Some people find that one works more effectively than the other, so which is used is really up to the patient. Humulin, more commonly called Humulin NPH, and even more commonly called just NPH, is a long acting insulin. It is absorbed more slowly, and it's effects last longer, about 12 hours. Usually NPH is used in combination with one of the fast acting insulins. An alternative long acting insulin would be Lantus.
For an insulin dependent diabetic the most effective dosing has been found to be a basal (long-acting)/bolus (short-acting before meals) regimen. But I agree with Sally. Talk to your doctor.
I agree with KevinHarney. NPH insulin is an older type of insulin, and it has a VERY noticeable "peak" action that happens in the middle of the day, around 3 pm. I grew up on NPH and really had to watch for mid-day lows. Most doctors nowadays use Lantus alone as the long-lasting insulin and have given up NPH altogether because of the scary lows that often happen when it peaks.
Many diabetics, even t-2 that are on insulin, their bodies reject insulin. I have been on 9-10 different insulins through my time but back then I didn't think about me rejecting it. All my doctors told me was that it is not working for me. So I HAd to keep changing insulins. Now I am on the flexpen (great inivention) taking Regular and one shot of Lantus before bedtime. It all works! I am so sorry to hear that your wife has filed.
Zoe - I think Windchimes meant humulin insulin not huminsulin. Humulin is considered an intermediate acting insulin as its duration is 24 hours, but this can vary per individual. LANTUS, on the other hand, is considered long lasting as its duration is up to 36 hours.
Windchimes - You kept your Humulin dose a secret so one can only assume you're at max and why your doctor is considering moving to the pump. This link will give an inside on pumps http://tinyurl.com/lvs7o6 .
They carry it under the Relion name, but it is the same as Humulin N, which is another nph insulin, similar to novolin. Most dogs do well on either Novolin N or Humulin N. Personally, I found Humulin N to work better for my dog. The cost of a bottle of insulin at WalMart is about $25 compared to $50 for the same thing at a regular retail pharmacy.
7. There are many diets you can use. You are not limited to w/d, which the vets seem to push!
You're a good friend to be concerned about your friends well being. If "N" is Humulin N, there is no "standard" Humulin N dose that will work for all people or even for the same person in all situations. This applies to other insulin types too. If your friends at home test results show low glucose levels "several times per week" it is time to have his/her insulin dosages re-evaluated by their physician.
My grandson is a Type 1 diabetic. He takes Lantus at night, NPH and Humalog at Breakfast, and Humalog at evening meal. He measures his blood sugar six time a day: 7:30am (breakfast), 9:30 am, noon, 5:30 pm (dinner), 7:30 pm, and 9:30 pm. My concern is the apparent difference in effectiveness of the Humalog which he takes at 7:30 am and 5:30 pm. He measures his blood sugar two hours after taking the Humalog (@ 9:30 am and @ 7:30 pm).
I have been a diabetic 40 years, and started on Lantis about a year ago, replacing NPH for my basil insulin (I also take Humalog with a pen). I injected Lantis with a syringe, and as I never had a problem with NPH when it sometimes entered a vessel, I did not draw back before injecting.
The result, when I hit a vessel, was a drop in blood suger from 180 to 30 in 1/2 hour! I consumed about 48 ounces of orange juces and 2 bars of chocolate in 15 minutes just to stay conscious!
In the past week when he tests his blood at bedtime it is in the normal range - he eats his bedtime snack and takes his usual dose of Novarapid and the NPH insulin. Within a half hour or so, she notices his abnormal behaviour and urges him to re-test. His blood sugar level is less than 2. She is concerned because he had a normal reading less than an hour before and eaten his normal snack - but what could be causing his sugars to be so low at this time?
Sounds awful and very frustrating. I am also a Type I Diabetic who has had diabetes for a long time and I can really relate to the frustration of unpredictability in this disease. Just when you think you have everything figured out and under control, your body throws you a curve and all of a sudden the rules change--and you aren't sure what they are or why.
NPH is a very old form of insulin. Also giving a sliding scale for her bolus, Humalog is an outdated way of dosing. More current is using an insulin:carb ratio so that the dose is geared to the carbs she is eating. I would suggest you take your daughter to an endo and ask to have her placed on the more up to date treatment regimen of a long-acting basal, which would be either Lantus or Levemir, and bolus such as the Humalog with a dose determined by insulin:carb ratio.
Hello I am new to novolin My Dr has me on 15 units twice a day after being on lantus for 1 year and it just did not work at all for me under 29 units was not enough and over 20 units bottomed my sugar out
My question is and this also did this when i was on lantus is it normal after injecting yourself with insulin that my blood sugar spikes up I am talking it can be 150 and after the injection it will jump up to 300 with in 3 hours is this normal or is it just me I know I am not making sense
Examples are insulin zinc suspension, protamine zinc insulin, and the insulin analogues insulin glargine and insulin detemir. The latter two insulins are now the most widely used long-acting insulins.
* Biphasic insulins: mixtures of short-acting and intermediate-acting insulins in different proportions, such as 30/70, 50/50. Examples are NovoMix 30, Humulin M3, Insuman comb and Humalog Mix25.
Anyone out there had to go on insulin in pregnancy? This is my first baby since getting diabetes 4 yrs ago but scared of needles. Had miscarriage in feb just praying this don't happen again.
I take 1 unit on fast acting, and 20 of the NPH, in the morning(not much, still in a good honeymoon)
and at dinner, i take 3 of the Fast acting, and another 7 of the NPH before i go to bed. So what would you all think is the advatages to this other insulin?, compared to what im taking now?'
Oh, and just a side question:, how common is it for a diabetic to pass out from a servr low?
A. Taking a rapider insulin (Humulin Regular, if that is what you are taking, is much slower than Humalog -- ask you doctor if switching is in order)
B. Taking the mealtime insulin earlier before eating
C. Warming the injection site by massaging it, running it under warm water, or exercising the underlying muscle
D. Choosing foods that are slow to digest (low glycemic index foods)
E. Adding something acidic, such as vinegar, to your meals
F.
About a month ago, my doctor changed my long acting insulin from Novolin NPH to Lantus. This completely threw me off and I ended up being woken up by paramedics 3 times in 1 week. My blood sugar would be normal before bed and then by morning it had gone to 1.8. When I would eat a snack before bed to keep my blood sugar from dropping, I would go high - 13.0-15.0 on average. My doctor has now switched me back to my Novolin NPH and I am still having a hard time getting back on track.
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