Gavi's endo. is starting him on a small dose of lantus tomorrow or Thursday. I've been reading posts on this site for a while now, but recently started posting, so I've read different posts about Lantus, how it can burn when it is injected. I did ask her about the other long lasting insulin (I forgot the name of it) and she said he can use that one, but it would have to be injected twice a day instead of one. When we meet with the nurse tomorrow I plan on asking her tons of questions, but I also want to get some tips from people who actually use Lantus. Any tips to help it burn less? I want him to be okay with shots, but I'm afraid it may hurt too much for him to agree to it (not like he would have a choice, but I want to make it as easy as possible for him, especially in the beginning).
The two things I've noticed with lantus is it hurts the least when
it's injected in the most fatty area (for me stomach or leg)
and GO SLOW! If you try to just get it over with it burns terribly!
The other medicine is Levemir. My daughter tried it and it was okay just using once per day. If you had to have two shots per day of Levemir it would still be less painful than one shot of Lantus. My daughter says it never stopped hurting or hurting less in the six months she was using it. The more fat the better where you inject it. The less Lantus the better. Less than 5 units wasn't so bad.
We tried icing the area before and after injection. I'm not sure if it helped. My daughter would hide and cry when it was time for Lantus. It was the worst part of her diagnosis. Don't buy a lot of it in case your child can't tolerate it. Then you can switch to Levemir.
Now she is on a pump and it is no longer an issue.
I've been on Lantus since July and it doesn't bother me at all. I think I've only felt it burn maybe less than five times, and I take it every day. This could be due to the fact that I'm seventeen and a girl so I have more fatty areas. I usually have my mom inject Lantus in my back or butt, but my stomach and thigh work pretty well too. Also, I don't refrigerate my insulin while I'm using it and I've heard that helps with the burn. Cold insulin is more painful than warm :) I hope this is helpful.
Jonas is on 2 units of Lantus and he doesn't complain of it hurting at all. I forgot actually that it's supposed to burn... he hasn't said anything!
Crystal
I've been using lantus for over 5 years now and i found that keeping it at room temperature is the best. the only time i find lantus stings is if i hit a nerve or it's cold, but i'm also doing 15u and 18u's at a time. as mentioned, fatty areas are probably better. i tend to shoot my lantus into my thigh cuz i have the most fat there (i'm not a butt person) and rarely notice a burn.
one thing about lantus is that not everyone can do the "one shot" approach. I started on one shot a day and was later moved to an AM and PM shot. i remember when we made the switch my endo said something about me not being in the 10% of his diabetic clients who actually do the one a day shot. my boyfriend's mom has T2 and uses Lantus, but she only takes it once a day. i think it varies person to person, like you'll find most things to do with diabetes.
i'm pretty sure levemir is the same way, where people often end up needing to split it into two shots, but i've never used it so dont hold me to that.
just because it's "24 hours" doesn't mean it actually works that way for everyone. your son's endo will decide whether or not he does need it split, but just so you're aware some people who take lantus do split into two separate shots.
I just wanted to share my story with Lantus; I was started on it back in middle school (circa 1998-1999) and I gained 50 pounds in one year from it. I would eat until I was full, and a half hour later, I would feel like I hadn't eaten at all! I mean, I was STARVING, and I had just eaten! My pediatric endocrinologist then placed me on a basal insulin called Levemir (made my Novo Nordisk) and I actually started losing weight and had better control of my blood sugars and appetite. I never noticed burning upon injecting with Lantus, just the terrible weight gain.
**This is just my personal experience with Lantus, it is not meant to sway your decision :)
Sorry you're now on the insulin bandwagon. :(
I'm on a split dose of Lantus (am and pm). I've never had a problem with burning. I think you'd probably be safe to try it and see if it bothers him or if he doesn't react b/c each person is different and it depends on the dose.
When I inject, if it hurts or stings, it helps me to place pressure on the area with my palm or rub it a little until it goes away.