Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by A Thorn in my Flesh on January 24, 2013 at 3:17pm

I just got an RX for Humalog... $145 a vial.
But I am excited to carefully use it for correction.

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Permalink Reply by A Thorn in my Flesh on January 24, 2013 at 3:09pm

Thanks Clare

yes, I would consider a more efficient insulin, but I am uninsured and
the R and NPH are the cheaper than most other insulins.

I do use the I:C ratio to plan my meals and sliding scale to correct.
I am planning to use Humalog for quicker correction.

I appreciate your input, I get so much help from this site..
more than my doc or ex doc as I put it, as of today!

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Permalink Reply by Clare on January 24, 2013 at 3:44pm

Only problem with getting a vial of humalog is once it is opened, it is recommended to use within 28 days. If you are just using it for corrections then I am afraid it will "expire" and not be as active if you try to use it too carefully. There are 1000 units in a vial, so 28 days worth is 36 units a day.
I too have gotten so much help here, and I asked a question not long ago how long people actually keep their vials of lantus or humalog and with the cost at $145 a vial, I can understand using the less expensive options for insulin. Check the discussions http://www.tudiabetes.org/forum/topics/do-you-really-throw-out-lant... I got a lot of good responses and learned a lot from it. Just copy and paste the link and the discussion should come up.
I switched endos after 20 years and am thrilled with my new one. The clinic I go to also has a refrigerator filled with "salesman samples" for lack of a better term. I took advantage of some freebies and tried Apidra which is another fast acting insulin. I like it better than the humalog I had been taking but both are equally good for bringing down a high blood sugar.

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Permalink Reply by still_young_at_heart on January 24, 2013 at 4:15pm

If you are going to use humalog slowly it makes sense to get the humalog pens. For a while they were giving them away for free with coupons in ADA Forecast and other places. Even if you can't get the samples, a box of pens will be better because each pen only has 300 units so that there is less waste.

Maurie

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Permalink Reply by Super_sally on January 24, 2013 at 5:04pm

For Humalog, I buy the insulin cartriges for pens, but then use a needle to withdraw the dose. else i use the prefilled pens due to small dose. As long as keptat relatively stable temperature, I find these last well beyond 30 days. I live in Manila (hot), but in 5 years of using humalog have never had a cartridge 'go bad', even with using a single one for more than 2 months. I use humalog for rapid insulin and nph for basal. I find regular works slowly / requires more planning (not my thing), and don't use it.

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Permalink Reply by S Woodward on January 24, 2013 at 8:58pm

In my experience, the R/NPH regimen poses way to many challenge to effectively manage type 1D. NPH is one of the most un predictable insulin in use. It cannot provide the necessary basal insulin during the 24 hour day; therefore, your I:C ration will vary throughout the day. Any factor that can impact BGs will be exemplified and unpredictable. It can be done. But when you weigh the cost of insulins used in currently recommended regimes using long and rapid insulins against the money saved by using R/NPH, it's not worth the risk and stress of not controlling BGs and life limits (freedom).

Personally, with tens of years using each; the pump, NPH, R/NPH, R/ultralente, and other variations, my choice is a pump or MDI using a rapid (apidra, novolog) and long acting insulin (lantus/levemir split into two am/pm shots).

And, if this was the docs recommendation for treatment, drop the MD w/o looking back and find another Endo MD.

It's all a challenge and in the end, what works fo you is the best!

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