Hello and a question

[Northern Fox]

Hi everyone, I have a question about other peoples experiences when changing medication.

I've been a type 2 diabetic since 2000, controlled with Metformin and Gliclazide.

In April of this year my hospital decided that it was better for me to switch to a slow release insulin, Humulin, it took a little while to get used to and I was taking 24 units twice day, my morning readings were between 4 and 7, although my midday readings were a bit up and down, in a short period of time my HBA1C reduced quite drastically, but still not enough for my hospitals liking. (I was still taking the Metformin and Gliclazide).

After 5 months they decided I should switch to a mixed insulin, Humalog 25, I started on the same amount of units, which made me feel rubbish, I have been upping the dosage slowly, I am currently up to 40 units twice a day and getting nowhere near to the readings I was getting with Humulin alone. (I was told to stop taking the Gliclazide).

When I questioned this, the nurse at the hospital told me that it would be more as the slow release part doesn't last as long as the Humulin.

I guess what I need to know is, is there any comparison that I can make between the two insulins? Would I expect to take twice as much as the mixed insulin? Obviously I'd rather be taking less rather than more.

If anyone has had similar experiences any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Martin 🙂

 

[KookyCat]

Hi Northern Fox
I had mixed insulin when I was first diagnosed and ended up on 80 units, I switched fairly quickly because it didn't work for me and they were concerned about the horrendous hypos it was causing me and then the very high blood sugar in the middle of the day. I now take 25 units on average on MDI. There won't be a direct comparision unit wise because I expect you still have some insulin of your own and I am unlikely to have much if any, and if you have insulin resistance you'll need more but you can see the difference. In fact when I switched to MDI they work the dose out based on a formula using total mixed insulin. I was circling the drain at 1.6 after my first injection!

We concluded the long acting component of the mixed insulin just didn't work for me, but I was very sensitive to rapid. I wouldn't have mixed insulin again if they gave me millions, but I know others who find it works really well. Don't forget that 25% of what you're taking will be rapid insulin so you need to account for that when comparing, and the gliclazide would have been helping you before too, so you would be taking more. If you find it doesn't work for you though do get back to them because there are other mixes, and MDI that can be considered which give you the option of more control. Good luck