I just started Apidra in my pump today and I am curious how many people are using it and how it is working for them. My endo told me that it is more consistent and predictable then using Novalog, which I was using before.
I am using humalog in my pump. It will be interesting to hear how you like it or how different /better it is for you than Novalog. Why is Novalog not consistent? Had you heard that before?
Apidra has a more rapid onset and shorter duration of action. Don’t get me wrong Novalog is an excellent insulin. I will write more after I have experienced it and can inform based on first hand experience.
I have been on Apidra for almost a month now and I love it. I am still on shots (for the moment) but it gives me much better results. I can tell a difference in the time it take to kick in and when it trails off. I think my sugars have dropped on average about 15 points (which is great for me.) I am so glad to be on Apidra now. I don’t suggest it for anyone who is not managing their sugars very well because it is so rapid acting and its short duration. I test before a meal, give my shot and 2 hours after and it has kept my sugars very consistent.
2 thumbs up for Apidra
I have to agree not even being on Apidra for 24 hours yet but it works quick, it actually makes the Novalog seem slow in comparison!! The trail off is pretty nice as well.
David,
How fast does it seem to peak for you?
Thanks for starting this discussion, David.
I have used Humalog since it was introduced and it has worked pretty well for me, so I have never even tried Novolog. I have been really curious about how Apidra compares and have been meaning to discuss it w/ my endo, but it keeps slipping my mind. Sounds like quite a few people here have seen a quicker onset - I think I may need to give it a try! Please keep me posted!
I found this chart showing the Apidra curve, pretty interesting.
Figure 1. Pharmacokinetic profiles of insulin glulisine and regular human insulin in patients with type 1 diabetes after a dose of 0.15 IU/kg
It is sort of interesting that with everyone being diabetic there really isn’t much discussion on insulin types and treatment. Thanks for the comment.
Hello Dave,
I was bolusing with Apidra and using a split dose of Levemir as my basal for MDI and getting very good blood sugar control. My last A1C on MDI was 5.4%.
Last June I started using an Animas 2020 pump with Apidra and it’s taking longer than I thought to fine tune the settings. For good post prandial control I have to bolus 10 to 20 minutes before I eat especially if my pre meal blood sugar in above 140.
How long does it take for Apidra to diffuse out from the infusion site when you give a bolus? Does it depend on where the cannula is? How about the length of the cannula 6 mm or 9 mm? Does one work better than the other for you? Does Apidra lose any of its activity on the 3rd or 4th day in the cartridge and infusion set tubing? I am using a total daily dose of 25-30 U of Apidra so I change my infusion set every 4 days and have gone as long as 5 days. No problems with infusion sites. I’m using INSETS and testing the 6 mm and 9 mm cannulas.
The initial pump setting for duration of insulin activity was 6 hrs and it was soon realized that the Apidra does not last that long in my body. It was changed to 4 hours and I think it might be necessary to reduce the setting to 3 hours. My insulin sensitivity factor (ISF) is set at 1:100 based on my MDI records and experiences. Back in June I was doing weight resistance training and had gained some weight (lean muscle) which made me more sensitive to insulin. I stopped working out when I went on the pump so I didn’t have to deal with exercise as another variable. I lost weight over the last 3 months on the pump and now I think I am less sensitive and will have to change my ISF,
Last but not least my basal rate has been adjusted several times and still needs some work. I suspect that will be an ongoing process as my activity changes. I have been testing about 10 times a day and my daily average has gone from the 150’s to the 130’s. I will be having my first A1C test on the pump at my next appointment with the endo next month. I am going to ask him about trying Novolog and then Humalog at some point in time to see if I can tell any differences in activity and control between them and Apidra.
I’m looking forward to reading more posts on this site and hearing about the experiences of those using Apidra and other types of insulin analogs in their pump.
Florian
This is interesting.
After reading these posts, I went to the fridge to check out the 2 insulin samples my endo gave me 2 visits ago.
Apidra and Novolog. I’ve been using Humulog for ages but this has got me curious about the other two. I test about 2.5 hours after eatting and am normally under 140 but could be doing better. It will be interesting to try the other two and see how things go.
I’m one of those diabetics who hates to follow a meal plan.
Many of the people who have posted here describe their results with the insulin that they are using in very general terms, i.e. it works well for me, it works better than XYZ, I’m getting much better results, etc. I would like to know specifically what you mean by, it works well, or I’m getting better results. I would suggest that it is very difficult to compare different types of insulin and see differences without controlling all the variables that effect insulin activity and blood sugar control.
If your blood sugar was in the range of 70 to 90 range and you ate something with 15 gms of carbohydrate in it to bring it up, what would your blood sugar be 2 hours later? Would it make a difference what food you ate that had 15 gms of carbs in it? Would it make a difference if you tested at 1 hr and 3 hrs? What would you expect the post prandial number to be? Would you bolus for the 15 gms of carbs? Would you bolus before eating or after eating?
Florian
I was just wondering if anyone out there was using Humalog and has made the switch to Apidra? I have been on Humalog for a long time now, but decided to give Apidra a try to see how it is. I have had Apidra in my pump for about 12 hours now. If anyone else has made the switch I would like to hear your imput on the pros and cons.
Chad, I am really interested in hearing about your experience with Apidra. Did you consult with your doctor before making the change from Humalog or did you decide to try the Apidra on your own. Did you hear something good about Apidra that made you want to try it? Since you are a long time user of Humalog you must know exactly how it works for you under all circumstances. Try to be as specific as possible when you describe any differences that you see or notice between the Humalog and Apidra.
I am using Apidra in my Animas 2020 pump. I started last June and I am still working on trying to fine tune all the various settings in the pump. When I asked my doc if I could try Novolog.he said to wait until we had everything under control with the Apidra. Good luck.
Florian
I switched from Humalog to Apidra about 2-3 months ago. I like it much better. Where I could not tell how long the tail of Humalog was for me, I pretty much know that the Apidra bolus is done working after 4 hours.
I have had to reduce my basals a bit as well on my pump. .05 off all times of day. My TDD is about 35 units with 19.6 being basal.
I started Apidra a few days ago and haven’t noticed that big of a difference yet. Does it maybe take a week or so to “set in”?
- AmyT
www.diabetesmine.com
When I started I didn’t notice any major difference when compared to Novalog. I did notice that it acts quicker and is more predictable. When I take my BG 2 hours later it is almost always 120 and below. I will be interested to see how you like it and if you are going to write about it on your blog.
I think so. But I don’t know why.
I have been using apidra in my pump for a few months now. My doctor & I decided I should try it because they say it might “flow” better, and I’ve been having absorption problems and also tend to run pretty high after eating (even with lower carb meals). I really haven’t noticed much of a difference between the apidra and humalog.
Also - to note - that graph that was posted of the curves of action was apidra vs. regular, NOT apidra vs. humalog. it’s possible apidra works a little quicker for some people, but the difference is not that dramatic; it is way more similar to humalog and novolog.
I’ve used every rapid-acting insulin analog made (Humalog, Novolog, and Apidra). First thing: Your own Mileage May Vary! However, my conclusion is as follows (based on my own experience): Humalog (lispro) was the fastest to start working, but had little tail of activity beyond 2 hours. Novolog (aspart) was painfully slow … I found Regular insulin was almost as fast, and half as expensive. Also, the tail of activity was far beyond the label claims, I found it lasted about 10 hours before it had worn off. Apidra (glulisine) falls in the middle of the other two. Its not quite as fast as Humalog, but also lasted a bit longer which I found was a better match with my own metabolism. Note that Apidra is the only insulin analog that has FDA approval for use after eating (although this may be more due to applying for approval with use like this, while the others did not apply for the same – a few clinical trial results have showed very little difference between the 3 rapid-acting analogs).