lantus

[danielle316]

My husband was diagnosed at 27 with TYPE 2.
Very odd but OK. Since then he has been on many differnet variation of meds.  Just over the past 6 months or so, they gave him LANTUS, in addition to his meds.  (Actos, Glypizide, Metaformin) He takes the meds in the morning and the LANTUS at night.   Here is my problem.  He has a lot of highs and lows.
Just 3 weeks ago, his average was 115.  This week a different story.
He has been in the mid 200's and he has not changed his diet.
This morning, before breakfast, his sugar was 337.
He is very depressed and I feel so bad for him.
When we were talking about it this morning, he lost it!
As you can imagine, this hit him hard, especially at 27. He is now 31 but again, this has taken a toll on all of us.
Can anyone shed any light on this?? Please.
Is this normal?  The highs and lows?  

[drrps3]

I had a very similar episode after I was on Lantus for a couple of years.  I couldn't understand what was happening as it was so unpredictable, even with a new bottle every month.  It was working so well for me previously.  I went to a new endo about a year ago, and he suggested I try Levemir instead of the Lantus.  Once I started the Levemir, I noticed a marked improvement with more consistent bg levels.  I am a Type 1 diagnosed at 33, and I am 10 years into the disease.  I take sliding Humalog and 12 U Levemir at bed.  I hope this helps.

[smiles111077]

I'm a 29-year old Type I diabetic who was diagnosed at age 9...I was reading Danielle's comments and wanted to point out one thing that made a HUGE difference in my blood sugar monitoring...I'd hate for anyone else to make the same mistake that I did...
Make sure that the vials of insulin are changed every 28 days.  When I first started using Lantis, I didn't realize that the shelf-life was only 28 days which was quite different than my previous insulins.  I noticed that after the 29th or 30th day, my blood sugar readings shot completely out of control.  
It sounds like Danielle is quite supportive and I wish her the best of luck:-)

[danielle316]

Thanks for the info!

I have been around Diabetis forever.  My father has had since he was 17 nad my sister was diagnosed at 13. Both are now on the pump. They love it.
As far as my husband.......he found at at 27 and is now 31.  I think his ENDO stinks and we are switching.  Listen to all of his meds:
6 pills in the morning (actos, metaformin, glipizide, etc.). 23U Lantus at night and he just added Humalog (i think that's it).  He takes this after each meal.
Don't you think that is a little insane?

He is a picture -perfect diabetic (so the docs day).
He is 31, 175lbs and 6' tall.
He was 205 and then all of the sudden lost 30lbs. (Diabetis)

The doc has said he may be on the verge of a type 1.

The worst part is that he has good and bad weeks. It is never consistant.

Any thoughts.......

[Forum-VOL-LS]

Dear Danielle,
As you may know, we are volunteers here and not medical professionals.  We are alsmo most versed in Type 1 diabetes, based on our personal experiences.  Be sure to check out whatever you read here or elsewhere on the Internet with a physician who knows your husband's particulars.

My first suggestion is that you be sure to work with an Endocrinologist and not a 'GP' for treatment of diabetes.  An endocrinologist is a specialist who treats this type of disease.  A person with Type 2 often has the added issue of being overweight.  If that is your hubby's case, encourage him to work with his doc on a safe lifestyle change that can result in weight loss and improved muscle tone.

Blood sugar fluctuations by themselves can cause emotional fluctuations, and it is not uncommon for folks with chronic illnesses to also develop clinical depression.  Again, I encourage you to work with him and his doctor(s) ... If you have any doubts about your current physicians, ask for 2nd opinions.

Finally I want to tell you that you seem to be a wonderful support for your hubby.  While currently he may not be able to verbalize his appreciation for your concern, and your pro-active involvement, I'm sure he feels it.  All of us who have family support are quite grateful for it -- even on our bad days.