Levemir issues

HI Melissa,

A few things to remember, dont correct high bg after hypo otherwise you will be chasing your bg levels. Is there any reason you take QA when you wake up and with CP's at breakfast. You may be building up your insulin, QA peaks around 90mins and this is when you are taking another dose.

I've never been told that about Levemir - how annoying! I've always taken it at those times and no-one's told me any different. Thank you, I will try that from now on.

I was told that Levemir lasted for 18 hours. Is it definitely 12?

I also didn't know that about correcting high blood sugar but that makes a lot of sense. I usually calculate to 1 unit dropping 3 mmol/l but I have wondered why this doesn't seem to work when my BG is very high.

Thank you for that. I will try both of those things and see what happens.

Did you change from Lantus to Levemir? Do you find that Levemir is the best option for you do you think?

Thank you Diet (if I can call you that!). I take QA when I wake up as I'm usually so concerned by my BG levels that I feel the need to reduce them asap so that dose is a corrective dose. I don't always manage to eat breakfast straight away otherwise I would take the corrective dose with that. The breakfast dose is based on the CP portions I'm eating, assuming that the corrective dose will be working on correcting the high sugar levels.

You're absolutely right, I always feel like I'm chasing my tail. I would love to feel that I could stabilise things a bit more.

Do you have any feedback on Levemir versus Lantus?

Thanks again.

I am acutally on Humilin I now, trying to tackle dawn phenomonon, but if it wasnt that it would be levemir as lantus does not last 24 hours in me.

The exact time it runs out (levemir) is different in everyone, think it 12-18 hours.

You can check the handbook on here, click on insulin when your in and it shows you the action graphs

So do you think that, so long as Lantus spanned the 24 hours OK for me then there wouldn't be any advantage using Levemir instead? My DAFNE educator told me that it gave me more flexibility which I guess it does as you have two different doses to play with but I just find that makes things more complicated.

I will check the handbook - thanks for the tip.

I can understand you are concerned about high morning bg levels. Trying looking for patterns , if you find that you are always needing a corrective dose QA before breakfast BI and rations may to be changed. I would suggest only to give corrective dose at Breakfast if you are unable to have CPs, otherwise use your B//fast ration and correct.
If you are correcting every morning bedtime ration or BI should be adjusted. Hope this helps.

For some Lantus does not last for 24hrs, taking Levelmir bd ensures you have 24hr cover, ideally taken 12hrs apart.

Levemir can give you more flexibilty, particulary adjusting for exercise. It takes longer to see chnges in bg levels when adjusting Lantus.

BI needs to suit your needs , would discuss it with your DM team.

Hi,

I see what you're saying - I will try to have breakfast as soon as possible and make corrective doses at the same time.

In an ideal world I would rather wake up with a good BG reading and not have to correct as it worries me waking with such high readings.

I will check back to my diaries when I was on Lantus. If my evening readings were in target then does that mean that the Lantus was lasting OK for me (I took it before bed)?

I can't seem to access the "Graduate" section with the handbook link. Is there something that I need to do first?

My DM team recommend staying with the Levemir but it's been 5 months now and I'm still not getting the results that I want. I'm not sure that I need so much flexibility - I'd settle for stability!

Hi Melissa, to get access to the handbook you need to be registered as a graduate. Your DAFNE Centre should be able to give you a code for this and then you just enter it in the settings on the menu bar at the top. If you cannot get a code from your DAFNE Centre then we can get DAFNE Central to verify you as a graduate and then we can change your account to be a graduate. This is necessary because DAFNE Central don't want non-graduates accessing the course handbook and trying a DIY DAFNE Course of their own.....