Is anyone on Lyumjev insulin for type 1 diabetes? If so what are peoples views on it compared to novorapid?

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Laura24

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Type 1
Is anyone on Lyumjev insulin for type 1 diabetes? If so what are peoples views on it compared to novorapid? I was told that it's faster than novorapid, can take it whilst eating or literally right before eating.
 
It very much depends on the person I think. I moved from Novo(not so)Rapid to Fiasp which is similar to Lyumjev and I still need to prebolus about 45 mins at breakfast time and 10-15 mins at other times of day, but it depends on my premeal levels. If they are low (4-5mmols) I can sometimes get away with no prebolus for my evening meal but still need 30 mins in the morning. Other people would hypo in that time though, so it is a question of try it and see how your body responds.

I found it wasn't a straightforward swap to Fiasp and it actually took me 2x 3 frustrating months trials with a year in between to find a way to make Fiasp work for me. I went back to NR in between. I like it now but I have to be heavier handed with it and proactively keep my levels below 10 because once above 10 it's like injecting water and I need twice as much above 10 than I did with NR.
I stress though that I do not have experience of Lyumjev itself, so don't let me put you off. I am pleased that I persevered with Fiasp but it certainly wasn't an easy or straightforward process for me and wasn't significantly faster as the maker's bumf or nurses would have you believe.
 
I have not tried Lyumjev but like @rebrascora i gave FIASP a go. It had a quicker onset and reduced my pre bolus time for a while but I soon found I got a poor reaction at cannula sites so abandoned and went back to NR. It is a case of each of us finding what works for us.
 
On MDI, I used Humalog and added Lyumjev to my insulin arsenal when I needed something faster. I now use NovoRapid in my pump and do manual injections of Lyumjev when I need something faster. I'm in Germany and my endo has no issue prescribing me both NovoRapid and Lyumjev. I'm not sure if that's a possibility in the UK.

Lyumjev does work faster for me and I gradually reduced my pre-bolus time. Often, if my levels are in range, I inject Lyumjev just before eating and it works for me.

At some points in my monthly cycle when I know I'm more sensitive to insulin, I can need to inject Lyumjev after eating. When I know I'm more sensitive, I usually choose to use NovoRapid over Lyumjev so I don't go too low before the carbs kick in.

Lyumjev is great for me when a pastry is staring me in the face, when I'm eating out and want to avoid pre-bolusing, and when I want to bring down a high quickly.

I don't use Lyumjev in my pump because Lyumjev is not approved for my pump (Tandem t:slim X2), at least here in Germany, but I've got a good setup with NovoRapid in my pump and manual injections of Lyumjev.

My HbA1c dropped from 42 to 36 (averaging about 2% low) when I started using manual Lyumjev in addition to pumping NovoRapid. I think it's great having more than one tool to keep my levels in range, but I think for me with my periodic insulin sensitivity, Lyumjev as a sole insulin would be too fast.
 
i use lyumjev in my pump because i used to be on fiasp on a pump and the tandem doesnt support fiasp. overall id say its faster than fiasp but i liked fiasp a lil more.
 
Inka said:
@Pending I thought the Tandem took fillable cartridges? Why can’t you use Fiasp in it?
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You certainly could use it, I think perhaps it’s that Tandem don’t recommend it as their algorithms were developed for insulins such as NR and Humalog?

I gave Fiasp a try and it didn’t suit me. I developed resistance to it, sites became irritated, absorption was erratic, and though it started working faster, that effect wore off after about 6 weeks. :(

I would try Lyumjev, but I gather that some of the same glitches are reported for that too, so I’ve just assumed the new more rapid options aren’t really for me.

I could try Apidra, but tbh I’m happy enough with NotVeryRapid.
 
I don’t want to try Fiasp, I was just curious as to why it wasn’t recommended. I use a non-usual insulin in my pump and I just had to adjust the duration of action time (I don’t loop), but it’s not a very fast one like Fiasp.
 
Inka said:
@Pending I thought the Tandem took fillable cartridges? Why can’t you use Fiasp in it?
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I haven't used Fiasp, but I've read people getting more occlusion alarms when using Fiasp in the Tandem T:slim x2 pump. I haven't heard the same with Lyumjev. I don't know if this is an issue with Fiasp specifically in a Tandem pump, or with any pump.

Using a faster insulin like Fiasp or Lyumjev would also throw off the Control IQ algorithm on a Tandem pump. The timing of IOB can't be changed, at least when using Control IQ, and Fiasp and Lyumjev have different action profiles to NovoRapid and Humalog. Maybe the action profile can be adjusted on other pumps so IOB can still be relied on, but I don't think that's the case for the Tandem T:slim.
 
Inka said:
Ah, that explains it @Finn I can adjust those settings on my pump.
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sorry for late reply, so i was taken off fiasp when i moved onto tandem pump because they said fiasp crystalizes in the tubing, its also not tested or recommended by tandem.

im on lyumjev and it does seem faster for me than fiasp, it took a lil getting used to i had alot of bleeding at the site. i was told lyumjev is fine to use as it doesnt crystalize and its just a variant of humalog ? i believe.
 
Hmmm @Pending Crystallises in the tubing seems to be a favourite excuse of some pump manufacturers when they have a preferred insulin they want you to use. Funny that it ‘crystallises in the tubing’ of some tubey pumps but not others, eh?

Anyway, the important thing is that you have an insulin you’re happy with.
 
Inka said:
Crystallises in the tubing seems to be a favourite excuse of some pump manufacturers when they have a preferred insulin they want you to use. Funny that it ‘crystallises in the tubing’ of some tubey pumps but not others, eh?
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Haha! “Crystallises in the tubing” was the reason my clinic gave when they switched me back from Humalog to NR when I started on a pump. Humalog was the bas guy then!

And isn’t Lyumjev Humalog with additives, just like Fiasp is NR with additives??

Hmmmmmmmmm :confused: :confused: :confused: :rofl:
 
Inka said:
Interesting @everydayupsanddowns as I was switched to Humalog when I first started on a pump :rofl: They just make it up as they go along! I very much doubt any modern purified insulin actually ‘crystallises in the tubing’!
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I’m beginning to think you are right!
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
I’m beginning to think you are right!
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well i just had a really bad reaction to lyumjev, "tingling in fingers tongue, feeling like im gonna pass out" the team think it was an allergy to it, so i casually dropped can i just go back to fiasp...to be met with an instant no its incompatible with the pump.

i was swapped to novorapid. isnt it literally the same thing but slightly slower because of less vitamins?
 
Pending said:
i was swapped to novorapid. isnt it literally the same thing but slightly slower because of less vitamins?
Click to expand...

Well they are both Insulin Aspart (and made by the same company), but yes, Fiasp does have the special sauce added to speed it up.

Fiasp isn’t officially approved for pump use by the manufacturers, but there are some people whose clinics are happy for them to use it “off label”.

Part of me wonders whether the approval process might be lengthy and expensive, which may provide significant barriers to device manufacturers going through the process for multiple additional options as and when new insulins are released?
 
When I asked to try Fiasp, i was just prescribed a vial without any consideration for pump compatibility.
Confirming it worked well for me, it became my standard insulin a few years back
There was never any question or experience of crystalization for my last two pumps.
I wonder whether that is because Medtrum has tested/approved it or because DSN didn't think to check
 
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