Lantus, Not Lantis (Learning to Spell)

Monday, November 30th, 2009

OK, I’ve been taking Lantus for like 2 years now, and just noticed it’s spelled Lantus, not Lantis. Nothing like running a Diabetes blog and not knowing how to spell the names of diabetic medications. So, since I obviously don’t know enough about the product to even know how it’s name’s spelled, I decided to read the instructions that came in the box.

Have you ever read one of the instruction manuals that comes in a box of insulin? Well, Don’t! The thing is 4 pages of like number 1 font, singles spaced. But, it was sort of interesting reading and there were a couple of things I noticed, that I didn’t know before. So, I’m going to share them here, for those of you who haven’t read the directions that come in the box.

• Lantus isn’t supposed to be mixed with anything when injected, including another insulin. I’ve been taking mine, mixed with my nightly dose of Humalog, for 2 years now. I wonder if my Lantus dose will go down if I take it by itself. (If it makes a noticeable difference, at $100 per bottle, that will be worth the extra needle.)
• I didn’t know how to spell “Basal”, as in “Basal Rate”, which is the dose of long lasting insulin needed to keep your blood sugar normal throughout the day, without food. Or, it’s the underlying drip dose you get with an insulin pump that keeps your blood glucose levels at a normal rate throughout the day.

There was more, of course, but it was all I could do to read that much without falling asleep…

Tags: Basal rates, Lantus, Lantus Instructions
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