I started using Apridra in January, hoping to have a faster post-meal “kick-in” time with this insulin. I struggled for 6 months with Apidra, finding that it worked OK the first two days in the Minimed Paradigm 523 pump but lost its effectiveness beginning on the 3rd day (but that took months to figure out it was the insulin and not me or the pump). I switched to Novolog. Yippee- it has lasted into the 4th day (haven’t tried any longer). I notice the lowering of my glucose begins within 30 minutes of taking it, and peaks at about 2-2.5 hours. This is very comparable to the Apidra, except Novolog’s life in the reservoir remains vibrant. This has been a good and necessary change for me! I wonder how many other Apidra users think something has gone wrong with their pump or their body, when in actuality it is the short out-of-the-vial shelf life?
I am sure a lot of people think it is something other than the insulin. I was new to pumping last summer and Apidra only lasted about 1 ½ days for me in the heat. Everyone tried to tell me it wasn’t the insulin and because I was new to pumping, it had to be the sets or something I was doing. I would change the cartridge but leave the site in and my BS was fine. I also found some other people that were experienced pumpers that noticed the same thing.
Hi Buchsee. It was suggested on this site in a similar discussion that insulin degrades when in plastic, that is, the plastic reservoir. I was convinced. I use Apidra in my pump, the Apidra lasting two days and maybe a few hours more. I have used other insulins and left the infusion in longer, but found that the site takes a lot longer to heal when the needle/cannula was left in more than two days. Preserving site viability is important to me since I have so few places that work well for infusions, so the two days and rotating sites is vital. Novolog seems to be less sensitive to temperature changes than Apidra in my experience, working better in the pump in the summertime. However, I keep using Apidra anyway because I’m on MDI part time, and the Novolog is just too slow for me for injections; drives me crazy! (Btw, love your avatar!)
Hi everyone, my T1 daughter switched to Apidra from Novolog about a month ago in her OmniPod. Tonight is the second night, the other being just last week, that I have tried to correct a high BG and it will NOT BUDGE, even after multiple corrections and temp basals. I have been looking at her log book, and both times, we have been on day 2 1/2 of the Pod. Interesting, cause it cannot be anything else. A small correction with Apidra brings her right down, but here we are, hanging in the mid 200s for hours on end. It makes no sense. Last time I waited 6 hours before I changed out the Pod and bam, beautiful numbers after that. I was smarter tonight and only put up with it for two hours. Just changed out the Pod with new insulin in it. I love love love Apidra for her, but really will have to think about using it if we are only gonna get two good days out of a Pod site. I think it’s interesting others are experiencing the same thing.
Penny, the Apidra degrading in the pump was a big problem for me. I seemed to have more problems when the weather was warmer. At least with a tubed pump, it is easier to just change the cartridge and not lose everything like you do with the Pod.