I have been on Lantus for years and have been very worried for the past few years about some of the side effects I am experiencing. I get severe cramps in my ankles and legs at night that last for up to 4 hours of constant muscle pain. I have spoken to my Dr about this and he says this is not being caused by Lantus. However during a period when I was sick and forgot to take my regular dose I had no cramps r muscle spasms. They started again immediate;ly I went back on Lantus. Some sites list these cramps and muscle spasm as a side effect of the drug. I feel the drug is making more health problems for me but my GP/Endo do not agree. I don't know what to do?? Any one else experience this?
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Type 2 Lantus Insulin and leg cramps
- Thread starter devans115
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Given what you've said I would insist on a change of basal insulin, after all the muscle pain is having a detrimental effect on your quality of life and no-one should have to endure that, it might be worth putting your request in writing to both your GP and Endo and say that you will be taking matters further if they don't listen to your concerns.
I have never really worried to much about my diabetes. I have always never allowed it to interfere with my day to day life, as a result I have never managed to successfully control my sugar levels, even when I did make an effort I sill could not get it under control. Eventually I was diagnosed as having LADA and was then prescribed insulin. At first I was on NovaMix 30, but I still could not manage stable sugar, due to my shift work.
Now I have been on Humalog and Lantus for - well years! I have been injecting Lantus in to my legs at bed time, 40 units of the stuff. I started having pains at night in my leg muscle and what seemed to be in my bones and joints. Sometimes its been that bad I have nearly cried, I have eaten that many ibuprofen tablets over the years trying to curb the pain I often worry what other damage I am doing. I even stopped taking the simvastatin tablets thinking it was them to be fair they said it was not them, but it did ease a little but not enough to be the cause.
My diabetic nurse keeps telling me its neuropathic pain and got the doctor to put me on a low dose of amitriptyline and then when that did nothing some other drug for epilepsy (which I forget the name of) which was supposedly another treatment for it. Suffice to say it did nothing. She also blamed my constant weakness on diabetes even when the sugar level was normal and stable they now blame everything on diabetes!!!. I always found this hard to believe - but what can you do ? they are the professionals after all right ?
I even had an X-ray on my foot as the pain in my toes was so bad I thought I had broken them or got arthritis. All tests came back negative reinforcing the belief of neuropathic pain. Then after a few more years and looking on the internet I see this post. I never ever in a 1000 years thought it was the insulin as my pains are not cramps and seem to be deep in the muscle and joints, but as daft as it sounds I started injecting in to my arms instead of my legs and I have started having less pain in my legs at night now. More time is needed to be sure though.
I read that this is a side affect of lantus and a dose of potassium might ease the systems. So I am thinking of taking a supplement. I am getting the feeling my practice has spent all the money on me they are going to do, once you reach a predetermined budget I think they write you off, thats how it feels anyway.
I will let you know how I get on.....
Now I have been on Humalog and Lantus for - well years! I have been injecting Lantus in to my legs at bed time, 40 units of the stuff. I started having pains at night in my leg muscle and what seemed to be in my bones and joints. Sometimes its been that bad I have nearly cried, I have eaten that many ibuprofen tablets over the years trying to curb the pain I often worry what other damage I am doing. I even stopped taking the simvastatin tablets thinking it was them to be fair they said it was not them, but it did ease a little but not enough to be the cause.
My diabetic nurse keeps telling me its neuropathic pain and got the doctor to put me on a low dose of amitriptyline and then when that did nothing some other drug for epilepsy (which I forget the name of) which was supposedly another treatment for it. Suffice to say it did nothing. She also blamed my constant weakness on diabetes even when the sugar level was normal and stable they now blame everything on diabetes!!!. I always found this hard to believe - but what can you do ? they are the professionals after all right ?
I even had an X-ray on my foot as the pain in my toes was so bad I thought I had broken them or got arthritis. All tests came back negative reinforcing the belief of neuropathic pain. Then after a few more years and looking on the internet I see this post. I never ever in a 1000 years thought it was the insulin as my pains are not cramps and seem to be deep in the muscle and joints, but as daft as it sounds I started injecting in to my arms instead of my legs and I have started having less pain in my legs at night now. More time is needed to be sure though.
I read that this is a side affect of lantus and a dose of potassium might ease the systems. So I am thinking of taking a supplement. I am getting the feeling my practice has spent all the money on me they are going to do, once you reach a predetermined budget I think they write you off, thats how it feels anyway.
I will let you know how I get on.....
barrym
Well-Known Member
Hmm, I used to get cramp at night. All of a sudden I noticed I wasn't. No idea what changed but....
I used to inject at evening meal time, then due to night hypos I switched to breakfast time. The theory being that the Lantus was running full-bore through the night, but if inject in the morning it'll be waning by night. Seemed to work.
But, could this be why the cramps have stopped more-or-less.
Unfortunately I can't pinpoint the cramp stopping to draw a conclusion.
Who knows?
I used to inject at evening meal time, then due to night hypos I switched to breakfast time. The theory being that the Lantus was running full-bore through the night, but if inject in the morning it'll be waning by night. Seemed to work.
But, could this be why the cramps have stopped more-or-less.
Unfortunately I can't pinpoint the cramp stopping to draw a conclusion.
Who knows?
If you're injecting once a day it makes sense to do it in the morning anyway because the liver likes to clear insulin out as you wake up.
I was injecting bolus (novorapid) into my calves and stopping already seems to have helped with my foot cramps though it's too early to be completely sure.
I was injecting bolus (novorapid) into my calves and stopping already seems to have helped with my foot cramps though it's too early to be completely sure.
