Lantus

crbunter912

For anyone on Lantus - do you see better results when you take it in the morning or in the evening? I took 15 units this morning and will take 15 units tonight. My blood sugar spiked up some today so I am wondering if I should take 25 units in the morning and then 5 units at night to get me through the evening.

jaygreen55

This is a discussion best to be had with your doctor or CDE. Improper insulin dosage can have adverse consequences both in terms of severe hypoglycemia and/or loss of glucose control. As well meaning as the members of this site are we (for the most part) are not health care professionals and determining insulin dosage is a highly individual process.

With that disclaimer being out of the way I will put my 2 cents in

Are your spikes after meals? If so you may need to add some humalog or other rapid acting insulin with your meals

Are you high when you wake up in the morning? If so you might want to take more of your dose at night. Because I have a strong dawn phenomenon (high waking blood sugars) I take 60 percent of my basal insulin at bedtime and 40 percent after my morning workout. I use levemir at night because it has a bit of a peak and lantus during the day because it is pretty much peakless. Although they are labeled 24 hour insulin I find that both levemir and lantus last only 18-20 hours for me requiring a split dose to prevent spiking sugar at the end of the dosing period

pennell12

Hi,
I just read your informative post. I also take Levemir and I still trying to adjust it. I know this sounds very basic, but what does it mean when you say that a basal insulin "peaks" and what's the reason to take a basal insulin and a meal time insulin?

Thanks,

mdp

jaygreen55

Hi,
I just read your informative post. I also take Levemir and I still trying to adjust it. I know this sounds very basic, but what does it mean when you say that a basal insulin "peaks" and what's the reason to take a basal insulin and a meal time insulin?

Thanks,

mdp

Basal insulin is used to control blood sugar in the fasting state while rapid acting insulin taken at meal time is to cover the spike in blood sugar that occurs after every meal containing carbohydrates. A normally functioning pancreas produces a trickle of insulin all the time and a surge of insulin (called a bolus) in response to the carbohydrates digested after a meal. It is very common to have a higher blood sugar in the morning because of the body's natural circadian rhythm that produces high levels of hormones that counteract insulin before waking in the morning. Levemir works very well for this because it's duration of action is not quite flat as is the case with Lantus Another way to go would be to take NPH (an intermediate acting insulin) at bedtime and lantus or levemir in the morning. This is similar to the way an insulin pump works and allows for very tight control

This is a method of treatment used more for type 1 than for type 2. I was diagnosed with diabetes in 1989 at age 34 and have been on insulin since 1995. I was neither obese or sedentary at the time of my diagnosis and am not at all insulin resistant.
My insulin production has declined over the years and at this point I am clinically a type 1 hence this mode of treatment

pennell12

Thanks for the helpful reply. Have you found that it is more difficult ti lose weight when taking insulin and do you adhere to a "low carb" diet?

jaygreen55

I do not follow a low carb diet but control my weight with a very intensive workout regime. My diet consists of 40-50 percent carbohydrate (average around 45) 30 percent fat and 25 percent protein. Between my workouts and around an hour a day walking around I burn about 1000 or more extra calories a day through excercise and need the carbs for fuel. I adjust my mealtime insulin dosage based on the carb content of my meal

pennell12

I am impressed. I need to lose weight but having a tough tine getting motivated here in New England when it is cold and snowy. My endo says taking insulin makes one gain weight--is that just the effects of insulin alone or insulin making one crave foods and eat more? Can't figure that one out!