any insight? i am new at this art. i know the clear to cloudy rule, and i mix my R novolin and my N(ph) novolin. i just started experimenting with the NovoLog, faster acting. can i mix that with anything is my question. my regular and fast ie. or even my fast and my N. no lantus in the picture yet, i know that cannot be mixed. with anything. hmmm… i know that there are pens that have a 70/30 or other mixture in them. might this suggest that i can? any matter which gets sucked up into the syringe first? ever kindly to all who have a moment to offer.
Yes you can mix with the novolog and Nph and its still the same clear before cloudy rule. I use to do it before pumping
Yes, you can mix it with NPH but not with other long acting insulins such as Lantus.
Dr. Bernstein advises against mixing the insulins because he says that doing so may change the absorption rate of the fast acting insulin.
Actually, the Barbara Davis Center in Colorado did mix Lantus and Humalog and another with Lantus and Novolog, and in both of those small trials, they found that it had no effect on the time-activity profiles of either insulin. However, it was a very small study and the real reason the manufacturers tell you not to mix them is because they haven’t bothered to conduct any clinical trials to prove or disprove it. In fact, they do not even have long-term studies from using a man-made, completely synthetic protein drug for a lifetime, we’re the clinical trials on it. However, there is always an issue of mixing insulin, particularly since it increases the size of the dosage which affects the absorption rate for all insulin regardless of type.
Dear Scott.
Surprising because Lantus instructions specifically say not to. And anyway what would be the advantage?
i guess one advantage, if not the only…? would be taking one less shot. as a new diabetic, that sounds appealing. perhaps that will change. all in the same, i do what i have to do with life as my choice!
very interesting, scott. thanks for the reply. i am always curious what is going on in the labs. i am hopeful and confident, considering technology and the focus on diabetes research, that noticeable progress will happen in my lifetime. i will keep my eyes open to what is happening at the Barbara Davis Center here in CO. thank you for taking a moment to comment. ever kindly,s
My 15 year old son mixes lantus and humalin everday…the way it was explained to us was that if you inject immediately the insulin will not be compromised, but if you don’t inject immediately it causes the insulin to become ineffective. The Endo says that his experience shows that compliance is greater with one injection. It sure is working for us!
This is inadvisable. Although there is some recent results with mixing Lantus despite specific warnings (http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/d_0n_115.htm), I think this is b*d. Note that the results appear to be for for humalog (lispro), not humalin R.
I would have some serious questions about an endo who thinks that the road to being a healthy diabetic is compliance achieved with a “mixtard.”
Perhaps you can discuss a pump with your endo.