YMMV for sure!
I switched from Humalog to Apidra and Apidra works so much faster for me. I wonder why? Never tried Novolog, but it sounds like I don’t want to!
I know this is an old post, but I have been using Apidra in my pump for several years with success. I prefer it to Humalog, which is the only other insulin with which I’ve pumped.
David,
been on Apidra since i started pumping last March… i really like it coz it peaks fast and has short duration… really helps…i usually eat after bolus, i dont wait for 15-30 mins after giving a bolus to have my meal, provided my BS is within my range…
I LOVE Apidra. Why?
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It matches fast carbs perfectly. I used 2 units last night to cover two ears of sweet corn and was at 105 at one hour. That is typical.
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It does NOT degrade over time. I was eating Bernstein level Low Carb for 8 weeks at the suggestion of my surgeon–nothing but meat and veggies for about 8 weeks, and when I do that I only need Levemir. So the 300 ml cartridge I started in April lasted until I used the last units last week. It did NOT lose potency even though it is not refrigerated (you are not supposed to put the Opticlick pen in the fridge.) It has been on walks in my purse on hot days which killed several Novolog pens last summer. No problem.
I wish these people made a basal insulin with that kind of endurance. The amount of Levemir I have to throw out because it weakens after time even in the fridge is a shame.
Hello Apidra users,
It has been a while since this was first posted and I would like to get an update on your experience with using Apidra.
Has your A1C been up or down since you started using Apidra? What is the biggest difference that you have seen between Apidra and the rapid insulin that you were using before?
A few Apidra users have said that the insulin starts working faster than what they had been using before. Have you have experimented with the timing of your meal bolus using Apidra and when is the best time for you to bolus to have the best affect on your 2 hr post prandial blood sugar before eating or after eating? I am curious to know what the person to person variation is.
I am still using Apidra and I find that it’s best for me to bolus 15 to 30 minutes before I begin eating. Of course there are other considerations, like the pre meal blood sugar and the type of meal that I am going to have. It is not always easy to do when you’re busy and have to eat and run.
How about the duration of Apidra activity? My pump is set for 4 hours and sometimes I change it to 3.5 against my doc’s recommendation. I had a conversation with John Walsh (Pumping Insulin) at the DESA Conf in Toronto and he also said it should be set on 4 hours as a minimum and for some people it should be as much as 6 hours. Somehow I just don’t feel that the Apidra lasts as long as 4 hours in my body.
Florian
That’s so interesting because I find that about after 2 1/2 weeks my vials of Apidra stop working (I keep them refrigerated). And I’m talking sky-high levels in the 300s and I feel like I’m not getting any insulin at all. It’s happened with 3 vials now. I wear a pump and have tried changing the reservoirs but that still does not work. I’ve not switched back to Novolog for the stability which has been frustrating because I liked the quicker onset of action that I had with Apidra. For me, it was more effective, I wear a CGM and sometimes wouldn’t see a much of a peak at all after eating. I could take the Apidra as I was eating and see these results. Now, if I want the same effect with Novolog I have to take it 10-15 min before eating.
It looks like people’s experiences with Apidra though. It’s refreshing to see that others think that it’s not as effective after a while because I thought I was going crazy! I want to try it again, and might when Apidra comes out in pen form, but until then it just doesn’t seem as cost effective…?
Laura
www.diabetessisters.org
I will agree with you. 3.5 hours and I don’t seem to have any Apidra left in my system. That’s where my duration is set right now. And yes, 15 minutes before a meal seems to do the trick for me.
I’ve been steadily lowering my A1C over the last three years I’ve been on it, but it could be due to much tighter control overall.
Hello: I have a somewhat different take on Apidra. It seemed to work well as most people have described-quick acting and 3-4 hour duration. My A1c’s were consistantly between 5.9% and 6.1% I had been using it for a little over 2 years with my pump, then about 8 months ago, after a day and a half to 2 days, I began getting alot of high readings. I had my pump replaced, contacted the Apidra manufacterer Sanofi Aventis and they ran tests on various vials to no avail. My endo thinks I developed antibodies to the insulin. I switched to Novolog and all seems to be back to the way it was in the past with the Apidra. A1c’s are back down, and the Novolog seems to work very much the same way the Apidra did.
David,
Thanks for starting this discussion. I originally started using Humalog in my pump and was pretty happy with it. When my insurance coverage changed, I switched to Novolog and found that it was actually more rapid with bolusing for meals or corrections and I even lowered my basal rates slightly. I have tried samples of the Apidra a couple times and even though Apidra is supposed to be much faster, it works much slower for me and not nearly as effectively. My post prandials are much higher and it takes hours to correct a high BG. Even had to increase my basal rates. I am once again using the Novolog and very pleased with it. It seems to work the fastest and most effectively for me.
I use a Pump with Apidra… switched from Humolog.
My experience and insight. T1 20 years
Apidra has a quicker onset (noted clinically) and personally for me. I have seen my high numbers go down much faster then with Humalog or Novolog (those insulins are extremely simular in my opinion).
However for me some of the time, not all of the time droping fast from a High BG from a correction with Apirda gave me the “BG crash” feeling (a feeling simular to being low)
Is that worth it for quicker BG control, is for me.
Fact… researchers for insulins are trying to make them (the fast acting ones) quicker acting, and quicker out of your system.
Apidra in my opinion is in that direction. There is alot of talk about it being more predictable… interesting… the clinic vaules for that? Not there, is Humalog then unpredictable? I hope not.
Sorry to ramble… but it really… “Making a switch from Something that works, to something that works better” is a challenge. Fear is involed as well has health… but like the saying goes “The only thing constant in Diabetes, is change.”
Good Luck my friend
I think what is meant by more predictable is that Apidra peaks after a certain amount of time consistently and then is out of your system after 4 hours. Novalog and Humalog seemed to peaked inconsistently and lingered for longer than they were suppose to.
Hello,
I have been using Apidra for a while now! I am very happy with it and will continue using Apidra.
In my next appointment with my endo I will bring this up… Sounds like I have been wasting too much time! 
My endocrinologist gave me a couple vials of Apidra to try out with my pump. I didn’t notice any difference compared to Humalog.
We are going to try Apidra in the pump on my niece’s next vacation. Please continue to post your experience! We are keeping basals the same. Not sure if they will go up or down. Have read both. Looking forward to shorter action after meals and less of a spike. Hope there are not too many lows.
I’ve used all Novalog, Humalog, and Apidra in my pump. Overall A1Cs remain essentially the same. Apidra works a little quicker and doesn’t quite last as long. You just need to adjust for the differences in timing. The Apidra seems to be less subject to degradation due to temp than humalog or novalog and they say it results in less occulsions. Of the three it is the one i use. That said, if my insurance didn’t cover it i probably would use only the one they did.
I was on humalog and then tried the apidra in my pump. I tried it for one full bottle and wasn’t happy. For me the time to “kick in” was about the same as humalog. My basil rates seemed to be identical. The problem was that when I went low it felt like a real “different” feeling that made it worse than my BG really was. As an example I would feel low, took my BG and saw I was at 70 but felt like I was 50. I had this happen about 4-5 times and finally said ENOUGH already. No real benefits of apidra for me. I had started it because I have problems with clogging and was informed it would be better than humalog. It DID help a little on that front. In summary, it sounds like with everything diabetic, it’s different for each person. I hope this helps!
I am not sure what Apidra is; is it a new form of insulin? I have used novolog successfully for four years in my pump. Guess I will google Apidra. kwlawson
I am using Apidra in my pump. It has been my experience that this stuff is great. I used humalog as well as novolog before, I’d never switch back. Apidra seems to be in and out in my body in 2 hours. It’s the latest and greatest for a reason.
I’m currently using Apidra in my pump. I’ve tired Novalog and Humalog and find all three to work very much the same. I used all three for 2 vials each and compared the numbers. The only real noticable difference for me is that Apidra works a little faster and doesn’t last quite as long as the other two. I bolus about 20 minutes before meals and have the pump set at 3 hours for insulin on board duration. That fits my life style a bit better than the other two. I also found that it seems a bit more stable in the pump especially towards the end of a cartridge. Wearing the pump at night close to my body exposes the insulin to near body temperatures and the Apidra seems to remain as effective where H and N seemed to fade. Bottom line is you can get used to any of the three. You have to figure out what works for you. We’re all a bit different.