Trouble with Lantus insulin
Last month ( 4 full weeks ago) my 14 year old started using lantus
and the novalog pen. We started with 24U of Lantus at night and 1-2
units per carb at meals.It has been disasterous. He truly doenst
cheat on his food or insulin. His blood sugars are rarely below 200
and usually hover more towards 300. I upped the Lantus at night
Gradually to 40 units and the novalog to 2 units per 15 grams of
carbs. Nothing had seemed to help. Yesterday we pitched the lantus
and the novalog and went back to NPH and reglar (20N 10R) at both
730 am and 430 pm. His blood sugars yesterday and today have
consistently been right at 100. He feels better and has more energy
also.Has anyone else had similar trouble with the Lantus novalog
combo? We go back to the Dr in January and will stay with the 2
shots per day as opposed to at least 4 of the other. I would like
feedback from others.My son was diagnosed in June of 2002 and has
went from a Hgb A1c of 14 down to 6 last visit.
Beth
January 27th, 2004 at 4:49 am
Hi Beth,
I am 47 and have taken Lantus for about 1 1/2 yrs. The first 6 months
I struggled to regain my control. My main problem with the nighttime
injection of Lantus was hypoglycemia during the night. I thought why
not take Lantus in the morning so that I would at least be awake to
monitor the situation. I asked my doctor, she said try it but test
more frequently. It has been great. Now Lantus (my Dr. tells me)
suggests that A.M. doses are OK. Definitely consult with your doctor
before changing any part of your routine though!!
Al
Nothing had seemed to help. Yesterday we pitched the lantus
January 28th, 2004 at 8:49 am
Hi! I am just a lurker and read messages when I get a chance. My son is 17, was diagnosed Feb 19, 2002. Funny how you remember that date as well as a birthday!
He has been on Lantus since April 2003. He likes it because it gives him his freedom back. I don’t like it because it gives him his freedom back!! Does that sound like a bad Mom? He is a 17 yr old with a major attitude, he/we didn’t need(does anyone?) diabetes as another issue. Beyond that, his A1C was 10.8 two weeks ago but he won’t go back to the N & H or even the Lente and Ultra Lente. He also will not look at the pump tho until he can get this Lantus under control, his Dr won’t consider it which is fair.
Anyway, I just wanted to see how your Dr appt went in January. Did they keep your son on the Lantus or leave you with the NPH?
In the beginning we had some struggles getting the ratio’s right. 40 units of Lantus seems extremely high as my son was just upped to 28. His current problem is getting the ratio right for his Novalog. He is too lazy to pay attention to what he is eating, how active he was, etc. The only plus we have had is he has never been in the hospital. Because my sister is diabetic, we recognized the signs and caught it fairly early.
I don’t mean to sound nonchalant but I have had to become that way. He tells me he knows what he is doing and it only causes major heated arguments if I pursue. He wanted to take control of it so I back off and let him. We had his A1C down to 7.9 at one point but then he felt I was too restrictive and now he is up there. At this age, whether he is diabetic or not, you can’t make them see and understand the problems he will face in the future because of the high numbers.
Sorry to ramble on…….I really was just curious as to how your Dr appointment went!! J
Nanette
WI
January 31st, 2004 at 9:28 am
Thanks for getting back to me Beth!!
Our Dr is an hour away tho he is the only peds endo in the area. I have
thought about finding an endo here in town as there are other diabetics
over 18 who see a newer Dr in town but I really like the team we
currently have. The only time we have had bad weather getting there was
for our very first appt after his diagnosis by the family practice DR.
I was thinking that if there was someone else he could connect with that
could get thru to him about the dangers of high sugars it would be worth
it. Tho when I mentioned it to him, he didn’t sound real excited. Even
tho he is 17 and tries to be tough, I don’t think he likes change real
well.
He is definitely in the rebellion stage(teenage and diabetes) as well as
the denial stage. The team tells me they all go thru it and we will
both survive. Just hang on. Feel like I am counting the days until he
turns 18, like that will be some miracle day and I won’t have to worry
anymore! Yeah right!!
Anyway, he hasn’t said anything about feeling different since taking the
Lantus/Novalog combo. He again is a teenager who was always tired, with
no energy.
It sound to me like your Dr change will be a good one. My sister who is
diabetic since the age of 11 is now 38 and was managed by a peds Dr for
years. Things have changed so much. I am sure this Dr will be up on
the new things etc. In our support group there are several who go to
their regular Dr 3 out of the 4 visits a year.
Okay, enough babbling again.
Thanks for your thoughts!
nanette
February 2nd, 2004 at 7:06 am
Dear Moms–
It’s been a while since I’ve checked into or posted on this group. I was
diagnosed type 1 at the age of 12, in 1965, and went thru my adolescence &
teens acting like it wasn’t a very big deal. I’m now 51 years old, have been
diabetic for almost 40 years. I am the dad of a 13 and 21 year old, and I’ll
tell
you one true thing–eventually, diabetic kids will take responsible ownership of
their disease, or else they will die young deaths, suffering leg amputations,
kidney failure, blindness and coronary artery disease. Paying short shrift to
one’s diabetes in childhood means problems sooner rather than later–I’ve
seen it happen to many of us. Your kids are very lucky–they have tools for
excellent control NOW. 40 years ago, we didn’t have home blood glucose
monitors, or the a1c test, or any insulins except Regular and NPH from pork
and beef carcasses. We had to boil our glass syringes before every injection.
It’s a wonder any of us lived thru those years and managed to grow up and
remain healthy–a lot of it was dumb luck, but a lot of it was also iron will,
severe self-discipline, and a very early ownership of our disease and the
control of it. Making up “good” test numbers, ignoring food portion controls,
not bolusing correctly for carbs eaten–this kind of recklessness is immensely
self-destructive. It’s not impossible to maintain good control–it’s just very
difficult. However, matched up against the difficulties faced in kidney
dialysis,
proliferative retinopathy and congestive heart failure by age 35 is a lot
harder.
I realize how hard it is to get youngsters to look realistically very far into
their
futures. I’m still having trouble with my 21 year old and her inability to plan
and be responsible, and my 13 year old is just beginning that phase, where
nothing we tell him makes an impression. but a diabetic kid IS a special
case–freedom is fine, but certain behaviors are not just stupid and
dangerous–they are immediately harmful. Your children MUST get serious
fast–that’s the truth about diabetic kids–if they are to grow up at all,
they’ve
gotta grow up fast… Unfortunate, yes… I got pretty much robbed of my
childhood, but for me, becoming an adult at the age of 14, when I started
High school and my parents gave me complete responsibility of my disease–
that was worth the trade-off, because now I have lived a full life, and was able
to do so in perfect health. Sorry for the scare tactics–I’m actually trying to
be
inspirational–it IS possible to do this and get thru it. I did. But there is
so little
room for error.
good luck,
Michael