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Insulin

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M

MrsBoyle

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Parent of person with diabetes
Last time i posted on here i had alot of people telling me that the insulin Dylan my 3 year old is on is rubbish and doesnt work.
So what insulin do you use and why is it so good.
He has only had it 7 months so im still new to it all and dont no anthing about insulin.
 
Mixtard 30
 
Hi Mrs Boyle, I can give you my pespective, but I was diagnosed age 26 so it's obviously different for adults.

I started off taking 2 injections a day, (one was insulatard, one was Mistard 30) which was fine at first to get used to injecting, and also because I didn't need a lot of insulin because of the honeymoon period. However, once I got used to it I found it was ok for during the week at work, when I have a routine, but at weekend levels were terrible as I tended to have bigger meals and get up late. Also it was very difficult to get good control for special occasions like weddings or parties when you might eat late, or have a very large meal. If I didn't eat on time I had a hypo, then when I ate a large meal I was high and there was nothing I could do about it. Also I had to have supper before bed every night, which I hated.

So I changed to a basal bolus regime, where you take a background insulin ( I started with Lantus, then changed to Levemir) once or twice a day, and take a quick acting one at meal times (Novorapid for me). You learn to count carbohydrate content of foods and scale your quick acting insulin accordingly, so you can eat more or less and still control it. So it does mean more injections each day, which might bother a child, but I was happy to change as it gave me better control, fewer hypos and I could eat what I wanted to.

A lot of children are on pumps, which are even more flexible, I'm sure some parents will pop in to sing their praises!

There was a post a while ago where some long-term diabetics compared their childhoods to Bev's son's - try reading this http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=7488&highlight=annoyed!

Hope that helps, keep asking questions. I think educating yourself about the different options is the best approach, then you can tell your team what you want and get the best for your son.

Best of luck!
 
Ah that's one that's given twice a day. Personally I am surprised that people still give that stuff as it's no way near as good as MDI with humalog/novorapid and levemir/lantus. The reason being is that with MDI you can be very much proactive in control using MDI. With things like mixtard 30 you can't really do much other than stick the stuff in and hope that things go well. Bimodal jabs as I understand it are very restrictive (I was once on them but seeing as I was six at the time I don't remember much) and now that I am a pumper and have done MDI I'd say get Dylan off that stuff and onto MDI as soon as possible. That is of course, my own opinion.
 
A lot of people move from the mixed insulins such as mixtard on to a combination of insulins, the system is known as mdi or multiple daily injections. In my case that is novorapid (bolus insulin, quick action) and lantus (basal insulin, long acting). On mdi the basal insulin is supposed to match the basal rate of glucose kicked out by the liver, the theory being that this should keep your blood level steady assuming you have no food or much exercise etc. The bolus insulin is then used to cope with food, so you vary the amount you have according to the carb content of the meal/snack.
A lot of people prefer mdi to the mixed insulins as it provides a greater degree of flexibility in terms of timing meals, allowing for snacks/varied meals etc.
However, I wouldn't say that one type of insulin is rubbish, it's about what works best for you and your lifestyle. I'm on mdi now and don't think I'd ever go back to mixed insulins. However I was on a mix for the first few years after diagnosis and it worked well for me for that time and suited my lifestyle then so I was pleased to have the choice.
 
Whta is MDI and how does it work?
 
aymes said:
...
However, I wouldn't say that one type of insulin is rubbish, it's about what works best for you and your lifestyle. I'm on mdi now and don't think I'd ever go back to mixed insulins. However I was on a mix for the first few years after diagnosis and it worked well for me for that time and suited my lifestyle then so I was pleased to have the choice.
Click to expand...

I would agree with aymes - no insulin is rubbish if it works for you, it is a life-saver! If you need extra flexibility, though it is good to know that there are other options where the trade off is relatively minor, just a few more injections. I also think a lot depends on what you are used to. I was never on mixes, and find MDI quite restrictive at times, so in my case people would be saying MDI isn't very good and I should get a pump! It's all to do with increasing levels of sophistication, each level requiring a little more work and input, but with greater rewards for the extra work.
 
Sorry, MDI was what I described as basal-bolus - it's the same thing, just a different name. Two types of insulin, one to deal with glucose released from food, and one to deal with back ground glucose released by your liver, as Aymes explained.
 
hya Becca

I wouldnt say mixard 30 is rubbish as no insulin is rubbish. With mixed insulin you chase the insulin all day with food, this is why 9 times out of 10 you probably have not been told to correct high blood sugars (like myself didnt) It worked ok at first for us but then i started to see that jacks would always go hypo mid-morning no matter what he ate or what insulin dose went down or upto. Then after that jacks blood sugars were very variable and the wonderful mums from here told me about MDI which you give 1 injection of long lasting insulin usually lantus or similair (not a mix though). Jack has just started this and has it in the evening and then you inject novorapid at breakfast, dinner and tea. This insulin is fasting acting and usually stays in the system for 4 hours. But if mixes are working for you then its working dont worry about it but its nice to know that you have options for Dylan if things dont work out. There are plenty of mums on here who can provide you with lots of info on MDI or a pump if need be.

Gem x
 
7 out of 10 times Dylan will have a hypo before lunch like today and now his levels are 20+
Will the nurses still help me out if i decided to change
 
Of course they would. What have dylan hbA1c's been when you have been to clinic? My sons bloods were variable and Hba1c's were 9.4% then 8.9% then 9.0% I just spoke to the nurse and said that i was worried about jack levels and they weren't settling down at all and there was no pattern and also hypo before lunch like your sons are no matter what we did. They were very helpful

Gem x
 
he was 13 somthing when he went to hospital and the last time he went he was on 9 somthing im at the clinic on thursay and they want him down to 7%

I just want him to settle down its not fair for him to be like this.
 
no of course not it isnt fair on him at all he must feel awful. If you did want him to change regime you only have to ask them. We are 9 months in and just changing regime now.
 
We're under the same hospital as Gemma. Our move to MDI has been great. After 3 1/2 years of mixes and rubbish blood levels, we finally have pretty good readings. I am annoyed however, that our hospital let us stay on mixes for so long with poor control. The hospital are now moving all the children on to MDI - about time too. If you decide to request to go on to MDI then your hospital must surely support you. At the end of the day, it is your child's health and you need to have a say in how it is dealt with. If you join the email group , you will be able to get loads of advice. BUT - it is your decision. Don't feel pressured into changing if you don't feel it's for the best.
 
today his readings have been terrible
Breakfast was 5.8 lunch 2.7 dinner was 17.6 and now its 25.6
 
I'm afraid that was pretty much what Katie was like on mixes. Things are loads better now - before , we would consider 12 to be good reading but now she's on MDI we'd see 12 as being on the high side.
 
Im in hospital on thursday with him and deff going to have a word with them.8pm he got up and now he is HI.
 
Mrs Boyle, I am so sorry that we have all made you feel that your sons insulin is rubbish - that was never the intention. We are just going on what we have experienced or what other people tell us - 99% of the time mixed insulins dont work. This is not a criticism of you - this is just fact. It seems that your little one fits the pattern of hypo before lunch and HI later in the evening - so just see this as a sign that it doesnt work for him. When you move onto MDI (which i think you will) - it will give you so much more freedom and will make life easier for you all that you will understand what we were all trying to say.🙂Bev
 
Good luck at clinic. Stay strong and make sure you get your say. Do you have any one to go with you for support? I'm rubbish when I'm try to be strong and am anticipating a battle. I always end up in tears! When I fell out with Katie's school, my hubby ended up going in and putting our point of view across cos I ended up in hysterics in the head's office!!
 
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