I'm currently utilizing Humalog but I Want to switch to either novolog or Apidra. Is anyone using novolog or apidra verse humalog? Tell me you results.
Why do you want to change?????
I have always used Novolog in my pumps....but I don't think most people could tell a difference between one of the three major brands of fast U100 insulin in a blind test. They all have slightly diffrent timing issues, but they all must lower your BG the same amount per unit to qualify as a U100 insulin. I asked to try Apidra and my doctor smiled and said OK but you are wasting your time...He added the I have over 300 pumpers in my clinic and none of them have shown any significant improvement when they switch to Apidra...
If there was then we would see adds stating Apidra lowers your A1c....
Apidra undoubtedly works faster for me by a significant amount. In fact I use it when doing corrections with a syringe. The down side is that in tappers off too rapidly for slow meals. So it requires a dual-wave bolus. Unfortunately it doesn't have good durability in a warm insulin pump. So if I were to use it for pumping, I would use a steel infusion set and a 2-day cycle. I never leave Apidra out of the fridge for more than a minute or two. That way I don't end up throwing it away before the expiry date.
Originally I was always Rx'd Humalog and therefore ended up using it in the pump. But I read that it might cause pump blockages so I tried NovoLog/NovoRapid. I still currently use NovoRapid. For me, it is slightly, but consistently faster acting than Humalog and it is extremely durable in very hot weather.
But I must emphasis that these are just my personal experiences. Some people, because of their immune system get differing performance from various analogs. So I would suggest trying all three.
I'm using Novolog with my Omni system. It has a pretty rapid spike (within 30 minutes) and a long tail (around 3 hours). So it works great when used for fatty/fiber meals that are slower to digest. When I go to eat foods that are faster digesting on the GI, I find that I have to pre-bolus by about 20/30 minutes.
I too have heard how one works faster than the other. I use Humalog daily in my pump. My doctor gave me samples of all three Humalog, novolog, and Apidra 2 vials of each. I used each vial consecutively to completion and never saw a noticeable difference on any front. I still had to bolus at least 15 minutes prior to meals. The only comment I can give you is that Apidra seemed to not work as long. With the other two my BG will continue to drop pretty good well after the 4-5 hours they say it is supposed to be finished working. But with Apidra I wouldn't have that problem. It always seemed like my BG would sort of flat line for a while and then begin to trend back high rather than continue to fall. So needless to say I tried it and saw no difference. So I went back to Humalog, but we're all different. Good luck
I had to switch from Humalog to Novolog due to insurance coverage. I have found the Novolog works much faster and is stronger for me. At first when I noticed this I was a little nervous but now I am glad the switch was made. I have CGM with my pump so I have noticed that my blood sugar has little to no rise after eating where with Humalog my blood sugar would just spike up. So for me I like Novolog. :)
I use Apidra in my pump, and used Apidra by injection before I got my pump. I haven't had any trouble with it, except that I did fry a vial when it got too warm in my bed, because of extra covers due to illness. That one was my fault. I live in a climate where it can run from -20 degrees in the winter to over 90 degrees in the summer and have had no freezing or overheating problems. I have considered switching to Novolog, but my endo claims that the Apidra is working well for me with a 5.5 A1-c, so we aren't changing anything.
I've used all three and as show by the answers each body reacts different as some type works better for some people than others. I have to say that Apidra works best for boluses even if you have to combo bolus. I now use a U-500 Humalog and sometimes use a shot of Apidra for correction as the Humalog doesn't work good for bolusing.
I use Apidra (omnipod) my sugars are much better
I have always used Novolog, I thought about switching but I spend alot of time outside in the summer either in the garden or fishing and the novolog holds up better in heat.
I switched from Novolog to Apidra a few months ago. I don't see any faster onset, but it definitely has a shorter tail. I like being able to see the results of my boluses sooner so I can correct if needed. Definitely either combo bolus or another bolus later for very high fat/protein meals
Novolog is the insulin Medtronic recommends for their pumps. When I first went on the pump, the Army system did not have novolog in their pharmacies, so I used Humalog. They recently added Novolog and I switched to that. Honestly, there is no difference I can see.
When I used a pump I always used Humalog but had a feeling it didn´t keep stable when put in the plastic reservoir. I called the sales rep at Eli Lilly (here in Norway) and she said I was right about Humalog not beeing stable. Eli Lilly recommends to put in a new reservoir every second day because that´s how many hours they can guarantee Humalog to stay stable when taken out of the original vial. I then started a new routine switching both the whole infusion set and the reservoir every second day and it helped a lot. I filled the reservoir just enough for two days.
Novolog is more stable than Humalog according to the manufactureres, so that might be something to keep in mind when you decide what to use.
I have now made the switch to Novolog but that happened after I quit the pump. Still I experience a much faster and stronger onset with Novolog than with Humalog. with Humalog I had to inject 15-20 min prior to eating, with Novolog I have to inject at the very start of the meal and my blodsugar stays completely flat for the whole first hour.
Hope some of this can be helpful.
Interesting. Currently using Humalog. Would like to switch after reading this. Currently using the Omnipod (on a trial period with it right now), but I get concerned that my BGL rises even after giving the right amount of insulin and having to wait for the insulin to take effect.