Lantus advice

[Bogusman]

Hello, I recently changed from taking an Insulatard injection before bedtime (10 units) to taking Lantus. Now I don't really understand what the benefits of this would be as Lantus is meant to last 24 hours and imo doesn't sound as though it is a night time replacement. Should I keep the same dosage? After the first morning my reading was very high so I upped the Lantus dose to 15.
I have been diabetic for 28 years, I don't like change, don't check my blood sugar readings, maybe once a day when I know it is low, and to be honest I have not really changed much in all that time regarding eating habits etc.
That may sound negative but I can honestly say that I have not been ill, missed a day's work, been confined to bed, had to go to hospital, outwith appointments, etc. etc. because of diabetes, so I must be doing something right.
I also take 5 injections of Novorapid a day and the odd 1 or 2 units now and then if my sugar is high.
Anyways, can someone please give me a bit of help, in layman's terms, I just feel as if my ways of dealing with things is out of date, I inject when I eat, that's it, I do ignore all the stuff that goes along with it, it is too hard to get it right and it seems to have mind of it's own e.g. 21mmol one minute and then 4.2 the next. The Doc at the hospital was not very helpful in giving me advice to the change in insulin, so thanks for any help.

 

[jeves]

I'm also an lantus it keeps my blood sugar stable for 24 hours novorapid you use when you eat by counting your carbs for myself 10grams of carb it one unit but my ration is 2-1 in the morning so 10 grams is 2 units everyone is different though I've been diabetic for 31 years

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[lizdeluz]

Hi, like you I've been type 1 for 28 years and I'm also on Lantus and Novorapid. I've had much the same approach as you, fast acting insulin to match what I eat and the Lantus at night, and not coping well with fine tuning in order to get a more even bs at all times.
Like you, my bs tends to lurch from high to low and back again, not good. The main reason was work, which stopped me giving enough attention to my health. I have kept fairly healthy on the whole, but, now that I am not working I want to achieve better control. I've always struggled with low bs in the morning, not a good start to the working day. My doctor recently suggested that I take the Lantus in the morning instead of at night. I think the Lantus starts to wear off at around 5 am and my bs starts to rise by breakfast at 7am. This means I'm not hypo when I wake up. Which is great. Also, I tend to have slightly lower bs in the evening when I can cope with it better. It's a drag trying to even out my blood sugar, but it's better than feeling ill from the two extremes. Good luck with your getting back on track. Maybe chat with your diabetes nurse for help with doses? As we're all different, the advice has to be personalised, so to get any help you'll prob need to keep a really good record for a while of doses you inject and exactly what you've eaten, so that the patterns can be identified.

 

[Fetchmeacoffee]

Hi , I've just gone back to lantus after a few months using insuman. The problem with background insulin is they tend to take a few days before you notice a difference. Please don't just wake up high and think tonight I'll take an extra few units like you could with novorapid. Carry on using 15 units for a few days and if you're still getting high numbers maybe take it up to 18 , and repeat by adjusting every few days if needed. I went from 18 units to 21 then to 24 then to 27 but I'm happily sat where I need to be. Good luck with Lantus


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[noblehead]

As Fetch says give it 2-3 days before making adjustments to the dose again, for whatever reason the manufacturers of insulin (Sanofi) do stipulate this in their patient information leaflet.

As for not liking change Bogusman, the fact that you got away with no complications up to now doesn't mean that you'll get away with it for the next 28 years, it's never too late to take control of your diabetes but to do so you must take better care of yourself, regular testing whilst recording bg levels, insulin doses and carbohydrates eaten would be a good starting point so that your HCP's (and members on here) can advise you further.

 

[Bogusman]

Thank you all very much for the advice you have given. I do agree with what you have all said.
The carb counting thing reminds me of when I first became diabetic and the "exchanges" lark when you had to count the things you ate. That didn't last long, nor did the keeping diaries etc. I did promise to start doing that again but eh, at 53, can I be bothered?
:?
I would rather wake up with low bs readings than high ones, btw how can you tell when the Lantus wears off? that puzzles me.
Should I return to the Insulatard.
Thanks.

 

[lizdeluz]

At 53 you can definitely be bothered. What's wrong with 53? My advice, which I've given to myself - and no one else can make you do anything, after all, - is look after yourself and be kind to yourself. If you manage your blood sugar just a little bit better, you will start to feel a little better in yourself.

Keeping track of your blood sugar, your insulin doses and your food, doesn't have to be completely uninteresting anyway. I have to admit, though, that, as I said before, monitoring it all when I was at work was difficult, just because I was always in a rush. I think it's great to have this forum as a support because there are lots of knowledgeable and helpful people on here who know what it's like to struggle with this condition and make the best of it.

Good luck with getting back on track, take one step at a time. :thumbup:

 

[lizdeluz]

Your question about how I know that my Lantus is wearing off at 5am:

I'm definitely not qualified to give you any advice about your insulin or your doses, and that's why I suggested that you go and see your diabetes nurse. Or doctor. However, I guess that my Lantus is wearing off at 5am because I injected it at breakfast the day before and it's supposed to be a 24 hour insulin, and it doesn't quite make it. I think that' s why my blood sugar is starting to increase by breakfast. If you prefer to have low blood sugar in the morning, you may well prefer to give yourself Lantus at night. (For me, it was important to avoid hypos on waking).