I have read that Apidra has a quicker peak and shorter “Tail”.
I can’t find any scientific evidence just people talking from experiences.
Do others agree, I am thinking of switching to Apidra.
Thanks
I have heard this as well, but my endo did not necessarily agree. I had wanted to try something else, but she wants me to stick with humalog. From everything I’ve read (and I’ve been reading A TON), I think insulin is a trial and error exercise. What works well for one person will not work for another because there are just so many variables when it comes to using insulin (absorbtion rates, metabolism, level of activity, body mass, fat composition, etc, etc, etc). Personally, I would like to give each kind of fast acting insulin a try and just see what works best. The problem is finding an endo that will support that kind of experimentation.
I am a very long term Humalog user. I tried Novolog and couldn’t see any noticeable difference. I haven’t tried Apridra but probably will eventually. Like you I find that Humalog (and Novolog) lasts a bit longer than I would like it to - in fact I see a measurable dip in BG between 4 and 5 hours after injection - as if there is a tail in its reaction time or that it is still active when my protein is all digested; though I’m not certain of that.
I actually found a paper that indicated that Humalog was the fastest of the three. This is supported by this table LINK HERE , though anecdotal reports are all over the map. It is worth a try - ask your doctor for a sample at your next appointment - that’s how I got the Novolog to try.
There will be no hard evidence because it will not work for everyone. But fact is that people react differently to insulins (same genetical design but different preservatives). For me NovoLog is great - for others it might be like water. Some clearly experience the benefits of analog insulins others will not see any difference. This is why I would like to encourage everyone to try different insulins. It just takes a vial of insulin to find out what works for you. The big chance is that this can change your life forever.
Actually the amino-acid sequences of these three insulins is different as well - not just the preservatives. But although amino acid sequences differ, they are modified in similar ways which is why their actions are similar.
I agree that it is easy enough to get a sample bottle and see how it works. And well worth it too - you have nothing to lose as long as you are carefully monitoring your BG after your boluses (e.g. check every hour after injecting which you should be doing anyway to figure out if there is any difference for you). Be aware that some users report that some fast acting insulins are more “potent” than others, so you might want to start by lowering your initial doses by 20% or so.
Indeed they are all genetically different.
Great Idea, I’ll ask for a vial.
It definitely does for me… I’ve yet to have a low due to “stacking” on Apidra, and I am often very aggressive with corrections. Typically the lows I have are due to illness resulting in reduced basal needs, or unexpected activity that snuck up on me… usually because whatever I was doing didn’t really register as being a lot of work physically (the worst for me are days where I do lots and lots of housework).
For me, Novolog was much faster than Humalog, and Humalog seemed to stick around almost as long as Regular did for me. Apidra is insanely fast… it starts to drop me in about 10 minutes and the drop is smooth and steady until it’s finished about 90 minutes after injecting (might be a bit longer with a really large bolus) - the action doesn’t have much of a “curve” for me, it’s very linear.
I used Humalog for a long time, but it seemed to always clog the tubing in my MiniMed pump, so my doc had me switch to Novolog and it would work a little too well sometimes, and I’d drop in the 40’s, and then sometimes it seemed like it didn’t do anything at all and I’d be in the 500’s. Now, I’m on Apidra and it seems to give me better control, doesn’t clog my pump and my body just reacts better to it. I think it is a trial and error process, which really stinks sometimes. If you want to change, I’d ask your doc if you could get a sample bottle of it to see if it’s something that’s worth paying for. I don’t know about you, but I hate paying for things that don’t work for me.
Doctors seem to prefer one brand over another. My sense is that it’s due to the pharm reps of a particular company. All the reps I’ve seen, as they get ushered in as patients wait, are very attractive young women. One endo’s office had promotional material from one pharm company plastered everywhere in the waiting room, including a wall clock with that company’s logo.
Apridra works quickly for me & we all have unique biochemistry.
I can’t say I noticed any difference.
Geeze thought there was a legit reason why I got turned down for that Pharm Rep position! lol
Your skirt wasn’t short enough:)
Who said I wasn’t wearing one;) I thought it must have been the hairy legs!
I disagree with your findings. I recently switched from Humalog to Novolog. I also tried this experiment 2 years ago and initially saw noi difference in the two insulins. This time i was monitoring with a Dexcom CGM and the results are conclusiove. Novolog for meand for my wife reduses the peaks after meals, allowing me to actually have flatliners readings relatively regularly. On another site the following summary is offered
Differences Between Humalog Versus Novolog
A couple of major differences are being reported by users between Novolog and Humalog. Especially among pumpers who switch from Humalog to Novolog, reports have surfaced that Novolog appears to be both stronger and quicker than Humalog, and doses have to be cut in order to prevent hypoglycemia. Dose reductions are often in the 10% range, and it may be wise to reduce doses right away to prevent unwanted lows. If, instead, blood sugars rise, doses can always be raised again.
Novolog also starts working faster than Humalog. Although no direct comparison of Novolog and Humalog has been reported, one research study found that in normal individuals, Novolog reaches peak activity at 52 minutes, compared to 145 minutes (2 hours and 25 minutes) for Regular insulin. Humalog peaks at about 75 minutes (Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1999 May;55(3):199-203). Both pumpers and injectors may note lower post-meal readings due to the faster onset of action.
The clearly defined action times of the fast insulin makes it easier to troubleshoot problems. For information on how to determine the number of carbs covered by each unit, see the 500 Rule in the Pocket Pancreas. Humalog and Novolog are also excellent for lowering high blood sugars with less time spent at high blood sugar levels, and less residual insulin left to trigger low blood sugars later. For information on how to safely lower highs, see the 1800 Rule, also in the Pocket Pancreas.
Another significant difference is that the Novolog is less sensitive to heat and has been approved for up to 6 days in a pump vs the 48 hours for the Humalog. I was having relatively regular high blood sugars at infusion pump change and have since tracked it to the short life of the Humalog. I do not see this issue with Novolog!!! I am completely convinced that Novolog is a far superior product for insulin pumpers. I now have some 40 vials of Humalog that I am looking to donate to some charity that can help someone in need. I wont use it myself anymore. I wish thatI discovered this years ago
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I was onApidra first and I thought it worked fine. My last endo switched me to Humalog which was ok, not a big difference. My newest endo switched me to Novolog and I do not think it works as well. It seems like it takes forever to work…I am going to give it another couple of weeks just to make sure my body wasnt just acting out before I tell my doc to switch me…
each insulin needs to be dialed in - do you pump or MDI? One of these days I want to try the Aprida but still need to dil in and fine tune the Novolog which is a big improvement over the humalog.
MDI…I just recently changed to Novolog with in the last month. I use the pre-filled pens and to be honest I am not too impressed with Novolog pens itself. They are made much cheaper, use less plastic. Being the green person I am normally I would like that but I not when its holding something I am putting in my body. I am going to give it at least until my next endo visit in early July but so far I am not impressed. My endo said he switched me because Kaiser does not carry Humalog, hopefully they have Apidra if I decide to switch…
Best of luck we each have the right combo that we need to find - Its too bad that we have insurance gurus that get in the way - I dont mind the generics but insulins are not equivilent and each person needs to find the one that works for them. They all cost about the same so insurance should get over it and provide wat we need.