My doctor has put me on Lantus. I take it once daily, at night, 10 units. I was told it was a slow acting insulin. He also put me on Novolog. I take this 3 times daily, 10 min before each meal, 7 units. This is a fast acting insulin. Has anyone tried these? What do you think about this insulin? What do I need to watch for?
I’m a type one diabetic on a similar insulin regime. I take 20 units of Lantus in the morning to act as my all day layer of insulin protection, and I take Novolog before any meal (or snack…or chip!) to off set the carbohydrates/etc that I take in during the course of the meal. 
What you may want to keep on eye on is the effect of the Novolog - it is fast acting! When you dose be certain that you are going to eat within 10 minutes of each meal, because if you end up waiting 20-30 minutes then you run the risk of going low.
Hi – both of my kids are Type 1 and both use Lantus / Novolog. I’m curious – for the meals – at 7 units – do you have to eat a specific amount of carbohydrates?
I ask because my kids use ratios to determine how much insulin they take at meals.
My son takes 1 unit of insulin for every 10 carbohydrates. My daughter takes 1 unit for every 12 carbohydrates. So, depending on what they’re eating, their insulin changes… Just wondering.
I use a similar regime when I go off my pump (beach vacations for example). I use Lantus and Humalog (different company’s rapid acting insulin - pretty much the same as Novolog). When I do this, I take 16 units Lantus, and I take 1 unit of rapid acting insulin for every 15 carbs of food I eat. I would strongly recommend you read John Walsh’s book, “Using Insulin”, and see your CDE to learn about carb counting and to determine your insulin to carb ratio. Then you can take your Novolog to match the meal you are eating, rather than trying to eat foods to match the 7 units of insulin you are taking.
I just started taking the Novolog about a month ago. And I just take a set amount. I have only been on insulin for about 2 months. I was originally started on Hummilin 50/50 but that just didn’t cut it. My dr upped my dose of Lantus to 15 units at bed but I still fast high.
i use both as well. I am on 34 units of lantus in the am that lasts for me all day and up until the same times i took it the morning before when itake it again. I also use novolog as my fast acting. I am on a sliding scale which I take 10 units at breakfast lunch and dinner. but I have to add to it according to the scale for what my bg is at testing before these meals. Seems to be working for me, I just have to watch and test more if I am exersizing, or in a lot of pain. Pain makes my bg drop as well as exersize, plua any new drug they put me on for pain can make it drop fast too. like when they use a steroid patch on my shoulder to help with the pain. I asked them three times when the therapist used it what was in the meds and finally today they answered me. I said no wonder the last time it spiked my sugar. Sometimes when you tell them you have diabetes they just don’t listen or think what a new med will do to that person. I have to watch them all the time. Question, question question!!! Anyway my doctor says once I get more control over my sugar he will discuss dropping my insulin toatals. I am still having alot of highs that they worry about due to DKA that I had when I was diagnosed. I guess it is kind of unusal for an adult the age of 47 to present with DKA. I am doing good though because my A1C came down to 6.7 from 14%. I go for another set of blood work next month and hopefully it will come down more. Other than that I take both of those and they seem to work for me I can’t tell you much, I have only been diagnosed since Jan 12th 2008. So I hope they work for you as well!
Hug
Karen
Just started on Lantus and Novolog. Take 31 units of Lantis at bedtime – and then during the day, I have to test for blood glucose before meals, and anticipate the carbs I’m going to eat. Then I inject 1 unit for every 25 points I test over 120, and 1 unit for every 7 grams of carb.
In the two weeks I’ve been doing this, I’ve seen some improvement in my readings, but feel like I’ve got the flu – foggy, no energy, cranky. Right now, getting used to counting the carbs and doing the record-keeping has added an hour of work a day (I have spreadsheets on my PalmPilot and that keeps my records, does my calculations)
As a newbie to this group, am looking for some insight, too. Is it common to feel like this? Will it go away?