Guest guest Posted September 3, 2004 Report Share Posted September 3, 2004 Since they all seem to say the same thing I'm wondering if they actually have any personal experience with it or whether it's just something they read in the medical journals. I know of many people who have used it consistently (through the lists) , over a long period of time and have never experienced any variability. I myself get consistently excellent results every time and I've been using it for at least 6 years. I tend to think that they either didn't shake the bottle enough to distribute the granules evenly or they didn't understand the need to dose twice daily at approximately 12-hour intervals. I have to admit the package instructions certainly don't emphasize either of these points. One of the problems with Lantus and a cause of Lantus failure is the fact that it does have an " even " curve. And since not all of us have the same basal insulin need throughout the day, it works much better to take UL twice a day at different dosages to allow for this. Also, for some of us, it doesn't last the full 24 hours. When I tried it I found it pooped out at 19 hours. Vicki Re: Ultralente > << Many people have switched to lantus and I cannot help but wonder > if the difficulty with obtaining UL might have something to do with > that. >> > > I have been reading the messages about Ultralente with interest. I > just wanted to share something that I learned from a practicing > endocrinologist who I heard speak -- and later spoke to briefly -- at > a Diabetes Expo earlier this year. He is extremely progressive- > minded in terms of exploring and researching treatment options, and > spoke at length about islet cell transplants and other similar > subjects. He actually made a point of bringing up the topic of > doctors being reluctant to prescribe UL as a basal insulin. He first > said that the earlier animal-source Ultralente insulins were more > reliable, but that his own research and experience, and that of his > colleagues, indicated that there was a *tremenedous* variability of > absorbtion in UL insulin, too much of a variability for most doctors > to feel comfortable deeming it reliable enough to prescribe > liberally. This might be the reason why I ran into such a brick wall > when I attempted to convince my first endo to switch me from NPH to > UL when I started learning about carb counting and self-adjustment of > short-acting insulin with a flatter long-acting basal insulin. My > second endo gave me a similar response, although in that case, both > he and my CDE were actively preparing me for pumping, so they felt > that given the brief time I would be using the UL, it might not be > worth going through the adjustment period. > > Since speaking to this endo at the Expo, I've heard this same claim > from several other medical professionals -- including pump trainers > who are actively pro-aggressive therapy. Since I never used UL, I > couldn't say for certain how valid these claims are, but I *have* > used Lantus and I failed on it miserably. I just wanted to share > what information I had gotten. > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 3, 2004 Report Share Posted September 3, 2004 As some of you know, I take my UL only once a day. By comparing the absorption chart with my needs, I decided that would work for me. In the evening, when it poops out, and I need to shoot some H for my snack anyway, I add to that shot to cover my UL gap. This is me tho and YMMV. In fact, it is my mileage that varies, always. Which may be why this works for me. The UL is there for me overnight and thru the morning when I need it the most. My insulin resistance is much less in the evening and its peak is over then. While I don't dance up and down with the bottle as Vicki does (smile) I do give it a few vigorous shakes, stick the needle in, and give it another mild shake or two. For the most part it is consistent, I am the one who isn't. There are a lot of things that influence my numbers, stress and upset loom very large in my life and can either raise or lower my readings. No insulin could cope with this. Helen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 3, 2004 Report Share Posted September 3, 2004 I'm really not surprised that there are so many different reactions to the different insulins. The human body is such a complex mechanism...although we all have the same basic eqipment, the individual variations are infinite. No wonder we have such a hard time learning to gain control of our diabetes. It's really, truly very individual disease -- and one size simply does not fit all. Or even a few, smile. There simply is no easy answer. Those of us who are willing to devote the time and energy to finding our own individual best treatment are a rare species. Most people simply want to take a pill and forget about it. Or ignore it until the complications occur, and then it's too late.And it seems that most doctors really don't have the knowledge and time to help us find our way. Vicki, one who found the way Re: Ultralente > > Reading everyone's experiences with insulin it is surprising how > it affects each of us differently. I have been on Lantus for over > two years and adjust the dosage by one or two units occasionally > depending what is going on with my body. Lantus is my basal and > Humalog I take prior to meals on a sliding scale. Lantus lasts for > 24 hours for me and works so much better than UL for me. > I take 15 units of Lantus once a day. > Simons > > > > Hi Vicki, > > > > That was my experience too, and part of the reason I decided to go > back to > > Ultralente to refresh my memory as to how it compared to Lantus. > > > > I'm finding that I like it a whole lot better, and not just for > the length of > > time it stays active. I was taking 70 units of Lantus at 11:00pm. > Now I'm > > taking 35 units of UL at the same time. > > > > It's only been a few days, but my fbgs are heading in the right > direction: 120, > > 118, 93. With Lantus, the best I *ever* did was 125. > > > > During the day, I started with 25 units around 10:00am. My bgs > prior to eating > > were lower than I want: 74, 70, 62. Since I tend to forget to eat > when I'm > > working, that's too low for me. I dropped my morning lantus down > to 15 > > units--still lower than I want . Today I didn't take any at all. > My prior to > > meal bg was 118. I figure tomorrow I will try 10 units of UL.You > can't tinker > > like this with Lantus unless you take it twice a day and then > what's the point? > > > > BTW, my post meal bgs have been hovering around 120, 90 minutes > after eating. > > > > I find it so much easier to get with the program when I see > results like this! > > > > Hugs, Dianne > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 4, 2004 Report Share Posted September 4, 2004 Rita, you said being a diabetic is hard work. May I amend that to say being a WELL CONTROLLED diabetic is hard work. (I'm sure that's what you meant to say!) I wouldn't actually say it's hard work. But it does require attention to detail and the ability to Plan Ahead. . Those of us who are blessed with a compulsive personality are lucky - we enjoy the challenge. When I was diagnosed, my daughter pointed out that I had the perfect disease for my personality. She was referring to the compulsive part of me. And she was quite right! Vicki Re: Ultralente > > > > > > Reading everyone's experiences with insulin it is surprising how > > it affects each of us differently. I have been on Lantus for over > > two years and adjust the dosage by one or two units occasionally > > depending what is going on with my body. Lantus is my basal and > > Humalog I take prior to meals on a sliding scale. Lantus lasts for > > 24 hours for me and works so much better than UL for me. > > I take 15 units of Lantus once a day. > > Simons > > > > > > > Hi Vicki, > > > > > > That was my experience too, and part of the reason I decided to go > > back to > > > Ultralente to refresh my memory as to how it compared to Lantus. > > > > > > I'm finding that I like it a whole lot better, and not just for > > the length of > > > time it stays active. I was taking 70 units of Lantus at 11:00pm. > > Now I'm > > > taking 35 units of UL at the same time. > > > > > > It's only been a few days, but my fbgs are heading in the right > > direction: 120, > > > 118, 93. With Lantus, the best I *ever* did was 125. > > > > > > During the day, I started with 25 units around 10:00am. My bgs > > prior to eating > > > were lower than I want: 74, 70, 62. Since I tend to forget to eat > > when I'm > > > working, that's too low for me. I dropped my morning lantus down > > to 15 > > > units--still lower than I want . Today I didn't take any at all. > > My prior to > > > meal bg was 118. I figure tomorrow I will try 10 units of UL.You > > can't tinker > > > like this with Lantus unless you take it twice a day and then > > what's the point? > > > > > > BTW, my post meal bgs have been hovering around 120, 90 minutes > > after eating. > > > > > > I find it so much easier to get with the program when I see > > results like this! > > > > > > Hugs, Dianne > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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