So I’m reading “Think Like A Pancreas” and the author is discussing the effects of different insulins, but he doesn’t mention the two insulins I’m on. I’m taking NovoRapid at meals and Levemir at night. What insulin are they most like? He mentions Humalog, Novolog, Ultralente, Lente, Lantus, Regular, NPH and Detemir.
Maybe they’re called something different here in Canada like “Regular” is called “Toronto”?
The ones, the writer(from the USA ) is mentioning have different purposes …your NovoRapid/Novolog /Regular/Detimir /Lispro …humalog , are bolus insulins ; your Levemir/Lantus /NPH/Lente/ are basal insulins …some of these names are still used here in Canada …how I hated NPH with all the lows I had at waking ( and yet my Internist kept suggesting I should take more of the stuff ) …this is another story
I wonder if I forgot any …supper time is here 
Perhaps that book needs an update? Lente was discontinued for Human use in Canada about 3.5 years ago. Ultralente was supposed to have been discontinued a year later, although I’m not sure if it was. They must have been discontinued in the US also. Just a thought.
Actually he does mention then in the book. The two insulins you are are are Analog insulins and in the book he uses examples which are not a complete list of the names of the insulins sold in the world. Both are insulin analogues, which means that their insulin molecules are analogous to human insulin, but engineered, or recombined, with slight differences that slow their absorption. Regular insulin is not an analog insulin and is a old animal insulin as he describes in the book.
The book is not out of date, but rather does not get in to the minutia of insulin names because it is so confusing. Stick with the explanation after the charts on insulin activity for the ones mentioned. If you want to find out the different names, go to the Diabetes Health site as one place that has some good info.
Hope this helps.
Agreed-
Novorapid is Novolog.
Levemir is the name brand of Detemir (It says “Insulin Detemir (rDNA origin) injection” on the side of mine).
Glad you are reading that book. It is my favorite!
Sorry, I got side-tracked. Thanks.
Although TLAP was published in 2004, there have been some changes. This is certainly not a criticism of the authors, rather a feature of the market. While there had been a drought of insulin advances for what seemed like decades, the last two decades have brought a range of important advancements. Some of the products that are discussed in TLAP have been discontinued, but for the most part all of the current leading insulin products are still covered quite adequately. The most important change is the discontinuation (in 2004) of UltraLente and Lente (http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/DrugSafety/DrugShortages/ucm0860…). Although not discussed in the book, Lilly also discontinued the R and NPH pork insulins in 2004. This information is relative to the US and may not apply to Canada or other countries.
Lantis and Levemir are almost the same thing. Novolog Rapid is a R type inslin line Humalog R
Alan , NPH stands for “Notorious for Producing Hypos”…you have me laughing now ( not at the time ) …at the time I went of it ( since 2001pumping ) , Lantus, Levemir not available to Canadians , unless one was willing to drive to a US Pharmacy from where I live …about 6 hours , one way to pick up Lantus …yet I know, it was done . If I recall correctly my Brother divied( sp?) up his Lantus shots .