Hello all. Currently, I’m using Lantus for basal insulin each morning, but I’m going to start using rapid insulin as well. Just wondering what rapid acting insulin you recommend? Is one better than the other? Any other tips? Thanks much!
When Humalog (Lilly) first came out I started using that instead of regular insulin (regular insulin = The Dark Ages as far as I am concerned). Now that I have Kaiser insurance, I use NovoLog which is on their formulary. Some people see/feel a difference between Humalog and NovoLog, but I never did. Just be careful when using the rapid acting; I call it the rocket fuel of insulin.
i get much better control on pump and only need fast acting insulin.you may want to check into pump.
also novolog lasts longer than humolog.
Hi Anita,
Imagine you’ll get a lot of different answers.
What’s important is what ends up working best for you. Sometimes it takes experimenting with different brands to find out what’s the most effective one.
I’ve found that endos (on my third) tend to recommend a brand based on their pharm rep–who’s pushing what & how good that rep is at selling. Pharm reps have a huge influence. I’ve been in doctor’s offices with one brand’s marketing all over the place. Whether the doctor really believes X brand is really the best, who knows, but I’m skeptical. I do know that the reps I’ve seen in doctor’s offices are young, attractive & spend a lot of time & funds courting doctors. Been there when they’ve brought in lunch for entire staff & other perks.
I use Apidra. It works quickly & leaves the body quickly. That may be an advantage for you.
I use NovoRapid (Novolog in the USA).
I’ve used Apidra from time to time. Don’t like it at all. Mine is a different experience to what others are reporting and different to the published onset and exit times. I found with Apidra - onset about the same, it hangs around for ages, and makes me hypo more easily. I also don’t like how it makes me feel. I’ve heard all of these reported before on forums, yet it’s not how it’s supposed to work!
Just goes to show you that everyone is different.
All of the rapid acting insulin analogs are basically the same on paper but as you will hear over and over again everyone is different. And it is true. All of the analogs are also expensive. You need one that works well for you and is prefered by your insurance so you can get the lowest co-pay. It is a crime that insurance determines what is best for us but for now that seems to be the reality…as unfair as it is. Humalog and Novolog both work very well for me. I think Novolog works slightly better and is currently preferred on my insurance. I tried Apidra but it was very slow and hung around way too long for me. I don’t feel it worked well at all. Possibly your doctor can give you samples to try for a few weeks to see which one works best for you?
I like the Novolog FlexPens 
Novolog works quicker for me than Humalog, I haven’t tried Apidra, but some say that one works faster.
You may be able to ask your doc for some free samples
Between humalog and apidra i really didn’t notice too much difference, but i prefer the apidra because it hits me faster (always in between 15 and 20 minutes) and it doesnt stick around as long.