First dose of Lantus tonight! Scared to death!

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Permalink Reply by Mikey Irish on November 4, 2009 at 7:45pm

Hi

I do my lantus in the morning. Thats how the Doc prescribed it and seems to work great. It works over time so I dont think you have a real concern as far as a hypo situation happening. As long as you have a decent test before bed you should be fine I would think.

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Permalink Reply by Michelle Ricci on November 4, 2009 at 7:51pm

thanks Mikey. the doctor told me to take mine at bedtime. My last blood sugar reading (about an hour ago) was about 370! My doc told me not to take my Metformin today before starting my insulin. I'm feeling like crap right about now. I think I should be ok too.

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Permalink Reply by Mikey Irish on November 4, 2009 at 8:01pm

Yeah with 370 you should be good and Melissa has an awesome idea with the alarm. I keep all kinds of stuff on the night table. Some bottlecaps (candy), my meter. When I do have a hypo situation I actually wake up not feeling well so I'm fortunate in that regard. Im grumpy and a bit shaky. I just wake up "mad" and kinda know what its all about. Its usually around 5 am. I go to bed around 2:30 or so. I hit the gym at around midnight. Im a second shifter so my hours are a little funny. If I dont have a good meal after the gym (not just a snack) I go low (58-80).

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Permalink Reply by AngelaC on November 4, 2009 at 8:30pm

Is there a reason why your doctor is having you stop the metformin? I ask because I was on metformin when I started taking Lantus and took both at the same time for several weeks before I got an endo to look at me and finally say that the metformin wasn't doing anything and I needed to go on MDI.

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Permalink Reply by Michelle Ricci on November 4, 2009 at 8:39pm

I think he took me off Metformin already because I've been taking it for a year and hadn't really helped at all. The lowest I've seen my BG in a year is about 229. He is starting me on 15 units of lantus for the first week and if that doesn't help he wants me to add Novolog(?) at each meal. We'll see what happens

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Permalink Reply by AngelaC on November 4, 2009 at 9:01pm

My goodness, it took him a year to decide that the metformin wasn't helping?? I knew it wasn't helping me when I took it within a few weeks. I saw changes in my fasting and between meal numbers, but it did nothing for my post meal highs. They stayed up well over 200 for up to 4 hours at a time. Unfortunately, my doctor had made the decision to keep going with it, and I couldn't get him to change his mind, no matter what -- not even when I brought in computer-generated logs with full-color graphs showing how the post meal numbers hadn't budged! I ended up dropping him like a hot potato. I'm glad to hear you're finally starting what will be a much more effective regimen. Are you also going to start taking a rapid acting insulin, too?

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Permalink Reply by MelissaBL on November 4, 2009 at 7:51pm

A good suggestion any time you're changing to a new insulin, a new dose, or a new treatment is to set an alarm to wake up at 3am and check your blood sugar and see how it compares to where it was when you went to bed. I still do this when necessary, and I've been taking insulin since I was a kid. If it is in range, you're doing well! If it is higher than you like it, take note of it and go back to bed (until you're used to how to treat highs with short-acting insulin). If it is uncomfortably low, have a small snack and go back to sleep, checking your BG again in the morning to see if the snack was overkill. Lather, rinse, and repeat over the course of several days until you are satisfied with your levels throughout the night. :)

Remember also that you HAVE been on insulin before - just not manmade. :) Lantus is a very slow, leveling insulin that should not cause you to have wide swings in your BGs. Its purpose is to accommodate your body's metabolic processes (namely, breathing) that require a minimal amount of basal insulin to function.

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Permalink Reply by Michelle Ricci on November 4, 2009 at 7:55pm

Great tips MelissaBL! I may have to make my hubby get up with me at 3am!!! Not quite sure how "aware" I will be! ha ha!

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Permalink Reply by Michelle Ricci on November 4, 2009 at 8:08pm

Thanks for the friend add Mikey! I was wondering?.....where is the least painful spot for injections?

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Permalink Reply by Mikey Irish on November 4, 2009 at 8:48pm

I usually use the abdomen. I can hit the area in my tricep if Im feeling industriuos lol but I generally stick with my stomach rotating spots there per week ish lol

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Permalink Reply by Anita on November 5, 2009 at 10:08am

I agree with Mikey...the tummy is a good spot, just remember to rotate. I think the finger sticks actually hurt worse than insulin injections.

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Permalink Reply by Gerri on November 5, 2009 at 10:16am

I rotate injections between stomach, upper butt & thighs. I did upper arms once--ouch! Other areas don't hurt at all.

Have your doctor give you an Rx for the thinest, shortest needles & syringes with 1/2 unit markings. My first order of syringes were too large.

Sure you've noticed now that Lantus stings a bit. It's acidic.

Hope you're doing well!

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