My son is taking 24 hr Lantis(diabetes insulan) and and 3

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An LPN is not even a RN. Why wasn't my question answered by a expert?????

Dear E.

Tell me exactly what he is taking and the doses?
When does he eat? Does he eat alot of carbohydrates,(breads, coke, candy, corn, chips, cereal)?
What are his blood sugar readings and do you know his last AC1 blood test. Talk to you soon.

Edited by Sedonalover on November 29 2005 at 9:00pm

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He is taking 21 units of Lantus in evening. He takes HumulinR per sliding scale before every meal and at bedtime. He tests his blood sugar and if it is between 150-200 he takes 3 units of regular, between 200-250-6 units,etc. At 8a.m. breakfast he usually eats eggs and a waffel or biscuit/sausage/egg.About 1 to 1:30 Lunch is a sandwich/soup with chips. (no diet coke today )At about 5:30 (at least the last few days at my sugestion) he eats a varity of things.(he was waiting till 6 or 7p.m. and his sugar was dropping and he was getting VERY disagreeable and agitated and going into rages!) He doesn't seem to be able to come back from these episodes for the rest of the evening!. Morning sugar level is about 180. He sez that when it gets below 150 he starts feeling agitated and angry. He has had several episodes when it drops out to 50.Seems that it is way to high or way too low!.
In the hospital emergency room his sugar was 800 and he was in Ketoacidosis. They put him in a coma for three days to keep him alive.He has had type 2 diabetes for about 5 years and did not check his sugar very often but did take 2 or 3oral meds for it regularly. I'm sure that he has some permanent nerve damage in his feet and legs. He has not been able to go back to work because of the stress. Everything streses him out!!!
In your experience do these up and down periods ever level out?

Dear E,

First off Regular insulin is most likely causing the extreme lows he is getting. I would put him on Novolog, or humalog. It is very fast acting and you take it about 10 min before the meal.

If he feels agitated at 150. That is bad. His body is already used to a high blood sugar.

THIS CAN BE CHANGED, with the proper regiment. I would change his short acting from R,to Novolog titrated by carb to insulin ratio.
That means if he is eating 50 carbohydrates he would take, 5 units of Novolog(for example). Everyone has a different carb to insulin ratio.
It also veries through out the day.
For example my son, is 10 to 1 for breakfast, 12 to 1 for lunch, and 14 to 1 for dinner.

The Lantus is dosed mainly on his Basal insulin needs. That means, what his body would need to live without food.
21 of Lantus is NOT a high one for a man. I think your problem is with the R insulin. It has a MUCH longer time of action...way past his meal times and is causing the lows.
See these links:
http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/label/2000/20986lbl.pdf#search='novolog'
http://www.aventis-us.com/PIs/lantus_TXT.html
Here is the link for Lantus and Novolog.

HE will level out with the proper insulin dosing, and close blood sugar and AC1 monitoring.
FIND a new doctor! One that is an Endocrinologist. Let him know what is going on,and tell him about the insulins.

Good luck and God Bless.
Talk to you soon.

Edited by Sedonalover on November 30 2005 at 6:50am

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Thank you so very much!!!It is wonderful to talk to someone who understands.He has no insurance and is on unemployment. I pay what I can ($600.00 this month)so that a Dr. will even see him!!!Thank you again.