So I started Lantus last night and I just wanted to know if anyone had any tips while I'm on it... I take Novolog as well. I'm on 22 units a day for my basal rate, but my blood sugars were high today. Does anyone have an eating regimen while taking Lantus and what do I do about exercise? Thanks guys :)
I've been taking Lantus for the last 10 years w/Humalog. I eat whenever I want, and do not follow a specific eating regimen (my day to day life varies a lot). When I was in organized sports with practices/games everyday, I would lower my Lantus. If you know you are going to be doing intense exercise (exercise more vigorous and longer than an hour) the next day, then I would lower your Lantus just a tad, and maybe take a little bit more Novolog bolus during the day. Your Endo should be able to help you finesse the amount of Insulin you should take for your day to day life verses days of intense exercise. If you just started Lantus, you might also have to do some tweaking to get it so you aren't too high or low during the day.
GOOD LUCK!
Don't change anything other than what your Endo tells you too. Watch your BG closely just to make sure you don't go to low but Lantus being a long acting type insulin should not give you any drastic decreases at any particular timeline like a bolus of Novalog will. Lantus is suppose to have a 24hr span but for some it will only last 12 hrs but that's controversial. I would think that you should see your BG become more controlled but again work with your doc as it may take some time and also need some experimenting with your dose but leave that to them. As for exercise that's always good for you but just keep an eye on your numbers and how you feel and be ready for them lows should you need to correct them. Wishing you the best and remember you are not alone with all the uncertainty
Regarding exercise and Lantus, since altering your dose changes your basal for the whole day, there's little choice but to eat some carbs beforehand. Some sources suggest 30 grams per hour for intense exercise. I got away with about half that, which is probably a comment on how intense my workouts really are. ;-)