Novorapid frustration

[Tony337]

Hi Tony,

Thanks for your reply. I hate it when it becomes a rollercoaster and for no definable reason. My levels were much better this morning, right back down to 7.4mmol/L, but that was after having to correct and then eat something at 5am this morning because I had a hypo. I'm just so worried at the moment about whether I've taken enough insulin for what I'm eating. I'm on a new vial of NovoRapid today, so I'll see if that makes a difference.

Best wishes

Rob

Hi Rob
Do you have a CGM?
I have a libre which has alarms set below 3.2 (libre is always lower than a finger prick) and 9.0 (to see off a high)
and i have to confess to being obsessive in keeping my levels good.
My watch talks to my phone too so i know where i'm going with a quick glance.

I obviously see off a low by eating and a high by going for a walk or taking extra insulin.
My libre makes it easy for me and i rarely go above 10 and i've never flaked out either and can operate fine above 3.

I do have issues from time to time but 50 years a type 1 has taught me not to beat myself up when things do go west.

Again i have only given you what i do as that is all i'm qualified (lol lol) to do.

Insulin resistance is a curse to all diabetics.

Tony

 

[CheeseSeaker]

Hi @Rob110577,

Have had similar fun. Was using Novorapid for 20+ years (might be longer) and developed resistance. Had over-injected the same sites which caused the fat to go lumpy and cause resistance.

Swap sites to uninjected bits - worked great again. Switching insulins to a different type probably wont help, Novorapid (in my experience) is quite stable most of the time.

The Ultrafasts (Lyumjev and Fiasp) can give different issues - I use Fiasp now for speed in my pump-loop and it needs a bit more understanding and experimentation than Novorapid, Lyumjev didn't like me at all.

I recommend trying different injection sites and go from there.

Cheers,

Rob.

 

[Rob110577]

Hi Rob
Do you have a CGM?
I have a libre which has alarms set below 3.2 (libre is always lower than a finger prick) and 9.0 (to see off a high)
and i have to confess to being obsessive in keeping my levels good.
My watch talks to my phone too so i know where i'm going with a quick glance.

I obviously see off a low by eating and a high by going for a walk or taking extra insulin.
My libre makes it easy for me and i rarely go above 10 and i've never flaked out either and can operate fine above 3.

I do have issues from time to time but 50 years a type 1 has taught me not to beat myself up when things do go west.

Again i have only given you what i do as that is all i'm qualified (lol lol) to do.

Insulin resistance is a curse to all diabetics.

Tony

Hi again Tony,

Sorry for taking a while to reply back again. I don't have a CGM, I have been offered a senor, but I wasn't overly keen on the idea of having something attached to me constantly. I'm autistic, so I do find change extremely difficult and have very set ideas about things and what can unsettle me. Things are relatively back to normal for me now, well my normal at least, no high levels since last Thursday and not seemingly having to take any extra insulin anymore, so all good again.

Rob

 

[Rob110577]

Hi @Rob110577,

Have had similar fun. Was using Novorapid for 20+ years (might be longer) and developed resistance. Had over-injected the same sites which caused the fat to go lumpy and cause resistance.

Swap sites to uninjected bits - worked great again. Switching insulins to a different type probably wont help, Novorapid (in my experience) is quite stable most of the time.

The Ultrafasts (Lyumjev and Fiasp) can give different issues - I use Fiasp now for speed in my pump-loop and it needs a bit more understanding and experimentation than Novorapid, Lyumjev didn't like me at all.

I recommend trying different injection sites and go from there.

Cheers,

Rob.

Hi Rob,

Thanks for your reply. I've been using NovoRapid since I was diagnosed back in 2001, so for it to suddenly stop working or not be as affective was worrying. Thankfully everything has settled back down again now (new vial might have been the fix). I have a good visual map for injection sites on my body and thankfully I've never developed any hard spots or lumps - I know the risks of over using the same place, but also know it's very easy to get comfortable with somewhere you feel happy to inject.

I'm very grateful that for the majority of the time my levels are good and I don't have to worry, but it's difficult when things unexpectedly catch you off guard and you can't explain it.

Rob

 

[becca59]

Hi Rob. Whenever I have ridiculous unexplained results I change the insulin vial. Just had to do the same with my Tresiba. After two days of banging my head against the wall I realised it was losing its efficacy. A couple of days into the new vial normal service resumed.

 

[Tony337]

Hi again Tony,

Sorry for taking a while to reply back again. I don't have a CGM, I have been offered a senor, but I wasn't overly keen on the idea of having something attached to me constantly. I'm autistic, so I do find change extremely difficult and have very set ideas about things and what can unsettle me. Things are relatively back to normal for me now, well my normal at least, no high levels since last Thursday and not seemingly having to take any extra insulin anymore, so all good again.

Rob

Hi Rob
With regards the CGM i'm a bit stuck in my ways having been a type 1 for 50 years but the Libre has improved my life as well as control in such a way i wouldn't be without it now.
Its the alarms...being able to go to bed knowing it will wake me up if i'm low to me is a marvel.
Its connected to my watch too so a quick glance at my watch tells me all i need to know (v useful when driving) and i'm 4.8 as i type.
I'm being made to change insulins after easter as they are discontinuing making levemir and its my libre that will make the change achievable as i do not see a specialist or DSN.

This is just my take on it and do understand your point of view and to quote my favourite Time Lord...
"never be certain of anything as its a sign of limited intellect"

I wish you well
Tony

 

[Rob110577]

Hi Rob. Whenever I have ridiculous unexplained results I change the insulin vial. Just had to do the same with my Tresiba. After two days of banging my head against the wall I realised it was losing its efficacy. A couple of days into the new vial normal service resumed.

Hi Becca,

I've never been given the advice before to change my vial and it never even occurred to me that might have been the cause. My NovoRapid is definitely working again now as it should be as I'm now back to trying to stop myself from going too low. It's such a fine balance and just the slightest thing can throw everything off. Knowing yourself and all the experiences you have with this condition is invaluable, but it's so good to be able share this with other people who understand and get what you're going through.

Rob

 

[Rob110577]

Hi Rob
With regards the CGM i'm a bit stuck in my ways having been a type 1 for 50 years but the Libre has improved my life as well as control in such a way i wouldn't be without it now.
Its the alarms...being able to go to bed knowing it will wake me up if i'm low to me is a marvel.
Its connected to my watch too so a quick glance at my watch tells me all i need to know (v useful when driving) and i'm 4.8 as i type.
I'm being made to change insulins after easter as they are discontinuing making levemir and its my libre that will make the change achievable as i do not see a specialist or DSN.

This is just my take on it and do understand your point of view and to quote my favourite Time Lord...
"never be certain of anything as its a sign of limited intellect"

I wish you well
Tony

Hi Tony,

It's all those little ways that really help to manage things and finding what works best for you. My body does wake me up if I go too low when I'm sleeping, but I can see the benefit and peace of mind of having an alarm to let you know.

I've got to change Levemir sometime this year too. I've still got quite a few vials left and I can still order more at the moment - one vial usually lasts me about five weeks. I don't know what the replacement insulin will be yet, but hopefully it won't be too different. I haven't seen my diabetic consultant for quite sometime as when I do it's usually a five minute conversation with her and then I'm off again. I do see a diabetic nurse more often, so hopefully they can help with the transition when I need it.

Thanks for the quote too - I missed that era, Mr Davidson was my Doctor growing up and Mr Tennant is my favourite from the modern era, before the show seemingly lost it's way.

Wishing you well too.

Rob