Comment

Comment by Rita on January 26, 2012 at 5:12pm

Thanks Emmy. I'm only taking the levemir now, no metformin. The Dr told me I would probably have to play with it a little to get it just right. As of now, I'm starving! That seldom happened on the Met, but I had the constant up and downs. I haven't had those, but I know I have eaten too much today. I'm still hungry. Maybe it's just in my head. It helps to know that it will take four days to feel the results. I have been diabetic for 3 yrs and taking Metformin the entire time. It just quit working, thus the levemir. I should be going to classes sometime in Feb, maybe that will help. I read and read and just get more confused. Atkins, South Beach, WW. Dr. B's. I don't know what to do. I just know I am hungry.

Comment by Emmy on January 26, 2012 at 4:26pm

Hi Rita,

Yes, if you're type 2, you will likely have to increase that dose. They start you on a small dose and work you up slowly. Its the only safe way to do it.

The amount you need will depend on how long you've had diabetes (most people go undiagnosed for a long time, and have lost some or most of their beta cell function by that time, thus the need to inject insulin).

Another factor is how much insulin resistance you have. The more body fat a person has, and the longer they've had diabetes, the more insuslin resistance they may have. This can vary widely from person to person, but typically, type 2's who are overweight will have more insulin resistance. These things are all linked. The IR will increase your weight gain, and vice versa. Increasing your activity levels can help with this.

Your doctor will look at your blood sugar readings when he talks to you again, and adjust it as needed. He might tell you to increase it yourself by a certain amount, every few days, until you reach a set morning reading. This is why its so important to keep a log, so he can see how you're doing throughout the day. It has to be done very slowly.

When you start insulin, it takes several days to start to have any real impact on your blood sugar. Your body can take a full four days to completely adjust to each change in dosage too, so it really pays to be patient, and keep a log.

What you eat will also have a big impact as well, but the Metformin should help with that. Your Metformin dose can be increased if needed, (if your doctor hasn't already done that). This also must be done slowly to avoid increasing gastric issues that Metformin can cause.

You might be lucky and only need a smaller dose of insulin for now, so you'll really just have to wait and see how your blood sugar levels out and what your morning fasting reading settles down at.

Comment by Rita on January 26, 2012 at 7:33am

Hi everyone. I am new to this site. Just DC'd Metformin, but only taking 8units each PM of Levemir. Does that sound right? Do I need to expect to have to increase it?

Comment by Bunny Wabbit on November 18, 2011 at 11:36pm

Ok, looking at this group.. I thought I was taking a lot of insulin... I'm on x3 6u Novorpaid daily and 20u Levemir before bed...I've recently started a diet plan that has me waking up with a hypo over the past 3 nights.. so I think i need to drop my levemir.. but am not sure how much to drop it to :( Levemir works for 24 hours...and since moving onto levemir about a year ago, my sugars are better controlled...altho there have been more frequent hypos...

Comment by christy on October 22, 2011 at 7:24am

I don't like levemir. I was started on Lantus and I loved it, really got good results with it, but when my endo's office went to do the prior authorization...SURPRISE we wont cover Lantus it's NOT our perfered drug, Levemir is. I've been on it about 3 weeks now and am hating it. My numbers are so much higher on it, and Im bouncing up and down all over the place with it, with Lantus I had finally gotten a dose along with my I/C and correction factors that was working and minimizing the lows and keeping my BS in a pretty stable range. I went from 58 the other day, and correcting with carbs...14 grams to bring me back to my target range...and it shot me to 258, then I spend the WHOLE day TRYING to get my BS to come back down. Finally around midnight it was back down.

Levemir makes me feel constantly hungry and I've actually gained some weight on it. Not a LOT but I went from being around 153 to around 157. Im trying to work on my hypoglycemic unawareness...and its slowly kinda coming back. I guess. I recognize when I start dropping down to the high 50's and 60's Im feeling very hungry...and a little anxious. With the Levemir making me constantly hungry I could have sworn on some occassions I must be low ONLY to test and be in the 160's. My insurance will cover Lantus after a documented failure on Levemir but in the meantime there goes my improving A1C. I think one thing. I had some wishy washiness about going on an insulin pump...but this crappy Levemir has made up my mind. Although I dont mind MDI's that much...Im not staying on Levemir. Sorry glad it seems to be working for most of you, but I HATE it.

Comment by Ila on August 24, 2011 at 1:13pm

Thanks Trudy. I really know very little about insulins. I know lots of people sorts scowl at the mention of NPH, but since that is what I have I was wondering how others might use the two.

Comment by Trudy on August 23, 2011 at 3:05pm

Hi Ila. About Levemir -- if you need more basal, why not take a split dose of Levemir, increasing the total amount. If you need a faster acting bolus, consider Regular (kind of medium acting insulin) or one of the fast acting insulins. I just don't see much reason to take NPH; it has rather large peaks.

Comment by Ila on August 23, 2011 at 2:28pm

I am T2 using 14 units of Levemir at night. I have a dog with diabetes on NPH. I am considering adding some NPH but actually have no idea what I am doing. Are there any T2's that also use both?

Comment by Ali on August 2, 2011 at 3:48pm

Thanks for your feedback Anne! Yeah the doctors suggested that (happens in VERY rare cases ) I could have been allergic to something inside the insulin! I have never had to change my needles!
Thanks, Ali :)

Comment by Anne on August 2, 2011 at 10:50am

I had this, too!

In my case, it turned out to be the combination of Levemir and the needles I was using at this time. I didn't have this before but for some reason, these two were a bad combination.

I asked for different needles and ever since, problems have become a rare case.

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