i have been taking Lantus since few month, but my sugar level gets high at night, is there a better medication

Question

usually Lantus should control the sugar level for 24 hours,and i also take insulin shots whenever i eat sweets or carbs depending on the quantity, but the problem is that Lantus is not controling my sugar level during my sleep, so i sometimes have to wake up and take shots at night, i was wondering if there is something more effective for the night time control.

Answer 1

The previous poster is talking about Dawn Phenomenon. This is actually caused by increased cortisol which occurs in the early morning hours to help you wake up. This causes some people to be insulin resistant and run high in the early morning. A pump treats this very well.

The rebound effect occurs when the liver releases emergency sugar in response to a low, causing a high blood sugar. This is also called the Sonogyi effect.

Another option is to split your Lantus into two doses, one in the morning, one in the evening. For some people Lantus just doesn't last 24 hours.

Answer 2

Lantus does control the bloodsugar for 24hrs, but your probably not injecting enough Lantus, I can not say how much to increase as you need to write down your blood sugars and talk to your diabetes nurse/ doctor, and he/she will tell you what to do. Lantus is a very good "background" insulin once the dose is figured out correctly, there is another insulin call Leiverme, but it does exatly the same thing, so there is no point in changing insulins.

You could also be having a dawn phenomone when your sleeping, when your body makes different hormones that increase bloodsugar.......

But beaware, you can also have "rebound" lows from sleeping, as this can cause highs with your liver realsing it's gulcose stores to fix the low, but most likely if your having to take extra shots at night to get it down, this is not the case...some extra BG checks and an increase in insulin are in order to find out whats going here .....

But please talk with your doctor!!!

Answer 3

Dear Nick,

Lantus is one of the best, if not the best type of insulin. Usually it is taken at bedtime and works for 24 hours as it is long acting. You and your doctor should discuss increasing the dose of Lantus. Also perhaps, you can get on an insulin that is a mix of short and intermediate acting to take right before meals. Keep testing your blood before and after meals and at bedtime. Keep a diary of what each blood test was, and what you ate, and how much insulin you had. Your doctor may be able to change some of your dosing.

Good Luck,
Angie R.N.

Answer 4

Glargine/Lantus and Detemir/Levemir are 2 of the newer basal insulins. Older agents such as Lente, UltraLente, and NPH should no longer be used. Basal insulins introduce a fairly constant amount of insulin over a 24 hour period. Although splitting the total dose of Lantus into 2 doses may make for an improvement if you are having nocturnal (nighttime glucose excursions) adjusting your rapid acting insulin is more likely to be effective. 2 of the newer rapid acting insulins are Lispro/Humalog (from the company which produces Lantus) and Aspart/Novolog (from the company which produces Levemir). Older relatively rapid acting insulins such as regular insulin are no longer appropriate. Lantus, Levemir, Humalog, and Novolog all are available in pen systems which are more precise and greatly preferred by patients in medical studies. If you need more information please let me know.

Answer 5

My fiance has the same problem. He just recently went on Lantus and his diabeties educator said it would take him a while to control the amount he needs to take. He takes it in the evening and in the morning. He is recording all his reading and we have changed his diet to include more friuts and vegies. I have learnt over the past few years that you cant just take insulin and expect it to work the same, its all about trial and error. If things haven't settled down and you are really concerned, make an appointment to see your diabeties educator and talk to them about it. Launtus is really the BEST insulin you can be on, the main idea is to try and lower the amount of shots you take during the day

Answer 6

My diabetes educator told me that Lantus lasts only in theory for 24 hours. Apparently the factor of error is plus/minus 10 hours. In other words, your Lantus may actually last anywhere from 14-34 hours! AND this can change day-to-day!!!

I'm glad I'm on the pump now! It's much easier to regulate.

Answer 7

I take a product called Glucose Regulation Complex/Craving Reduction Complex This product has been great for me in keeping me from getting fatigued,craving sweets and feeling weak and light-headed after lunch.It's really helped my hypoglycemia. Another product I take is Flavor Enhanced Soy Protein I am not a big fan of Soy but I put it into shakes and it disquises the taste also I would only use 1 Tablespoon to start with and gradually work up to 2 as you can get upset stomach, bloating, and Gas. This product helps also moderate blood sugar levels and has proven low glycemic response.I know it works for me why not give it a try. If you are on any other medications always check with your doctor.

Answer 8

Perhaps you have eaten before bedtime. Check your blood sugar before going to sleep. Lantus is a good long acting insulin.

Answer 9

i'm on lantus too. i was having high blood sugars in the morning. i was told to eat a snack before i went to bed at night. my blood sugars went from 230-240 to 160-140 in the mornings. the best thing to do is talk to your doctor to come up with a solution that works for you. good luck sweetie

Answer 10

Have you tried an insulin pump? I am on one and it is working great! Also my dr. said that my liver was kicking in sugar in the night its called something like donphinom effect. So my pump is set to give me more insulin at this time. You might consider checking into it!
Good luck I know it can be frustrating!