Lantus causing tiredness?

[Bogusman]

Hello, I am new to this site and this is my firtst post.
Just over 3 weeks ago I was advised by my Doctor to change from using Insulatard, which I take before bed, (10 units) to using the insulin du jour Lantus.
So I changed over and, to be honest, I don't notice any difference apart from feeling/looking really tired a lot of the time.
I can't think of any reason I should feel like this and wonder if it is the Lantus that is causing it?
Also, would it be alright just to change back to the insulatard? Btw I use Novorapid before eating.
Thank you. Bogusman

Posts: 5
Joined: June 1st, 2013, 9:42 am
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[Northerner]

Hi Bogusman, welcome to the forum 🙂 I can't think of any reason why the lantus should be the cause of your tiredness, unless you are suffering worse than normal blood sugar levels as you adjust. What was the reason for changing your insulin?

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Hi Bogusman, welcome to the forum.
I have over the years read many reports of different side effects caused by using Lantus, which do include tiredness. On the other hand many also have no problems at all.
As to changing back, that's your choice it's your body so if you want to change back tell your GP so and if there's any problems just ask politely who's body is it. Insultard is a cheaper as well so that should please the penny pinchers at least 🙂

 

[Bogusman]

Hi, Thank you for the replies 🙂.
Northerner, my blood sugar readings seem to be as they normally are, high-ish one minute low the next, eh that's when I test them (I am not a 5-10 times a day person, never have been in my 29 years of being diabetic, I know I should etc.) although they have been low recently.
The doctor said that Insulatard was out of date, went up and down, whereas Lantus was thee Insulin to use, it lasted 24 hours remained at a constant level, with slow release etc.
I am 99% sure the Lantus is causing the tiredness.
Thanks.

 

[trophywench]

Hahaha!

He says all that about Lantus because he's a doctor not a diabetic.

He says it lasts 24 hours - well - it does sometimes - or 18 hours or 36 hours! Funnily enough though when you come off it and go on a pump - you have to wait THREE DAYS before you are certain your body has got rid of it! So how they can say those two different things in one breath beats me.

Also it isn't 'flat' at all - it has a distinct peak at around 4 to 5 hours, which if you take it all at bedtime sort of matches the time your circadian rhythm makes you have low BG - the "suicide hour" around 3am-ish. Lovely timing, NOT.

I struggled for ages with Lantus and you know what solved it for me? - swapping to Levemir - another Novo Nordisk product (I'd always done jolly well on Novorapid and still do, so there was a kind of logic there for me) but you do need to take that twice a day under normal circs. But when you are already having 4 jabs a day and struggling, another one is neither here nor there.

However having said all of this, high BG makes me feel tired. And so does having an underactive thyroid - that one appeared over a period of about 18 months, it's dead common for T1s as it's another auto-immune thing. First the dog eats your homework, then it eats your beta cells and then whatever it is in your thyroid .... I mean it isn't a 'given' but I now tend to suspect that every time when my BG is actually OK but I'm tired. And so far I've been right - they do another test, and discover I need an increase in dosage.

So unless you do a few more tests, you really can't narrow it down to what it might be and what it definitely isn't !