Richard is a 50+ year veteran of D and he posted a little while ago about the benefits of C-Peptide and how he felt that the complications he has have come about as a result of the lack of C-peptide in the insulin analogs. There is a pharma company
www.cebix.com/ in California doing a clinical trial in patients with neuropathy and using C-peptide along with their insulin therapies. "Recent results indicate that proinsulin C-peptide, contrary to previous views, exerts important physiological effects and shows the characteristics of a bioactive peptide. Studies in type 1 diabetes, involving animal models as well as patients, demonstrate that C-peptide in replacement doses has the ability to improve peripheral nerve function and prevent or reverse the development of nerve structural abnormalities. Peripheral nerve function, as evaluated by determination of sensory nerve conduction velocity and quantitative sensory testing, is improved by C-peptide replacement in diabetes type 1 patients with early stage neuropathy. Similarly, autonomic nerve dysfunction is ameliorated following administration of C peptide for up to 3 months. As evaluated in animal models of type 1 diabetes, the improved nerve function is accompanied by reversal or prevention of nerve structural changes, and the mechanisms of action are related to the ability of C-peptide to correct diabetes-induced reductions in endoneurial blood flow and in N a + , K + -ATPase activity and modulation of neurotrophic factors. Combining the results demonstrates that C-peptide may be a possible new treatment of neuropathy in type 1 diabetes." This is a copy of the abstract from a recent paper.
I'm going to reply more later but wanted to ask if you have heard of giving c-peptide supplements/shots? I had read about what you're saying here about the protective factor they have for preventing complications.
Thank you very much
I know that you think you are wasting units by priming, but if you are dosing small boluses and need 1/2 unit accuracy, you really should prime. If you don't prime, then much of the first unit will simply go towards filling the needle. This results in an innaccurate and highly variable dose.
To assure yourself of this, just test it. Get a glass plate, put on a new needle, dial in a 1 unit dose and inject it slowly into a drop on the plate. Now dial in another 1 unit dose and inject it next to the first drop. Are they a different size? Did you even get any insulin in the first drop?
ps. I think all insulin expires after 28-30 days once you open. I use Humalog and it is 28 days.
I think what may actually happen once the clinical trials are over is Cebix or some other pharma company will partner with the insulin companies and start adding c-peptide to the insulin. At least it is an entirely natural product that is not synthetically derived and could be beneficial onthe neuro side of things.
I use the Levemir flexpen, it's instructions say to use it only 4 weeks. If you use a Levemir vial with a syringe, then it will last 42 days once it is opened or removed from the fridge. But a vial is 10mL, more than three times larger than a 3mL pen.
I agree completely bsc I always prime before I shoot up (sorry inject)
thanks bsc, I'm going to try that. I wonder if I have been using lower doses and haven't even realized it... I guess that would mean I'm still producing my own insulin too, which I had other signs of also, and or the new diet is helping a lot more than I realized. I will let you know my results.
It has also been a matter of time as it takes so long to do all this stuff so priming takes that extra bit of time too. I notice after an injection that insulin just keeps coming out of the needles in little beads/drops.
My endo had said it isn't really necessary to prime every time but I was using much larger doses then and I guess it makes less of a difference that way.
I think he said to prime with 2 units, do you use only 1?
I hope they do that if it turns out to be shown to help, but it will probably be more expensive then as opposed to the other insulins without it.
that is great, I had read Richard's article here first actually and then I was googling online and found more information about it.
I always use 2 units, and the insulin still leaking out of the pen needle after you pull it out of your skin is because you may not be leaving the needle in long enough. The instructions say to leave it in for 5 seconds or so after you have pushed the plunger all the way in.
I had read about the new insulins and old, but somehow missed or had forgotten how they are produced- I hope they add some c peptide soon... I hate that this is all dependent on people making money on this. I have signed up for Dr. Faustmann's next study and I may give a blood sample for their research.
I'm all for a cure asap if that is possible. I found out recently that my bg was normal this past October, so whatever happened with me probably happened fairly rapidly which they say was an autoimmune reaction. I tested positive for gad 64 I think and I remember having a virus like flu/cold in October, but I also think that I had other symptoms earlier than October so I'm not sure.
That is great your mom was there for you.
Oh... I guess maybe I will just stick with novolog and lantus and try putting half the novolog into an empty vial and keep that part refrigerated instead, although with the priming I may end up using more than I have now, but probably not that much more.
Why does having it in a vial and using syringes make it last longer?
It shouldn't make any difference at all. Basically all insulins degrade with time and exposure to temperature. Some degrade more quickly than others, but in order to cover their collective asses, the insurance companies and pharma companies have decided 28 days or 4 weeks is the useful life of a pen regardless of the type of insulin. Basically I go with if it's still working why throw it out ? If it stops working properly then throw it out and start a new one.
that makes sense Clare, I wasn't really sure if mine was working or not or if I didn't take enough, ate too much etc. but I think maybe it was the lantus, not the novolog. I may try the other older pen I had stopped using and see. I was carrying that one around with me in case i ate out so although I was careful it was probably exposed to higher temps.
FYI - I got my doc to write a rx for the luxura(?) pen from lily. It uses 100 units of humalog and doses in half units. I heard of it from another post on this site, my endo hadn’t heard of it.
I have not used it yet - I’m in the same boat as you, only 7u of lantus and 0-6 units of humalog daily. I’m still using the samples my endo gave me, and seem to be well past the 28 days. I too feel like I’m wasting, but guess I should try the new pen. 
Never even heard of it but that might be the perfect option for meee but I think she uses novolog, not humalog.But when I looked online the luxura pen uses 3 ml cartridges which is 300 units not 100 units of humalog. Don't know if they have different cartridge sizes ?
"HumaPen LUXURA HD is for use only with Humalog 3 mL insulin cartridges. HumaPen LUXURA HD and Humalog insulin cartridges are available by prescription only. Needles should be purchased separately and may require a prescription."
The biggest advantage I can see is this can be dialed into 1/2 unit increments and if you go past your intended dose you can dial back down.
Thanks for the correction on both counts. I only saw 100u per ml and failed to see it was 3ml. And, I tend to lose sight of the original post when I read some of the other replies, of course she’s using novolog.
Thanks T1mommy,
I think my endo mentioned that one and I was considering it, but I didn't want to switch insulin maybe that was why I decided on novopen junior- is that one refillable? I can't remember now, I guess I could switch to that one when I finish the novolog refills and see how I do on it. do you like it? I remember one of the humora pens had been discontinued and that was one that kept a record of when you last injected which is good.
I wish they did have refillable pens with cartridges of alternate size because there are a crap load of people who just don't use that much and are frightened in to thinking their insulin will spoil overnight between the 28th and 29th day. It's not bad enough that the stuff costs the earth but to say replace it every 28 days is absurd. Sorry I'm venting here but it does get me mad and I have really comprehensive insurance that covers my insulin with just a $ 20 per month co-pay, I feel badly for the people who actually have to pay full price cos' it's expensive. And by the way when I was on the Eli Lilly site they have a printable coupon for a free Luxura pen so if you do fill your prescription you might want to print it out and get it for free.