Help needed

Status
Not open for further replies.
K

Kaznme

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Carer/Partner
Hi, I’m new to this forum and looking for advice. My father has been Type 1 for 63 years he is now 88 years old and recently had his big toe amputated. Prior to his hospital stay he was on 4 injections a day (Lantus and Novorapid) and managed his food, in hospital they changed to 2 injections per day (Humulin) and have been unable to stabilise his glucose readings. No one seems inclined to revert back to Lantus and Novorapid. Any experts on here that can say why? Bear in mind he has major organ failure and a bone infection in his toe and he’s now totally immobile.
Thanks for any help
Kaz
 
Welcome @Kaznme Sorry to hear your dad’s having difficulties. What’s the full name of the Humulin he’s taking, inc any letters or numbers after the word Humulin?
 
Inka said:
Welcome @Kaznme Sorry to hear your dad’s having difficulties. What’s the full name of the Humulin he’s taking, inc any letters or numbers after the word Humulin?
Click to expand...
Sorry, I don’t know. I will find out later when I visit.
 
Kaznme said:
Humulin m3
Click to expand...

Ok, that’s a mixed insulin. It contains fast and slow acting insulins in fixed proportions. I believe it’s 30% fast, 70% slow. Because it’s a mix, it makes it hard to make adjustments. Say someone needed more slow insulin, they couldn’t increase that without also increasing the fast insulin - because they’re together in a mix. It also demands regular meal times and set amounts of carbs. Sometimes the proportion of slow/fast simply isn’t right for the person whereas it suits others ok.

Presumably the reason they changed was to reduce the number of injections he takes? Is he able to do his own injections? (You mention his age and the fact he’s immobile).

You or he can ask that he goes back to Lantus and Novorapid. The good thing about that regime is that should his appetite be low, he can miss a meal (and just not inject the Novorapid). With the Humulin M3, that’s not possible.
 
Inka said:
Ok, that’s a mixed insulin. It contains fast and slow acting insulins in fixed proportions. I believe it’s 30% fast, 70% slow. Because it’s a mix, it makes it hard to make adjustments. Say someone needed more slow insulin, they couldn’t increase that without also increasing the fast insulin - because they’re together in a mix. It also demands regular meal times and set amounts of carbs. Sometimes the proportion of slow/fast simply isn’t right for the person whereas it suits others ok.

Presumably the reason they changed was to reduce the number of injections he takes? Is he able to do his own injections? (You mention his age and the fact he’s immobile).

You or he can ask that he goes back to Lantus and Novorapid. The good thing about that regime is that should his appetite be low, he can miss a meal (and just not inject the Novorapid). With the Humulin M3, that’s not possible.
Click to expand...
Thank Inka for this info, I will definitely request a change back. They changed to 2 because he was going into a nursing home to get him more mobile so my mum could manage him. Nurse was there 24/7 so not sure why they couldn’t do 4 injections. He doesn’t have capacity to do his own anymore. Mum has always managed his food/injections, they’ve been married for 65 years, they’ve never had so many hypos and hypers since they changed his regime. Thanks again x
 
I hope it all gets sorted @Kaznme Lovely that your mum and dad have been married so long.
Best wishes to you all x
 
Hope it works out @Kaznme

I wonder if they were basing the change mostly on what the nursing home is more used to, or prefers? Which I would not agree with from a person-with-diabetes perspective, but do sort of understand.

I think there is the impression for some HCPs that mixed insulins are somehow ‘easier’ and less effort to manage?! Which is odd given how many forum members arrive here really struggling on mixed!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top