Abasaglar - warning of side-effects

[Hazel]

To anyone prescribed this replacement
to Lantus insulin - please read the following.

I did not need Lantus for a few years, for reasons too many to relate here, I needed to go onto Lantus again. However it is not the 1st line now to be prescribed here in Scotland.. They prescribe the cheaper alternative Abasaglar.

After 3 months of worsening hell, it seems I was among the 5% who who sufferred terrible side effects.

Sleepiness, extreme fatigue and worst one, confusion. I was sleeping up to 18 hours a day, confusion was like a complete brain fog, could not remember a thing. I became really frightened. After about 8 weeks I contacted my DSN at the hospital and with her help, we monitored what was going on.

Finally, I was taken off Abasaglar and put back on Lantus. Within just a few days all symptoms had disappeared, thankfully.

Please, if you are prescribed this cheaper version, be aware - not nearly as reliable as Lantus

 

[Northerner]

Thanks for the warning @Hazel 🙂 Very sorry to hear you had such problems with it, but good to hear you are now feeling much better on the Lantus 🙂 Something for us all to watch out for here perhaps, if a newly-diagnosed or new member comes here and reports similar problems and say they are using this basal insulin.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sounds horrific @Hazel!

Glad you have managed to work out what the issue was for you and get it resolved.

 

[mikeyB]

Yes, Absalagar to doctors is the same as Lantus - both are listed as Glargine, but Absalagar is described as biosimilar, so you don’t know what they’ve added or taken away, particularly with regard to the crystallisation system that Lantus uses. I expect that is heavily trademarked.

So thanks, Hazel. I’m sure many folk won’t notice a difference, but you just never know how people react. And as I said, doctors just see insulin Glargine that’s cheaper than Lantus, so we may see more of this.

 

[Hazel]

Thanks guys, maybe others will be luckier.

The fatigue was bad enoigh but it was the confusion that really worried me, I truly thought I was losing my mind.

The very rapid turnaround wenn I stopped taking it was such a relief

 

[Ljc]

I am glad you found out cause and are now back to your old self.

 

[Hazel]

I am glad you found out cause and are now back to your old self.

Old being the right word hehehe
65 next week, officially old

 

[Greyhound Gal]

That explains why my doctors surgery rang me on Monday to confirm which glargine I used so they could make my prescription specific for Lantus

 

[Ljc]

Old being the right word hehehe
65 next week, officially old

You’ve a ways to go to catch me up lol.