How to deal with Levemir being taken off the market

/ rivagreenberg

Admittedly I’ve never used Levemir, a basal insulin from Novo Nordisk. I used Lantus for a long time and now use Tresiba, which frankly I love. Flat profile, once a day, just works for me. That said, maybe it’s never been truer than when a medication goes away, YDMV — Your Diabetes May Vary. What works for one may not work so well for another.

I wanted to post this article from diaTribe today, “Switching Away From Levemir: What Are the Options?” for those who use Levemir. I can imagine your distress. It’s ridiculous, potentially harmful and uncaring for pharmaceutical companies to always let their bottom line weight more heavily than their morality.

That said, as the old Chinese fable of the farmer tells us, some who will switch from Levemir to something else will actually find a benefit in having to do so. No matter which camp you fall into, I wish you well.

3 thoughts on “How to deal with Levemir being taken off the market”

  1. Hello Riva!

    I will be switching from Levemir to Tresiba soon, and I’m cautiously optimistic to see how it works for me.

    Keeping in mind, as you noted, that YDMV, are there any nuances or helpful tips (in your experience) with Tresiba that you wouldn’t mind sharing? In particular, I’m curious about whether you take it in the morning right when you wake up, or at night? How long did it take to fine-tune your dose? Any and all insight would be welcome and appreciated!

    Also just wanted to say I’ve been following your blog for a long time. I’ve had T1D for 33 years, and I’m so grateful for your wisdom and compassion in the diabetes community. đŸ™‚

    Thank you so much!

    Amy

    Reply

    • Thank you Amy for your kind words. I’ve been on Tresiba now for several years. I graduated to it from Lantus. I’ve also tried Toujeo. Tresiba just works amazingly well for me. There is no discernible peak, I stay steady overnight. I take it once a day at 8 am. I believe I take a few units less Tresiba than I did Lantus, so there may be some adjustment. As you know it’s is important to get your basal right as everything rests atop that. I just adjusted bit by bit watching my blood sugar on my CGM. Gary Scheiner is an expert at adjusting doses. Google him in regards to adjusting your basal and you’ll find a video as well as several articles.

      Reply

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