Just received my first vials of Lyumjev

From what I’ve seen, bent canulas with the autosofts are usually caused by pulling too roughly on the blue needle cover. You can actually pull the cannula off the insertion needle. If you spin the blue cap a bunch, till it spins freely, you can ease it off the needle without moving the cannula.

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Thanks !!! Will give this a try. Tandem support made no mention of this.

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Thanks for posting your experience.

If I remember correctly, you said that Afrezza was not a good fit for you because you developed a cough - I think you said it was caused by fluid in your lungs.

Do you mind comparing the action profile Afrezza and Lyumjev? Man, that spelling was brutal…why do they have to make it so complicated?

It’d be great if the action profile was even a little bit close. I might lose access to Afrezza through my insurance in January.

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You’re right. I did have problems with Afrezza so I stoped using it for routine boluses. I still use it for corrections. Sorry you’re losing access. Does Mannkind offer discount cards?

Unfortunately, Lyumjev is no where close to Afrezza. Maybe it starts somewhere close to Afrezza, but the speed of action after that doesn’t compare, nor does time of action. I love how Afrezza starts quickly, does it’s thing, then stops on a dime when consumed. Wish I would see that with any subcutaneously-injected insulin.

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I think so. I’m still exploring options. Technically my plan doesn’t cover it this year, but I managed to get it covered because they couldn’t process my appeal in the time my employer defined. I may be able to switch to a plan that covers it, but it doesn’t seem like any of them do. I don’t know which insurance company has a better appeals process. I’ll try that route, then the discount cards.

Insurance stuff can be really, really exhausting though, so if Lyumjev had been anywhere close to Afrezza on timing, I’d probably just have found a plan that covers that instead.

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Dear Jim,

Thank you for your recent request on the availability of Lyumjev. It is our goal to provide you with the best information available. Please find below the information you requested.

At this time, Lyumjev is not approved in Canada, and there is no estimate for the potential approval of Lyumjev.

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Thanks again, I successfully did insert using your suggestion, with the new 9mm sets. Next will see if 6mm will work on next change.

No problem. Glad it worked for you.

It’s been a little over 30 days on Lyumjev so I thought an update was in order. First, I love the kinetics. It’s faster in, faster to peak, and faster out than any injectable insulin I’ve used. I was able to increase my TIR 5% points and drop my avg BG from 110 to 101. Much fewer unexpected urgent lows and it addresses high blood sugar situations quickly.

As far as addressing the issue I was having with Fiasp, it’s completely gone. I can run the reservoir down to 5u without issue. I’m loading about 5 days worth of insulin/reservoir.

I had no occlusions during this period, although I never had them with other insulins so I don’t attach much meaning to this

The BIG downside for me - my skin tissue reacts negatively to these additives. With Fiasp I changed the site very 1-1/2 to 2 days. With Lyumjev I need to change daily or the sites become tender although the insulin absorption Is just fine. It appears to be skin irritation only. My infusion sites are on my thighs as I’m giving my abdomen a rest. That might be part of it because I’m very active; using my thigh muscles continuously and sometimes vigorously. I’m anxious to see what happens when I resume using my abdomen in two weeks.

For me the upsides outweigh the daily site change so I’m going to stick with it. Please don’t let my skin irritation issue discourage you from trying it. YDMV and I’m sure my experience isn’t universal.

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Thanks for the updates! Just wondering, when using a standard insulin like Novolog or Humalog, are you able to get the full 3 days out of a site? Like, are the early site changes because of the additives or do you have trouble with any insulin?

I’m really interested in trying Lyumjev because it seems like my insurance will actually cover it - I never had a chance to try Fiasp. I am also on a Tandem pump.

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I change my site with Humalog and Fiasp every 2 days. Absorption is still good so I’m sure I could go 2-1/2 to 3 days. I did that until recently. I’m confident it’s the additives.

There is a lot of hyperlypotrophy in my abdomen after 30 years foolishly keeping the sets in as long as I could. So I’m giving that area a rest for 6 months and I’m using my thighs exclusively. That area sees much more mechanical “shock” (bumping, laying on it, muscle use, etc.). Next month I’ll add a few abdomen sites back into the rotation. Maybe I’ll get more time out of Lyumjev sites there?

Good luck with Lyumjev. I hope it’s trouble free. I absolutely love the kinetics.

i used the sample prefilled pen , for 3 days.had bad reactions and so went back to humolog. Be advised that you may have some kind of skin or rash issues with this one. i dont think its worth the headache especially for something new.i will give these new rapid acting insulins like fesope
and lyumjev at least more time for more people to use and get more real world
feedback before i try again .

affrezza, offers a savings card and its on their website if you google for that. that.being type 2 and so i think that none of these fast acting will compete with mankind’s afrezza.at least affrezza from my experience does a much faster job with hi carbs compared ot rapid acting insulins. thats my eexperience and may differ. as i am not a pump user but a flex pen uses and blind .So pump would not work for me as there are no accessible pumps for the blind Also these rapid acting new insulins from lili and novardis will have to take more time to se how they work with more people in real world use cases compared to clinical trials. Also its going to depend on how lo these can come dodown in cost as these things are new in hte market place and not all insurance providers wil cover thee new insulins compared ot humolog and novalog.

I started using my abdomen ahead of schedule as I was really anxious to see if the skin irritation I experience with thigh infusion sites would be reduced. I’m pleased to report sites on my abdomen work perfectly through the 2-day period I always use between site changes. I didn’t push things past 2 days, but I’m sure I could go 3 days if necessary. This is for 5 infusion sites, so I’m confident this is the real thing - not a one-off.

The difference in physiology between my thighs and abdomen are significant. One is muscular with little fat. The other has plenty (too much :wink: ) fat. And there’s far less routine motion and fewer impacts.

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I have a prescription for Lyumjev but it is not in my insurance’s formulary. I tried using the $35 discount card but pharmacy needs to put it through commercial insurance first, and because they won’t allow Lyumjev it won’t be discounted, so it will be $1200 for a month. Any ideas on how I can trial it?
Thanks!

I just assumed it was made in Ljubljana.

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That’s what I was taught to do when I was being trained on my first pump. It works.

My endo gave me 3 sample vials of Lyumjev a couple weeks ago. The results have been impressive. So I asked him to send in an Rx for regular use of it. My local Walgreens says it isn’t covered by Medicare Part B for use in my insulin pump. Has anyone gotten coverage under Part B for Lyumjev? I don’t have a huge amount of confidence in the competence of the pharmacy techs at my Walgreens - they continually try to use Part D for my insulin and tell me categorically that Part B won’t cover it. And I’ve been getting all my insulin under Part B since I turned 65 many years ago.

Any feedback is welcomed!

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I’m hoping it’s included in the Part B formulary list in 2021. I’m having trouble figuring out if it’s covered because the types of insulin are listed in Part D but, of course, Medicare pays in Part B when using it in a pump. They may not approve it for pump use even if FDA does. Unfortunately, I can’t have Medicare pay for pump supplies and then put in for Lyumjev in Part D.
I’m wondering about the edict that discount cards cannot be used if I’m covered under Medicare. Can’t I just by it with cash if I use the card and never mention that I have Medicare? Or would that be fraud of some sort? It wouldn’t cost Medicare anything.

I put n a request for a Lyumjev coverage determination from Medicare last Friday. I don’t expect to get a reply before sometime in January, if at all. So far, ALL of my contacts in writing with them over the past five years have been ignored with no reply.