Hey Terry - I’m sorry I wasn’t very clear. I think I’m going to use Novolog now and would like to use the Echo Pen and can’t find it anywhere.
Why are you switching to novolog? What don’t you like about Apidra? I thought that novolog wasn’t available in “cartridges” either-- at least not in the USA? That’s why the snap pump was only set up for humalog
Is there any type of insulin, basal or bolus - other than Humalog - available in the US in the cartridges? It would be great if Apidra was available that way, but it seems not.
Because the Apidra isn’t covered 100% by my insurance. I’m going to give the Novolog a try and see if I like it. I’m pretty sure my insurance has the cartridges (actually on the phone with the pharmacy now).
My insurance doesn’t cover Apidra at all… I’ve had great results with novolog but the quality of the results is directly linked to how willing to prebolus and wait about 20 min before eating-- which is tough sometimes in the real world. Let us know what you find out— last time I looked into it only humalog was available in cartridges if I remember right
@Sam19 - my home order pharmacy has Novolog Cartridges.
Cool— I wonder if they’re more recent than the snap? Or maybe different? Or maybe they just weren’t approved for use in the snap by the FDA and therefore weren’t marketed… Or maybe I just didn’t understand the story-- I remember @thas talking about taking apart his pens so he could use a novolog cartridge in the snap
Ps @mikep cvs Caremark app also shows the novopen echo as a prescribable device— doctor has to write an RX for it apparently as near as I can tell
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nice thanks Sam.
Nololog cartridges also have different dimensions from Humalog and Apidra cartridges (they’re narrower and longer) - That’s why Asante needed a completely different Snap pump body for it - even though at the time, I think Novolog was (is?) available in the US in cartridges.
I took apart Apidra pens to use Apidra in the Snap pump. The cartridges inside the pens are almost exactly the same shape as Humalog cartridges. Worked wonderfully!
@Sam19 novolog penfill cartridges, as any novonordisk penfill cartridges, are different from humalog penfill cartridges. the ones from humalog you need to put into a pen that has the screw for the pen needle on the pen, whereas novonordisk penfill cartridges have the screw thingy on themselves and you screw the needle directly onto the cartridge.
see here:
in the first picture you see the novo nordisk kind of pen, on the second one how the humalog doesnt have the screw feature that the novo nordisk one has.
i also found a cool overview over the pens and the vials manufactured.
this whole cartridge difference is probably also the reason snap started out with humalog, as you can adapt the connection for tubing from the pump to the set better compared to novolog cartridges. does this make sense? i believe apidra does not come in any penfill cartridges and you can buy flexpens only.
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Mike, I talked with a medical person with Novo Nordisk, USA this morning about other issues. As an add-on question I asked her if the Novo Echo pen was available in the US. She said it was widely available and needed a prescription. If the pharmacy didn’t have one in stock, then it could be ordered, she told me.
I believe Sanofi does sell Apidra penfills in some countries; however, they had a problem with the reusable pens they had leaking, so they don’t sell them everywhere. I could be completely wrong here, though.
Thanks Terry. Yep, I called my local CVS and they can get it for me.
Keep the reviews coming with those novopen echos guys. My curiousity is starting to get the better of me.
The main downside I see with this system is that if you damage the pen, your SOL until you can get another one (which based on the conversation above, isn’t exactly an instantaneous thing). So I think you’d need to have either s backup echo or a regular novolog flex pen as a backup any time you wandered far off your beaten path… I guess having a spare echo would make more sense because it doesn’t matter about temperature until it’s loaded with insulin
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I have a backup pen here for emergency, plus some syringes, if everything goes bananas, i can still use syringes until i get a backup pen 
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Wondering how everyone is doing still with the tresiba? Particularly those who’ve ditched your pumps for it? Has anyone gone back?
Still going strong for me. Super flat levels… Pretty much 100% of time in range. I even think my post prandial numbers have gotten better since I switched to it… Which doesn’t make a great deal of sense, but it’s as if stable blood sugar builds its own inertia…
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I’m still using Tresiba, @Sam19. I’ve had some very promising flatline runs often below 100 mg/dl, something that definitely got my attention. My current 14-day average is 99 mg/dl, a nice trend since starting this new basal insulin.
I started out dosing 14 units at 9:00 p.m. and stepped up to 16, 18, 20 and 22. I had a flurry of lows that I had to treat but never a serious hard-charging low. So I’ve retraced my steps backing off all the way back to 16 units. I’ve experimented with taking the dose at 5:00 p.m. because I’ve had some overnight hyperglycemia from 2:00 a.m. through 6-7 a.m. I usually wake up to those highs, often above 160 mg/dl and treat with a 4-unit Afrezza followed by one unit of Apidra.
Some of my challenge I think I caused myself. I thought it was wasteful to prime the pen for every shot but now I think it needs to be primed or I risk under-dosing.
My meal doses are comprised of two injections, one about 30-45 minutes before eating for my meal carbs and then a follow-up shot at mealtime to cover fat and protein. These meal doses are as few as 2 units. So I’m now priming 2 units before every dose. I’m hoping that this change in delivery will standardize my doses and help me dial in a more consistent level of control.
I saw my endo today and she seemed surprised at my desire to continue with the Tresiba after decades using a pump. She thinks it’s a very good insulin. The 14-day report that she printed out and reviewed showed my average at 99 mg/dl and an estimated A1c of 5.1%. It did show 5.8% hypos, however, and she’s always leery about that. I told her that a third of that number was comprised of two consecutive failed sensors that recorded a false run of hypos.
My doctor prescribed both Tresiba and Apridra pens and gave me two each to tide me over until they arrive. I’m hoping I don’t have to fight with my mail order firm.
I’m hopeful that Tresiba will be my treatment for the long term. I don’t know how it does it with it’s flat profile and still able to control my glucose over an entire day. I will work now to get a consistent BG level all day for most every day.
My goals for this new MDI treatment, in order of importance, are this: 1.) Time in range >= 80%, 2.) Time hypo < = 5%, 3.) Standard Deviation < = 30 mg/dl, 4.) Average blood glucose < = 100 mg/dl. My target range is 65-140 mg/dl.
It’ll be nice to travel to Las Vegas this week, for the Diabetes Unconference, minus one piece of diabetes equipment, my pump.
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Glad to hear it Terry… hope to hear more people signing on after hearing your results… It truly isn’t just basal as compared to a steady pump basal. It’s something better I think.
I’ve noticed this many times over the years, Sam. When I stay in a tight range, there’s sticky quality to it. I can even indulge a bit with food and get away with it. And when I go high or low, it likes to keep up that as well. Inertia is a good word to describe this. I understand inertia to mean that a body in motion tends to stay in motion while a body at rest tends to stay at rest. An important physical concept when operating a heavy ship in water, I’m sure!