What time do you take your Basal?

[NiVZ]

Hello,

Feeling nosey again, and following on from CALSHOT's Lantus post, I just wondered:

1. What time do you take your Basal (slow) insulin?
2. How much do you take, and do you split the dose?

I know everyone is going to have different answers depending on what suits them. Just interested to see what everyone else does, and the pro's and con's they associate with it.

For me:

1. I do my Lantus at 12:30 lunchtime. I work in an office mon-fri and so it's easy for me to do it with lunch and I'm never usually up to much at lunchtime at weekends. I didn't fancy doing it at night in case I was out at the weekends, and especially if I'd be drinking.

2. I take 28 units in one dose and don't have any problems.

Cheers,

NiVZ

 

[aymes]

Assume you meant to say basal in your title....?

I take my lantus at around 10pm. My day to day schedule can be so variable that 10pm suits me bets as generally I'll be not to busy then. If I am out though I'll just take it then. I've forgotton to take my lantus twice, both times when I was exceptionally tired and fell asleep during the evening!

I'm currently on 24 units and only have one dose.

 

[NiVZ]

Whoops! Yeah meant basal - it's been a long day.

Aymes / Northerener / Admins - If you can change the title that would be great. Can't seem to edit it myself.

I never understood why they called them basal and bolus Far too easy to get them confused (ok just making excuses for myself now)

NiVZ

 

[aymes]

consider it done!

 

[NiVZ]

Thanks aymes - off to bed now before I get any other terms confused 😛

Thanks again,

NiVZ

 

[aymes]

I never understood why they called them basal and bolus Far too easy to get them confused (ok just making excuses for myself now)

NiVZ

Far too confusing, I made exactly the same mistake in a different post recently!

 

[randomange]

*deep breath* Ok, here goes...

I used to take my lantus at lunchtime, for the same reason as you NivZ, but then I had problems with it running out, and if I was busy at work I sometimes forgot about it. So I switched to taking it before bed, except then I had problems with dropping over night, so I switched to taking it in the morning, which works great during the day but is running out overnight and I'm waking high in the morning...😱

So now I'm on 26 units of lantus in the morning, two shots of 13 units at the same time, and 2 units of levemir before bed. It's an odd combination that I'd never heard of before, but it seems to be doing the trick, I just have to do a bit more tweaking to get the two doses right! 🙄

 

[katie]

I take 22 units of Lantus at about 2-3am

I'm going to start taking it earlier I think 😉

 

[Northerner]

I take my lantus at around 10:30 at night. I take 9 units, although I was on 20 three months ago. It does seem to suit me very well now - I usually wake on 5.x which I'm very happy with, and I no longer fear night hypos. What I have found (and this is probably where a pump wins hands down with its variable basal rates) is that, in the morning because my insulin resistance is higher then, my levels will creep a little bit higher than my range.

So, for example, the other day I had breakfast at 6:45 am. I then went for a run an hour or so later at which time my levels were 8.0. When I tested before lunch, however, at 1:30 pm, my level was 8.4. If anything, I would have expected it to be much lower, but as this was nearly 7 hours after breakfast it was essentially a test of my basal at that time of day, and the dose was too low!

You win some, you lose some, I guess! I suppose a split dose might improve things, but having got things more or less sorted I don't really want to mess with it again.

 

[insulinaddict09]

I take a split dose Levemir 7am 18 units and 10pm 20 units 😱 Ive just upped my Basal from alot lower but I was running highs all the time , now im in normal levels not usually above 7 apart from the odd rogue high 😡

 

[tracey w]

Assume you meant to say basal in your title....?

I take my lantus at around 10pm. My day to day schedule can be so variable that 10pm suits me bets as generally I'll be not to busy then. If I am out though I'll just take it then. I've forgotton to take my lantus twice, both times when I was exceptionally tired and fell asleep during the evening!

I'm currently on 24 units and only have one dose.

Im similar to Aymes, take at 10 pm, seems to be best time to suit me, if im out and about i just take it with me. Only problem i have found if ive been tired to and want an early night, i have to set the alarm to do it!!😡

I currently take 15 units.

 

[SilentAssassin1642]

i take mine right before i go to bed...it just suits me better that way. If I do it ages before bed I end up forgetting I've taken it which is never good. So right before bed, whatever time that may be 🙂

 

[runner]

I'm a morning person - currently 13 units at approx. 7.30 - 8am, along with my thyroxine pill! Have been having some highs in the ams recently, but I think that too many high carb snacks in the evening and not enough bolus to cover! Tried raising to 14 units, but have too many lows during the day. when my food control is good, the morning reading is fine.

 

[rossi_mac]

Levemir 18 units 10pm or when I remember!! Been a bit bad of late.

Katie 2-3am!! You up that late everynight, you a shift worker then??

 

[sasha1]

Hi NiVZ...

Nathan takes his Lantus about 9pm......and he on 52 units....😱...This is because he is a teenager..and growth hormones are at play.....He was on 36 a few weeks ago..but growth spurt kicked in again..and he just recovering from swine flu..that sent his BG into the 20's...some thing that Nathan is not used to...


Heidi
xx🙂

 

[katie]

Levemir 18 units 10pm or when I remember!! Been a bit bad of late.

Katie 2-3am!! You up that late everynight, you a shift worker then??

nope, im afraid not. I just have a really out of whack sleeping pattern at the moment 🙄 I took it at 1am last night though so i'll aim for 12am tonight and keep going till i'm taking it earlier, maybe 8pm?!

 

[sofaraway]

I take 22 units of Lantus at about 2-3am

I'm going to start taking it earlier I think 😉

You told me that over a week ago 😉

I take lantus 7 units in the morning which can be 6-9am dependign on when I get up. Ideally I would take it at the same time but doesn't happen like that as I work shifts. Then I take 6 units in the evening at 9pm which is a consistent time that i can take it.

I resisted splitting for a long time but it was running out and I was ending up high pre-dinner and pre-bed. This has improved with the split dose.

I have never heard of lantus and levemir being used. i have heard of lantus or levemir being using with NPH (insultard, humalin I). With the NHP being used at night to counter the dawn phenomenon.