Help! Lantus split and early start

September 12, 2012 10:07

DianeW DAFNE Graduate
South West Essex PCT 115 posts

I take my lantus at bedtime, 11pm, and morning, 10am, 28 units each time. I will have to get up at 3.30am to get a flight. I will eat something before boarding so can cover that with QA. The problem is I will be "in flight" at my normal morning time Lantus injection. What should I do? Could I take a full day's dose in one injection for once to save the worry? Take it as soon as I can after flight and then If I do it later than normal how do I calculate what I should take? ANy advice would be much appreciated.

September 12, 2012 12:04

Phil Maskell DAFNE Graduate
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust 194 posts

Is there a problem with doing it on the plane? I always take insulin on plane with me. If you had inflight meal you would have QA?

Where are you flying too, my biggest problem with flying is time difs, how to time background when time dif! I have Levemir @ 11am and 11pm, for this I wait until the next 11 in the new time zone so for a bit I might be low on background.

Phil

September 12, 2012 12:13

novorapidboi26 DAFNE Graduate
NHS Lanarkshire 1,819 posts

Hey,

First of all, why have you split your Lantus, as in your case it seems as though your AM and PM needs are the same, so there would be no sense in splitting it in the first instance.........

Does the destination you are flying to have a large time difference, if not, you should just continue to take your dose at normal, ie mid flight, this will ensure you have sufficient coverage of Lantus.

If there is a large time difference and you are going to be staying there for a few days or more, then you might need to adjust the timing of your dose to suit the new time zone. In this case I would take the full dose, 56, which you should have no problems doing as its equal AM and PM, then take your next dose at the new time zone time.

If as you describe, you have been going without our Lantus for a few hours because you have taken it later than normal, then its just a simple arithmetic exercise with the dose. In your case 28 units should be covering 12 hours [split dose], therefore 2.3 units every hour.

So say your 4 hours later, this means you would normally have used 9.2 units, or 9 [2.3 x 4]. You would just take 9 of the original 28, giving you 19.

I don't think you should have to put yourself in that situation however. What would be stopping you taking your dose in flight?, and then compensating later on, when on the ground....

Smile

September 12, 2012 10:07 DianeW DAFNE Graduate South West Essex PCT 115 posts	I take my lantus at bedtime, 11pm, and morning, 10am, 28 units each time. I will have to get up at 3.30am to get a flight. I will eat something before boarding so can cover that with QA. The problem is I will be "in flight" at my normal morning time Lantus injection. What should I do? Could I take a full day's dose in one injection for once to save the worry? Take it as soon as I can after flight and then If I do it later than normal how do I calculate what I should take? ANy advice would be much appreciated.
September 12, 2012 12:04 Phil Maskell DAFNE Graduate Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust 194 posts	Is there a problem with doing it on the plane? I always take insulin on plane with me. If you had inflight meal you would have QA? Where are you flying too, my biggest problem with flying is time difs, how to time background when time dif! I have Levemir @ 11am and 11pm, for this I wait until the next 11 in the new time zone so for a bit I might be low on background. Phil
September 12, 2012 12:13 novorapidboi26 DAFNE Graduate NHS Lanarkshire 1,819 posts	Hey, First of all, why have you split your Lantus, as in your case it seems as though your AM and PM needs are the same, so there would be no sense in splitting it in the first instance......... Does the destination you are flying to have a large time difference, if not, you should just continue to take your dose at normal, ie mid flight, this will ensure you have sufficient coverage of Lantus. If there is a large time difference and you are going to be staying there for a few days or more, then you might need to adjust the timing of your dose to suit the new time zone. In this case I would take the full dose, 56, which you should have no problems doing as its equal AM and PM, then take your next dose at the new time zone time. If as you describe, you have been going without our Lantus for a few hours because you have taken it later than normal, then its just a simple arithmetic exercise with the dose. In your case 28 units should be covering 12 hours [split dose], therefore 2.3 units every hour. So say your 4 hours later, this means you would normally have used 9.2 units, or 9 [2.3 x 4]. You would just take 9 of the original 28, giving you 19. I don't think you should have to put yourself in that situation however. What would be stopping you taking your dose in flight?, and then compensating later on, when on the ground....