Hi,
I am on my first day of pumping and my doctor just told me I have to use novorapid fir my pump. This is quite a news considering another doctor previously said apidra works perfectly fine. I am really not fond of novorapid since I tried it once and it would constantly put me in hypo. Plus I have been using apidra for years and why shall I change it? What are ur thoughts advice or experience? I mean she did not really left me a choice but if you guys are fine using apidra I will talk to her again.
I've been using Apidra in my Ping for 3 years now and it works fine. You just have to set your duration correctly (for me it's only 3 hours).
only thing that i would understand why apidra shouldnt work is that it is not as heat resistant as novorapid. but that is only a problem if you live in a very hot country.
otherwise, i dont understand why apidra shouldnt work in a pump...
Yes I am also totally puzzled. She does nit speak much english and could not really got through it all: she said novorapid is faster acting and works better with pump. This is really weird I will need more reasoning if I have to switch insulin.
What do you mean by setting duration? My basal right now is set to change in every 4 hours with some 2 hour changes. I do not have a clue how actually she determined or ciynted the time I need to change basal doze.
I'm another Apidra Animas pumper. I don't understand this doctor's reasoning except that for a variety of reasons, she prefers Novorapid. Can she just demand that you use Novorapid? I suspect that you're located outside the US. Perhaps your doctors have a different authority and control over things like this.
If my doctor took this stance, I would fire her and go somewhere else. You have way more experience living with Apidra than she has. Her attempting to dominate you for no good reason is insulting.
If you have no other options for doctors you may need to diplomatically point out that your experience with Apidra gives you a level of comfort that you just don't have with Novorapid. Could she just let you try it out and review the situation at the next appointment.
My daughter used Apidra in her Animas Ping for 2 yrs. Sites didn’t last as long…2 days as opposed to 3 with Novolog…but we would switch back to Apidra in a heartbeat if insurance would cover.
Thanks for reply. I will talk to her tomorrow even though my BG seems fine with Novorapid, I still feel like I am more comfortable with apidra in a long run. Yes I am outside and I do not speak the local language so that makes things even more complicated.
I've been using Apidra in my Medtronic pump for a few years now. I have no issues with it. Do you have a friend or family who could help translate during your visits? Good luck.
Perhaps my reaction to your situation was a little too emotional. I didn't give enough weight to the inability to communicate in your doctor's native language. It's hard for two people to communicate when they fluently share a common language. Maybe avoiding conflict with this doc will make your life easier.
Maybe going with the doctor's preference for Novorapid will work out for you. I don't think that the various formulations of rapid acting analog insulin are functionally much different from each other. I know I get site inflammation with Novalog, the name for Novorapid in the US.
If you want to press for getting Apidra then the suggestion to get someone to translate for you will help smotth things over.
Duration is how long the insulin lasts. You need to set that on your pump because it determines how the pump calculates Insulin on Board. I think the variations in our Duration are more personal differences than just the brand of fast acting insulin.
Sofie, I highly recommend the book Pumping Insulin by John Walsh. It really helps in adjusting to a pump to understand all the settings and to be able to tweak them as needed, rather than just relying on your doctor or cde to do this.
I was actually correctly diagnosed as Type 1 while living in Guatemala, Sofie. My Spanish isn't bad but I also sought out doctors and specialists who speak English, because the nuances of medical care are too complex to manage in a language you aren't fluent in. I don't know what country you are in, but if you are near a capital or other large city or a private hospital you can generally find someone who speaks English.