I’ve been on Novolog for 4 years (since Dx) but I recently got a letter from my insurance company that they are no longer covering Novolog and thus they say I must switch to Humalog because it is cheaper for them. This is also the case for one of my friends.
So I’m wondering, is there any difference between Novolog and Humalog in their effectiveness or dosage amounts or anything? I feel like I’ve heard somewhere before that they can work differently.
Yes, they can work differently and I think the package insert shows a bit of a different curve of activity.
I myself was one of the first US patients to be sent Novolog through a free trial program.
The reason being, Humalog left me with a huge allergy.
They are different.
There should be no problem trying, but if anyone was in my shoes and found one to be harmful in some way, I would say fight for the right to keep the prescription.
You can start with Humalog at the same I:C ratio you used with Novolog. I suggest that you get yourself to 160 mg/dL and give yourself 1 unit, then test beginnning in 15 min. every 5 min. to see when it begins action and how far down it takes you. Some say it is faster to begin, some say it is slower. Nail it in the beginning and you’ll know what it does in YOUR body. Different institutions carry one or the other and patients who have been on one simply substitute the other when required to. As with everything else, bodies differ, and you should get your own timing data with it and verify your I:C at different times of the day.
Maybe it was just me, but I tried them both and didn’t notice any significant difference. I use a pump.
I used both when I was on pens and never noticed a difference, but could be/is completely different for some people. Nothing in diabetes is easy lol!
I used humalog in my pump for years, until the military pharmacy began to stock Novolog. Then I switched to Novolog. I didn;t notice any real difference between the two.
Oh, and nothing is easy about diabetes: I filled out a form for a new endo today. It asked for chronic illnesses (T1) and then had a follow up question about events in my life that cause problems with the chronic illness. My answer? EVERYTHING affects diabetes!
When I used humalog in my MM pump, the humalog left a cream-colored clog at the place the tubing entered the cartridge in about 24 hours. I then changed to novolog, no clog; then to apidra, again no clog.
I’ve never had that happen to me. I use exclusively Humalog in my pump and I haven’t noticed any discoloration. Cream colored clogs (at least in the lab) usually reflect bacterial contamination.
It is most unlikely that these clogs were bacterial, since they occurred every time I started an infusion. Since this was some years ago, maybe they have improved the humalog to prevent this happening.
Just curious what problems you had with humolog and the pump? I’m on the ping
For myself, it took more and more Humalog to get the same results. Then the allergy came along…
I once met a woman at the store, who said she was in the original Humalog trials. She said this is exactly what she encountered. It took more and more to get decent results from the insulin.
Same crap different packaging. I’ve used and use both and notice no difference what so ever. I currently use whatever I can get my hands on. If my doctor doesn’t have anything to give me I’ll order it from canada. In fact I still use NPH for my long acting and R as well. They work fine. The only drawback of using R over Huma/Novo is you have to wait much longer to eat. I generally use it for breakfast and wait 90 post injection to eat. I refuse to spend $100 + for any vial of insulin. You can get both R/NPH over the counter (no perscription need) for about $25 a vial.
I’ve used Humalog since it came out. I’ve use bottles of Humalog for longer than 60 days without noticing any loss of potency. I carry the open bottle with me; I don’t return it to the fridge. My experience is with MDI, not a pump.
I tried two bottles of Novolog about a year ago to see if I could see a difference, but I couldn’t. So when it was gone I went back to Humalog.
I used to use Humalog for 3 year then my insurance switch to Novolog for my pump… I see no difference… The total opposite of you…
The point is, I think, from a chemical standpoint they have a different curve.
From a personal standpoint, as they say on another list YMMV (your mileage may vary).
The main thing would be, for anyone whose insurance insists on changing, if you cannot handle the change stick to your guns and fight for what you need!
I used Humalog for a couple of years and even used it in a pump for a short while also. I really haven’t seen much of a difference between the two. It kinda feels like the novo begins slightly sooner but I question it as I don’t see any changes on my cgm between the two insulins after injection.
My doctor just put me on Novolog because my insurance won’t cover Humalog. I’ve found that they aren’t to different, but my doctor says that Novolog is much more fast acting then Humalog.
Scientifically you’d have to pull copies of the inserts from packaging,and check out the curves.
Other than that, better to just track it a day or two and see!
I have used Humalog for 5 years or more and now just moved over to a disposable pump - its a bit odd having no injections and no over night (Lantus) but by god it works !!
studies show that their onset and duration should be about the same. They are different forms of insulin, so for some one may be better than the other. I would try Humalog and see if it works for you. If it doesn’t, you may be able to have your doc write a letter to your insurance company to cover it. I myself have only been on humalog as a fast-acting, so I don’t have much personal insight.