Hi,
I have beeen type-1 for 20 years, and since changing to animal insulin last year I've been doing a bit of research.
When I was diagnosed in 1989 there were many insulins available. Many types of long and short-acting insulin and I was aware that animal insulin available; although I was given synthetic "human" insulin.
At a diabetes UK meeting last week I queried a local hospital consultant about why animal insulin was not offerd as a treatment option to newly diagnosed patients or patients experiencing problems with their current insulin. His reply was that it was not available in pens; to which I replied that it was. He then said it was not available in disposable pens!
This consultant also stated that doctors had been de-educated about the administering of animal insulin, and that appears to be true. It's not complicated, there's long-acting and short-acting of both beef and pork insulin so why are doctors not offering it to patients; it's the same principle as "human" insulin. It was quite clear that this particular consultant considered it to be obselete.
There is no scientific evidence to support that synthetic "human" of NPH insulins are superior to natural animal insulin; futhermore there is no evidence that the newer "analogue" insulins are superior to the latter.
In fact, people on synthetic insulins are more likely to suffer loss of hypo-warnings.
My gripe is the "choice" issue- people were pushed onto "human" insulin in the 80s and the same is happening today with 'analogue' insulins.
I have recently discovered that the "NICE" guidelines provided to GPs, make no mention of animal insulins and in fact favour "analogue" insulins over any other.
Many "human"insulins have recently been taken off the market, so resulting in even less choice for patients.
Jus
I have beeen type-1 for 20 years, and since changing to animal insulin last year I've been doing a bit of research.
When I was diagnosed in 1989 there were many insulins available. Many types of long and short-acting insulin and I was aware that animal insulin available; although I was given synthetic "human" insulin.
At a diabetes UK meeting last week I queried a local hospital consultant about why animal insulin was not offerd as a treatment option to newly diagnosed patients or patients experiencing problems with their current insulin. His reply was that it was not available in pens; to which I replied that it was. He then said it was not available in disposable pens!
This consultant also stated that doctors had been de-educated about the administering of animal insulin, and that appears to be true. It's not complicated, there's long-acting and short-acting of both beef and pork insulin so why are doctors not offering it to patients; it's the same principle as "human" insulin. It was quite clear that this particular consultant considered it to be obselete.
There is no scientific evidence to support that synthetic "human" of NPH insulins are superior to natural animal insulin; futhermore there is no evidence that the newer "analogue" insulins are superior to the latter.
In fact, people on synthetic insulins are more likely to suffer loss of hypo-warnings.
My gripe is the "choice" issue- people were pushed onto "human" insulin in the 80s and the same is happening today with 'analogue' insulins.
I have recently discovered that the "NICE" guidelines provided to GPs, make no mention of animal insulins and in fact favour "analogue" insulins over any other.
Many "human"insulins have recently been taken off the market, so resulting in even less choice for patients.
Jus
