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Sep 12, 2013
jlyall 8 posts

Topic: General Discussion / background insulin levimer

has any one had problems with background insulin,i seem to have to increase mine every month
i only increase it when my night bg reading has gone up more than 3 in the morning
i do 3am readings so i am not having hypos
since july i have had to increase my levimer from 21units at 8pm to 29units
and its the same with the background in the morning from22 units to 27
at 8am
i feel that my body gets use to the amount then i have to put it up again
 
Sep 12, 2013
Anele46 108 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Pumps in the UK

Louise1988 said:

Anele46 said:
I am not a "typical" Type 1 or Type 2. They thought I was Type 1 when I was first diagnosed in Feb 2010 but I never came out of my "Honeymoon" phase and have been on very small ratios of Novorapid and very little Lantus.

For the past month they have took me off my Insulin completely and have had me on Metformin but the side-affects are awful and my BGs haven't been the best hence I'm going back to see my consultant soon.
I'm gradually coming back off the Metformin and would prefer to go back on Insulin as although it could be difficult to manage sometimes with very small ratios and doses it still beats the heck out of the side-effects I experience with Metformin.
I've spoke to my DSN and talked about a Pump and she said that could be a very good option as it can deliver very small amounts of Insulin which may be the best solution for me which brought me to asking about which one is best Smile

Thanks for your advice, greatly appreciated Very Happy



I'm type 1.5 too! They spent a year and a half treating me as a type 2, as my body is still producing a small amount of insulin. None of that worked, so they put me on insulin March this year. I'm trying to work up the courage to ask for the pump, as I'm finding it really difficult to control my sugars. The levels are so unpredictable, even if they start the same, I have the same food, and do the same amount of insulin. I also struggle with hypo unawareness. I'm hoping these are good enough reasons for me to be considered for the pump haha.



Hi Louise,
Sorry to hear you are struggling with Hypos and Hypo awareness. I struggled too with my Hypo awareness and Hypos after my daughter was born which is why they tried me off Insulin and using Metformin. I think the reason my Hypo awareness has never been great is due to my sugars were always so tight - close to normal so my "normal" level was set so low that it took my sugars to drop really low for me to feel anything. When my sugars have been running higher (above 7) I get the awareness back. I guess it must come hand in hand with us that are still producing some insulin but not enough to cover what we eat.
I see my consultant a week today and will be asking to go on a pump - hopefully the omnipod as this seems to best suit my lifestyle (working mum). Hopefully they can offer me this type.
Good luck with your BGs - hope they offer you a pump as sounds like the best way forward for you.

Thanks,
Anele.
 
Sep 12, 2013
Anele46 108 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Pumps in the UK

Louise1988 said:
I'm all for pretty coloured pen haha. I have mentioned half unit pens before, but my dsn told me I didn't need it, as I should just round up or round down, depending on what my bg level is Confused



Hi Louise,
I use the NovPen3 Demi which does half units. It takes cartridges as Vickyp says - I use Novorapid but not sure if other cartridges for other types of Insulin will fit/are available?
Thanks,
Anele.
 
Sep 11, 2013
louisecur 1 post

Topic: General Discussion / Insulin and Side Effects

Hi I was put on lantus a few years ago and straight away I felt ill and I started to put weight on, I put on 10lbs in two weeks. The hospital and dieticans asked me if I was sure I hadn't changed my diet or exercising less etc. I took myself off the lantus on a Friday and on the Saturday I was feeling back to normal and the weight came off over a few weeks. The drs at hospital wouldn't say it was the lantus but to me it must have been, too much of a coincidence to feel pretty ill and put a lot of weight on in such a short space of time and then for it all to reverse once I went back to humulin I. I looked it up on the Internet and at that time I found things from America were people had reacted badly to lantus and from memory I think there were lots of different issues that people had.
 
Sep 11, 2013
Vickyp 135 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Pumps in the UK

I had to do that even with half unit pen, and think all diabetics do (even now on pump i do but the pump works it out for me!)
The half unit pen makes it easier to do more accurate 0.5:1 ratios and then you can round by 0.5 rather than 1; which may be too much for you. Worth a try Smile
 
Sep 11, 2013
Louise1988 68 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Pumps in the UK

I'm all for pretty coloured pen haha. I have mentioned half unit pens before, but my dsn told me I didn't need it, as I should just round up or round down, depending on what my bg level is Confused
 
Sep 11, 2013
Vickyp 135 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Pumps in the UK

I got two from my DSN during DAFNE course...they are usually given to children so one came in a coloured case!!
They take insulin cartridges rather than being prefilled pens.
 
Sep 11, 2013
Louise1988 68 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Pumps in the UK

Wow, tiny amounts! Thanks Vicky, will ask my dsn about this pen.
 
Sep 11, 2013
Vickyp 135 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Pumps in the UK

I had a pen that dosed in half unit..a saviour before the pump. I had tiny amounts of insulin (6 levemir and 8or9 novo rapid a day,) ratios were all 0.5:1 except breakfast which was 0.5:1-0.5!!! Now on the pump am on even smaller amounts, and take no insulin with breakfast as I still produce insulin.
I went without pump/insulin for 3 weeks and sugars fine in morning but high from about lunchtime..this showed i am still producing some insulin a year after diagnosis but not enough so back on pump with minimal amounts. My basal is now 0.6u/day and average 3u of bolus (QA)!
Try a half unit pen as that reduced a lot of my hypos before I got the pump!
 
Sep 11, 2013
novorapidboi26 1,816 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Pumps in the UK

there's a few folk on here that are on doses like that, its worth a go, at least in order to get some hypo awareness back......that can be quite overwhelming for some people who are nervous about hypos.....
 
Sep 11, 2013
Louise1988 68 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Pumps in the UK

I've done it a few times, but maybe not for long enough to see if it works
 
Sep 11, 2013
novorapidboi26 1,816 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Pumps in the UK

have you tried 0.5:1....
 
Sep 11, 2013
Louise1988 68 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Pumps in the UK

Only 1:1. I've tried doing less than I'm supposed to, based on that ratio, but that proves to not be enough...
 
Sep 11, 2013
novorapidboi26 1,816 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Pumps in the UK

you must be having a lot if your awareness is away..... Shocked

what about QA ratios.....
 
Sep 11, 2013
Louise1988 68 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Pumps in the UK

Yes, the hypos are at any time of day. It's more frustrating that I can't feel the hypos, so am checking constantly throughout the day.

I'm taking 8 units of Levemir, which I think is right, my morning levels seem to be ok, as well as 3am checks. I'm on maybe 13 units of novorapid during the day, so not a lot. I could at least do with a pen that allows me to do half units. Would prefer the pump though, as my consultant has said that no one has had any bad experiences from it, that he knows of...
 
Sep 11, 2013
mum2westiesGill 502 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Increase of Lantus/BI

Comments wanted also for these
 
Sep 11, 2013
mum2westiesGill 502 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Increase of Lantus/BI

Comments wanted also for these
 
Sep 11, 2013
mum2westiesGill 502 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Increase of Lantus/BI

So a while since I've posted BG results so just wanted some comments please
 
Sep 11, 2013
novorapidboi26 1,816 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Pumps in the UK

It must be quite frustrating..........do you have lots of hypos at different times of the day?

how much insulin do you take on average now?
 
Sep 11, 2013
Louise1988 68 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Pumps in the UK

Novorapidboi, I am still producing insulin, but I was only diagnosed with diabetes 2years ago.

I am having less insulin, but it doesn't seem to have much difference. One day I can have 4 units and I have a hypo, the next day, I am originally the same level, have more insulin, and it isn't enough...
 
Sep 11, 2013
novorapidboi26 1,816 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Pumps in the UK

Louise1988 said:
I'm type 1.5 too! They spent a year and a half treating me as a type 2, as my body is still producing a small amount of insulin. None of that worked, so they put me on insulin March this year. I'm trying to work up the courage to ask for the pump, as I'm finding it really difficult to control my sugars. The levels are so unpredictable, even if they start the same, I have the same food, and do the same amount of insulin. I also struggle with hypo unawareness. I'm hoping these are good enough reasons for me to be considered for the pump haha.



if your struggling with hypos that is normally enough to be considered.......

Has a reduction of insulin not helped with hypos?

Are you still producing insulin after all these years....?
 
Sep 11, 2013
Louise1988 68 posts

Topic: General Discussion / Pumps in the UK

Anele46 said:
I am not a "typical" Type 1 or Type 2. They thought I was Type 1 when I was first diagnosed in Feb 2010 but I never came out of my "Honeymoon" phase and have been on very small ratios of Novorapid and very little Lantus.

For the past month they have took me off my Insulin completely and have had me on Metformin but the side-affects are awful and my BGs haven't been the best hence I'm going back to see my consultant soon.
I'm gradually coming back off the Metformin and would prefer to go back on Insulin as although it could be difficult to manage sometimes with very small ratios and doses it still beats the heck out of the side-effects I experience with Metformin.
I've spoke to my DSN and talked about a Pump and she said that could be a very good option as it can deliver very small amounts of Insulin which may be the best solution for me which brought me to asking about which one is best Smile

Thanks for your advice, greatly appreciated Very Happy



I'm type 1.5 too! They spent a year and a half treating me as a type 2, as my body is still producing a small amount of insulin. None of that worked, so they put me on insulin March this year. I'm trying to work up the courage to ask for the pump, as I'm finding it really difficult to control my sugars. The levels are so unpredictable, even if they start the same, I have the same food, and do the same amount of insulin. I also struggle with hypo unawareness. I'm hoping these are good enough reasons for me to be considered for the pump haha.
 
Sep 10, 2013
BeccyB 50 posts

Topic: General Discussion / cheiroerthropathy

ps. You may have only just been diagnosed but I imagine you've been suffering from it for longer so you may not have to wait the 3 months Smile