out and seemed extremely wary of being left in a one-on-one situation. I think that was because I knew it would mean I would be engaged in conversation. It was horrible. I was diagnosed with depression, anxiety and numerus other things.

I switched to Levamir after reading of some problems about 2/3 years ago and have to say I felt somewhat better. However the problems remained to some extent.

I just wanted to know if there was anything more detailed than anecdotal evidence about such problems. Any science behind how it might be a problem?!

I wanted to know if anyone could reassure me that this is a problem they can relate to?! Anything.

I know analogues work fantastically well for the majority - and I am not here to bang on my drum about how hideous they are - but if they are a potential problem for me I wonder if anyone knows of any successful alternative insulin regimes?! I have just demanded being put on animal insulins - and have started to feel that bit better again - but have since read about Human Insulins (non-analogue).

Too many questions. I'll leave it at that. Hopefully someone, somewhere can give me a few pointers.
 
Hi Dan, although it's horrible to read of people suffering exactly the same problems as I did on Lantus. Even after 2 1/2 years off the muck it's still strangely reassuring to know I wasn't the basket-case hypocondriac that my GP and many other doctors had thought I was for 4 1/2 miserable f***ing years If I ever shut up about this or go quiet on this forum please presume I am deceased :lol:
Have you contacted the IDDT? It was my husbands suggestion that Lantus could be the cause of my problems and the IDDT's subsequent eye-opening information that woke me to the perils of analogue insulins-no conspiracy theory website as a forum member suggested recently :( . Definately worth looking at if you haven't already. They are, as far as I am aware, looking into the issues you refer to.
I would be satisfied if drug companies were transparent and honest about side-effects, but that is definately not the case; not for Sanofi Aventis that's for sure. There's a lot to be done. You describe how you felt as " horrific" , and I know that's no exaggeration :(
As for why they cause such problems, apart from the obvious "analogue insulins are not insulin" I wish I knew. I can only presume that natural human insulin performs a function that copy-insulins are unable to , which results in awful problems for some people. The acidity of Lantus is undoubtedly an issue. Why it causes nervous problems,pain, heart and other problems in some people will be known by the manufacturers, I am in no doubt about it. The clinical trials of Lantus and the like were carried out over a short period of time and the results based only on Hba1c results- I doubt side-effects were even noted and it is worth pointing out that many people can suffer them after 1yr to 18 months after starting the medication and the effects can sometimes be accumulitive.
Sorry for rabbiting on Dan, I'm so glad you're feeling better and hope it continues and your control improves.
Jus
Have you seen this thread? viewtopic.php?f=26&t=2797
 
Since starting analogue insulin, made using genetic modification, made by a private company that exists only to make money, I feel so much better.

Read iddt, you'll find lots of stuff about evil killer insulins.

Yes there are other insulins. But if you have good control on piggy or cow insulins, why not just stick with those? I have read about lots of people doing fine on those insulins. Piggy, cow and human insulins are cheaper for the NHS than analogue ones so you are doing your bit for the health of the nation too.
 
HLW,
For someone with a distrust and obvious dislike of the IDDT, you seem to have researched their site well, why? You must be aware that the charity was set up as a result of the founder's daughter experiencing problems on synthetic human insulins and hence the reason they focus on the issue -to help people who suffer similarly. Don't you think it's important that people are made aware of side-effects of medication, especially when they are being told by the medical profession that their ill health is unrelated to it?
As for the "evil killer insulins" (hope u don't mind the quote marks this time HLW! No one, except you has made such ridiculous statements, certainly not the IDDT!. And by saying that it comes accross that you are belittling the devastating impact that side-effects can have on patients lives You know nothing of them, as you've stated and and I hope you never do, as I'm sure your attitude would change.
Jus
 
People may make flippant remarks about 'killer insulins' without ever experiencing any of the associated problems. The fact I felt suicidal for the best part of the time I was on such medications may, ironically, mean that you are closer to the truth, albeit unintentionally, for some people than you may realise. If you feel that making light of the situation is in someway helpful then please do carry on - I'm notndoing this from some uber-green perspective. I am asking questions because I have lost 6/7 torturous years and maybe this is potentially why!! Capiche?!

I have looked on the IDDT website and although there are some useful bits an bobs there isn't anything overly meaty to reassure me that everything might be ok.

Why would Levemir give me similar problems?! Would insulins like Novorapid have similar potential side effects. I ask because I'm desperate. I couldn't give two fucks about the level of GM unless it gives rise to me feeling like life is a trial.

So, from experiences, IF someone did experience such complications what would people recommend as a decent insulin regime in terms of countering the negatives but giving decent BS control?!

For those people on Animal insulins, how do you overcome the shorter long acting and the longer short acting profiles?!

Many Thanks

Dan
 
You work with the profile's, which is basically 2 injections a day of the background, and when it comes to the quick insulin you inject roughly 1/2 hour before you eat anything including snacks if you are doing the basal/bolus regime..

Changing insulin may not help you with your anxiety as this could have a separate cause, it may have been kicked started by the Lantus but generally anxiety tends to be a learnt function of reaction of the brain in certain situations kicking into the flight/fight mode without us either needing it or being particular aware of the very beginings of the process... It's likely that you are going to need support to retrain the brain into a different reaction, conegitive thought patterning..

So keep in mind that changing insulins may not resolve all and you may need other medical assistence to solve your others..

I've used both animal and human insulins, and they made no difference to my panic attacks or anxiety levels in certain situations.. I know this because the panic attacks came a couple of year before diabetes, and I do know the cause and what started them off..
 
Please stop making out like there is some problem with these insulins, just because you might have reactions to them. Some people die if they eat nuts, this does not mean there is some problem with nuts.

The iddt website would be useful, it if was simply about possible side effects from insulins, and alternative insulins. But it's not about that, it reads like some hate campain against analogue and human insulins. One gets the impression that they do not want to increase choice, they want to decrease it, and only have animal insulins available. They have nothing positive to say about any others.

Why would my attitude change if I did start having reactions to a particular insulin? I know medication can have many side effects, and these are relatively new insulins so I'm sure there are side effects that haven't been documented.

Anyway sorry OP, this is off topic. For the longer short acting insulin I guess you would take it before food (15 min I have seen mentioned for some insulins but does it not say this information on the patient information leaflet?), and lower GI stuff would help I assume. For the shorter long acting insulin, more injections I assume.
 
HLW says:
Please stop making out like there is some problem with these insulins, just because you might have reactions to them. Some people die if they eat nuts, this does not mean there is some problem with nuts.
To some diabetics, there is a problem with these insulins!
I wish that there was a non human insulin that had no side effects for any diabetic but there aint such a thing (or at least they don't sell it) IDDT and such groups are a counterbalance to the blinkered view that medicines can do no wrong and no accidents occur!
Roll on the perfect insulin!! :D
 
HLW. No one has said that there is a problem per se with those insulins.

However, to continue tour analogy, if you had a peanut allergy (albeit with no visible manifestations) how would you feel if you were blindly force fed peanuts on a daily basis. An almost blind faith to something that is obviously doing you no favours.

Things aren't cut and dried, but I guarantee you that Lantus gave me some horrific side effects and Levemir was only marginally netter. For the past few days my life has improved immeasurably. That's me. If others enjoy a nice dose of an analogue then more power to them. What is maybe harder to accept is that the NHS had a one size fits all approach and doesn't warn or even recognise such potential side affects.

Anyway. Why the animosity towards those with a leaning towards pigs?!

Oink. Oink.
Dan
 
Oh I just like pigs, and don't think they should be killed, they are quite intelligent like dogs, but I assume the insulin is a by-product of ones killed for meat, so I suppose if they are going to be killed anyway it's best that as many parts are used as possible so nothing goes to waste.

Re: insulins, some people (eg, the iddt website) imply that there is a problem with non-animal insulins, rather than saying thar usually they are OK, but are not suitable for all because of side effects. Yes the NHS should inform people better.
 
Hello Violentloser,
Just because they are all called "insulin" doesn't mean they all work in the body the same! I too have tried Lantus and Levemir and did not like them. I actually tried each of them twice and had bad reactions to them. Lantus seemed to cause inflammatory flare-up. Levemir made me feel tired and I slept alot. I am T2 on insulin for 7 years 76 year old male from New Jersey US. I am 5 foot 10 inches weigh 229 pounds and am large boned and muscular. My latest a1c is 7.3 percent. I have been using novolin R and novolog to control my BGs. I prefer to use mostly novolin regular because it is supposed to be strucurally the same as human insulin, because I feel good on it, because I can predict its BG-lowering effect and because it lasts me 5 to 6 hours. I only use novolog If my BG reading is 200 mg/dl (11.1 mmol/l) or more or before or after a bigger than usual meal. Novolog is out of my system after 3 hours or so.
What insulin/s are you using?
 
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