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Novo-not-so-Rapid

P

pinewood

Well-Known Member
Messages
792
Location
London
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Using Libre has helped show me that when I inject my NovoRapid it really takes a good 30 mins or so before it has any effect whatsoever and, even when I am not eating and I am using NovoRapid as a correction, it doesn't actually tend to start dropping my BG until an hour after it's been injected. Has anyone else noticed this? It's made me even more interested in Afrezza as it would be really good to have a bolus insulin that actually started working much faster.
 
This is normal behaviour for NovoRapid which is why many take it 15 minutes or so before a meal. It does also depend on where you inject and whether the injection area has been overused. The stomach is the best area for fastest action.
 
Thanks. Yes, I always inject it in my stomach area but I'm getting worried it will be over-used soon. I was only diagnosed in December and I already have some little bruises etc.
 
I have found that injecting on the lower side of my upper arms is also a good place for quicker absorption.

but it is also true for me that it takes a while to get going -- the correction time of an hour is pretty much what i see.
 
I found Humalog to be significantly faster. But I have heard that can vary from individual to individual. But when I am using a CGM I see a clear difference in onset time between the two. It's unusual to use more than one kind of quick acting insulin so most people don't get to see the difference.
 
pinewood said:
Using Libre has helped show me that when I inject my NovoRapid it really takes a good 30 mins or so before it has any effect whatsoever and, even when I am not eating and I am using NovoRapid as a correction, it doesn't actually tend to start dropping my BG until an hour after it's been injected. Has anyone else noticed this? It's made me even more interested in Afrezza as it would be really good to have a bolus insulin that actually started working much faster.
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I found the same with Apidra - the not-so-rapid-acting insulin. I now take my breakfast Apidra half hour before breakfast to give it a chance of keeping up.

Smidge
 
Thank goodness other people have noticed this! I said to my nurse that for certain foods inject my novorapid 15-30 mins early as it doesn't kick in straight away and she told me I was wrong and that it starts working immediately. I've always been very slow to absorb medications, even painkillers take longer to work on me.
 
char21 said:
Thank goodness other people have noticed this! I said to my nurse that for certain foods inject my novorapid 15-30 mins early as it doesn't kick in straight away and she told me I was wrong and that it starts working immediately. I've always been very slow to absorb medications, even painkillers take longer to work on me.
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I'm on the pump now, but when I was injecting I would take my insulin before I left the house and when I got to my work I would eat my breakfast - maybe 45 minutes later. That's my problem with the current types of 'fast-acting' insulin - in my opinion they just don't act fast, and as such I feel I'm being misled. A dietician recently told me that my BG should only go up by a maximum of 4 mmols after a medium carb loaded meal. 'Aye right' was my thought to that. It annoys me that you get told stuff that's patently innacurate.
 
My DSN told me exactly the same, char21. Today I injected my NovoRapid 45 minutes before breakfast and for the first time ever (when having cereal) I had no spike whatsoever and completely flat-lined between 5.5 and 6.5 mmol. I'm glad I've discovered this but it's a pain, as injecting right before is (usually) more convenient.
 
It also matters where you inject. Intramuscular gives you a much faster onset time, but comes with its own cons.
 
When I'm in work I have no idea what time I'll be getting my lunch or dinner at or even what I'll be having! I just accept that I'll be high for an hour or so and that it'll come down to normal eventually
 
pinewood said:
My DSN told me exactly the same, char21. Today I injected my NovoRapid 45 minutes before breakfast and for the first time ever (when having cereal) I had no spike whatsoever and completely flat-lined between 5.5 and 6.5 mmol. I'm glad I've discovered this but it's a pain, as injecting right before is (usually) more convenient.
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Yes, isn't that great? That's the way to get your mean BG and your standard deviation down prontisimo. Get working !
 
LucySW said:
What are the cons Tim?
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It usually hurts, can bruise muscle. Can bleed more often. And if you actively work the muscle the delivery is ultra fast.

I would not do it routinely. I only ever did it for large corrections.

And you need longer needles for it. I used 12.7mm
 
Spiker said:
It usually hurts, can bruise muscle. Can bleed more often. And if you actively use the muscle the delivery is ultra fast.

I would not do it routinely. I only ever did it for large corrections.

And you need longer needles for it. I used 12.7mm
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My body fat levels are low enough now to use 8mm needles and still achieve it in arms and ass.
 
pinewood said:
Using Libre has helped show me that when I inject my NovoRapid it really takes a good 30 mins or so before it has any effect whatsoever and, even when I am not eating and I am using NovoRapid as a correction, it doesn't actually tend to start dropping my BG until an hour after it's been injected. Has anyone else noticed this? It's made me even more interested in Afrezza as it would be really good to have a bolus insulin that actually started working much faster.
Click to expand...
I have seen this as well, if i start off at 5 mmol inject and eat dinner i spike for the first hour before dropping rapidly in the second/3 hour which isnt ideal
 
15-20 mins works for me, but in the book Think Like a Pancreas the author says you can inject up to 45 mins before eating with most QA insulins, tbh I'd be too scared to do that and would end up hypo.

But much depends on the meals as to how soon you inject, for example if meal is high in fat or is low-gi then it's probably best to inject just before eating or split-dose in some cases.
 
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