Hi, can I ask if there is anyone out there using the lantus long acting insulin?, ive been using this for quite sometime now,admittedly I have not always been the best diabetic, but in the last year and a half,really tried to get it under control,but struggle with my morning blood suguars,which can be anything from 6 to 16, recently as part of being a serious diabetic I have taken up running, going to the gym and swimming, I do at least one of these activitey once a day usually at night,and always take the lantus injection at roughly the same time,it seems it does not matter how much or little of this I take the morning bs are erractic to say the least,I have asked my nurse to change this but alway told its the best available, which I translate as the cheapest,also I'm meet with the same response,my bs could be going low through fhe night and my liver produces glycogen to counter act. I am actully at my wits end with the stuff,can anyone on here help?.also I am offerd a pump near ever visit too the hospital but am definitely not intrested in this theropy.
-
Guest, the forum is undergoing some upgrades and so the usual themes will be unavailable for a few days. In the meantime, you can use the forum like normal. We'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »
Lantus insulin
- Thread starter Stevo500
- Start Date
czj
Well-Known Member
Sorry to hear about your lantus / morning blood sugar issues. I've only very recently solved a similar situation, maybe this might help.
For decades I took Insulatard at night, and had this issue. Then about 10 years ago my consultant suggested taking Lantus instead would solve the problem. It didn't. About a year ago I went back to Insulatard, and at last I think I have solved it. It's not the insulin though, it's me.
In those days, when I was still working, my day was fairly regular. I ate much the same things at much the same time, except for my evening meal. Salad one day, pasta the next. Though I had been carb counting for 40 years I wasn't being as accurate as I am these days. Overall some days my blood sugar before bed would vary between say 4 and 14. Which is pretty poor. And Lantus basal is portrayed as some magic, fixed, dose, that never changes.
So these days I count carbs exactly for my evening meal, not to the nearest 5 or 10, to get a better bedtime reading, and then adjust the Insulatard bedtime dose based on the bedtime blood reading. Mostly its either 10 or 12 units but the extra 2 (or 2 less) has made my morning bloods excellent.
How are your bedtime blood readings?
For decades I took Insulatard at night, and had this issue. Then about 10 years ago my consultant suggested taking Lantus instead would solve the problem. It didn't. About a year ago I went back to Insulatard, and at last I think I have solved it. It's not the insulin though, it's me.
In those days, when I was still working, my day was fairly regular. I ate much the same things at much the same time, except for my evening meal. Salad one day, pasta the next. Though I had been carb counting for 40 years I wasn't being as accurate as I am these days. Overall some days my blood sugar before bed would vary between say 4 and 14. Which is pretty poor. And Lantus basal is portrayed as some magic, fixed, dose, that never changes.
So these days I count carbs exactly for my evening meal, not to the nearest 5 or 10, to get a better bedtime reading, and then adjust the Insulatard bedtime dose based on the bedtime blood reading. Mostly its either 10 or 12 units but the extra 2 (or 2 less) has made my morning bloods excellent.
How are your bedtime blood readings?
It may well be on the mornings where you are high is a result of a hypo during the night, or the erratic nature of your morning readings could be due to poor insulin absorption (your bolus dose) or you've mis-calculated your breakfast. There's a new basal called Tresiba which is said to be very good, do ask if you can change to this, although it is more expensive than other basal insulins.
The before bed results vary from 5 to 16, I should mention I do a lot of excercise in the evenings so teatime insulin tends to be halved for the amount of carbs I take in.also I eat supper usually around 20 to 40 grams of carbs, there was a time I was taking short acting along with the lantus to conter act the carbs in my supper, but was advised to stop as seen as its supper and I'm going too be slepping minus anything I have by 20 grams.yes nobblehead this has been suggested about it dropping low through the night,I done a waking nigjt check and this did not seem too be happening . It's looking awful like I may have too go down the pump route sonething I am not keen on at all.
czj
Well-Known Member
So you are pretty sure you are not going low overnight. So long as you have checked on a few nights, to be sure that is the pattern it's good you have ruled it out.
Your bedtime readings seem in much the same range as the morning ones. I'm a bit old fashioned in my approach but I went on a DAFNE-type course recently. There we were taught that if our bed time reading is say 20, and it's 20 in the morning that's fine. Well, fine in so much as it shows our night time insulin is OK as things haven't increased overnight.
My bedtime routine is a bit like yours. I aim to be at 6 two hours after my evening meal. (2 hours chosen for consistency, otherwise the timing makes things too random I discovered). I have 20g supper, and take 10 units of Insulatard. Then I'll be at 6 in the morning.
Your bedtime readings seem in much the same range as the morning ones. I'm a bit old fashioned in my approach but I went on a DAFNE-type course recently. There we were taught that if our bed time reading is say 20, and it's 20 in the morning that's fine. Well, fine in so much as it shows our night time insulin is OK as things haven't increased overnight.
My bedtime routine is a bit like yours. I aim to be at 6 two hours after my evening meal. (2 hours chosen for consistency, otherwise the timing makes things too random I discovered). I have 20g supper, and take 10 units of Insulatard. Then I'll be at 6 in the morning.
- However if my blood is 4 say, I'll still eat the 20g, but do just 8 units of Insulatard.
- Or if it's too high at say 12, then I will do 1 unit of rapid acting to compensate for the high, then eat the usual 20g and do the usual 10 units of Insulatard. I used to do 2 units to compensate, but I have to remember that it's just 2 hours after my meal, and probably still falling.
- If it's in-between - say 8 at bedtime, then I wont compensate but I'll I have 12 units of Insulatard instead of 10.
