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Levemir Or Tresiba?

CranberryIce

Well-Known Member
Messages
410
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hello,

I have suffered lots with night time hypos so been told I need to change my basal insulin (Lantus- split dose). My consultant (who has been utterly useless so far) has advised me to go onto Tresiba. My nurse (who has been more useful but still has no idea what she is talking about most of the time) has suggested Levemir.

If I has to chose I’d say I trust my nurse more than the consultant- but really don’t know much about either insulins.

Is one better that the other at reducing hypos?

Edit: To the mums/ladies trying to conceive- is one better than the other for pregnancy?
 
I just switched from a split dose of Lantus to a split dose of Levemir. I was injecting about 7.30 - 8 pm, and my blood sugar would drop low at about 12.30 am. Then, I'd correct it, and it would start shooting up into the strastosphere.

Unfortunately because I recently got freestyle libre I ended up getting not enough sleep as I lay awake watching this strange phenomenon.

I find Levemir less aggressive, interestingly my blood glucose does still drop a bit at 11.30 pm, now, but not enough to cause a hypo.

On my freestyle libre daily patterns graph, with the Levemir, and I've only being using it for about ten days, but the variation from the median at night is almost certainly less, so it's less erratic at night.

I don't know anything about Tresiba, but I have definitely found the switch from Lantus to Levemir has kept more or less the same patterns as before, but they are less extreme. Less hypers, and less hypos.

That could just be me getting better at adjusting with information from the freestyle libre, but I don't think it is, I thinks it the Levemir.
 
Both have their strengths. Are you quite an active person? Do your day time and night time insulin needs differ significantly? Do your activity levels vary from day to day? If any of those apply, the flexibility of Levemir would probably be better. Tresiba is more stable, but also more rigid - you have no flexibility with it, and it takes several days to see the impact of any changes.

It is not the insulin as such that is going to reduce hypos - it sounds like you aren't even on the right doses of Lantus to start with.

I am not a mum nor am I trying to conceive, so I can't advise you there, but my small brain does wonder if the flexibility of Levemir might allow you to make more changes?

@Juicyj may be able to provide more insight there.
 

Thank you
 
Thanks @EllsKBells

Hi @CranberryIce I have tried all 3 basals. For me the best basal was Tresiba, it's recommended as its a good insulin and it can help anyone who has night time hypos based in the fact it is more stable, it lasts around 36 hours, one injection a day and it's profile is pretty flat. It takes a few weeks to settle in though and get adjusted to the right dose, so it's not an instant magic wand but once it settles down it is easy to manage and helps stabilise control.
 
Sorry also need to mention, that if your looking to conceive then speak to your team as you may be able to access a pump to help micro manage your control, worth a thought ?
 

Not active as physical sport etc but active as such on my feet all day. I do plan to return to regular swimming (stopped due to hypos). So need flexibility for sure.

I am on 7 units of lantus in the morning and 4.5 in the evening. Sorry should have been more clearer- I suffered from lots of hypos. Since low carbing and the libre I have more than halved my doses (used to be 16&9) and got the hypos under better control.

Because my pre-pregnancy targets are pretty tight I need to get my BG lower before meals. Every-time I increase my lantus even by half a unit I am almost guaranteed to hypo.
 

Thank you that is really useful. Lots to think about. Don’t know who to side with.

I have tried to push for a pump... but my consultants perspective was if I want to conceive as soon as possible a pump will mean more change/delay...
 
So after some discussion with my DN I have shifted to Levemir. Split dose.

I took my lantus as usual yesterday morning (7am), but for my evening basal I started the Levemir (7.30pm).

I was advised to stick to my usual doses. At the moment I have been running alot lower than I usually do (for a Sunday). Is this because their is still Lantus hanging around?

How many days does it usually take for things to settle?

This is the first time I have changed insulin (for as long as I can remember).
 
I’ve heard good things about Levemir but my Diabetes Educator would not let me change from Lantus as it us ‘stronger’. I have very uncontrolled BG highs at 11mmols to 22mmols and take 14 units in the morning and 16 at night.
Is Levemir not so good for someone like me?
 
By the way, I am Type 1.5 LADA
 
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