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Experience of using fiasp OR novorapid

D

Daffodil63

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1.5 LADA
Hello all,
Been a while since I have asked a question on here. Have been putting into practice your helpful advice over the last 18 months since LADA diagnosis and maintaining TIR within range. I still find timing of novorapid with meals, types of carbohydrate (not all carbs per gram are equal in my experience), moderate exercise (just walking makes me more insulin sensitive) vs sedentary afternoon working at a computer a daily challenge. I would like to improve on my TIR.
The diabetes team offered to switch to Fiasp with its faster action to help with timings, and said that some people have both novo and Fiasp on their prescription to aid with flexibility.
Just wondering if anyone does use both insulins, I see both are insulin aspart, but Fiasp had additional ingredients. I can see the advantage of Fiasp in those situations where planning for meals is difficult..eating out, unexpected snack, corrections, in situations where you do not want to wait for the novorapid to start working.
I take Lantus for basal insulin. My levels overnight are fairly steady.
Thank you
 
I moved from Novo(not so)Rapid to Fiasp for 3 months and then went back to NR because I was so frustrated with Fiasp and then 6 months later I was so frustrated with NR being so slow, I tried Fiasp again. If I hadn't promised myself that I would stick with the Fiasp for a year that second time, I would have given up again after 3 months because I found it really challenging and frustrating and quirky, but thankfully in the 4th month I made a breakthrough with it, probably due to sheer frustration and since then I have stayed with Fiasp.

I cannot imagine a situation where I would want to use both at once as I wouldn't know if I was coming or going! Changing between one and the other over a 3 month period did my head in!

I really like FIasp now but there are times when it can still be very sluggish and sometimes almost ineffective when my levels are above 10 (like injecting water for me) and I will almost always have to stack corrections if I get into double figures to get my levels back down, but it is really quick to work when my levels are in the 4s and 5s and moderately fast in the 6s-8s but I still need to prebolus about 10-20 mins and breakfast time I still often need 30-45 mins probolus and longer if my levels are high. It works best if I can proactively maintain my levels between 4 and 8 and I now correct at 8.2 which is where my high alarm is set, because if it gets above 10 I have a long battle on my hands to get it down. What I love about it is that it doesn't last very long, so for me it is gone in 2-3 hours.

Your experience with it may be different. Some people here have noticed similar quirks with it to those I have mentioned and other people haven't noticed any difficulties with it at all.
I am very confident of my diabetes management and usually manage 85-95% TIR but I would not personally want to try managing my diabetes with both insulins at the same time as they are very different in how they work for me and I could very easily make a mistake, nor could I think of a situation now where I would want to use NR or where it would be an advantage over Fiasp, but it has taken me several years of experience to be able to say that I like Fiasp.
 
Like @rebrascora I was switched from Novorapid to Fiasp (back in March this year) and have found it much better for me - but only time will tell as everyone is uniquely different - can't imagine having both though!
 
I use Fiasp when previously using NovoRapid.
I find Fiasp works too fast when my BG is in the 4s and I need to inject 30 minutes after eating. On these occasions, I think NovoRapid would be more appropriate as I can forget to inject Fiasp later.
 
I tried Fiasp for 3 months, but began to react to it, and it stopped working quickly (I think my body didn’t like the extra “go faster”juice). My TIR hugely improved when I swapped back to NR.

I have heard rumours of people having a dual supply, and only using Fiasp for corrections, but like others I think I’d get myself into a pickle with that - especially trying to use the insuln within 28 days.
 
Thank you for your replies.
Yes, I did think it would be tricky having both insulins available to use! It’s bad enough with just the one ‘rapid’ insulin.
I think I will stick with novorapid for now and try to improve on timings. But good to know there is another option if necessary.
 
I much prefer fiasp. I found more issues with NR, especially if high.

As others have said if bloods under 6ish and you pre bosuls it is very quick so I take it at these times no more than 5 mins I sit to eat. But NR I could be hanging on over half an hour before eating.

I find it better at high level corrections. NR seemed bad at this for me and then would eventually kick in and have a huge drop.

You can always go back.
 
I don’t see a problem with having both. I have 3 insulins on my prescription and find it very helpful.
 
Fiasp user for some years now, find it works slightly faster than NR but doesn't hang around for as long which suits me just fine, so overall prefer using fiasp to NR which I used in pens for good 15 years or more.

As your diabetes team have patients already using both insulins they obviously don't see any issues with this, so you could at least try both for different types of meals to see if this improves your TIR, alternatively moving to a pump using fiasp would help you cope with all types of meals including those that are slower to digest as you can extend bolus dose over a few hours if need be.
 
Thinking about it, I guess I have Fiasp AND NovoRapid on prescription.
As I use a pump, I need backup pen cartridges in case my pump fails.
A few years ago, I changed my pumping insulin from NovoRapid to Fiasp. But the pen cartridge prescription has never been changed.

If I was to use both, I think it would confuse the pump’s dose calculator because the NR would have to be given by pen.
So, I use Fiasp when pumping and NR when reverting back to MDI or when I forgot to take a Fiasp vial when I went away (or, in theory, if I run out off Fiasp) I have refilled my pump from a NR cartridge once.

Not really what we are talking about here except to highlight that you can have multiple fast acting insulins on prescription.
 
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