Here is my problem. I have no insurance right now. I’m out of my humalog and can’t afford to buy more. I do have lantus left. Is there a way for me to just use it right now to keep my BG down?
Q: Here is my problem. I have no insurance right now. I'm out of my humalog and can't afford to buy more. I do have lantus left. Is there a way for me to just use it right now to keep my BG down?
I'm sorry to hear that you currently have no health insurance. You didn't mention whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes. If you have type 1 diabetes, you must take a rapid-acting insulin such as humalog at meals in order to prevent high blood sugar. Lantus is a basal insulin that helps control your blood sugar throughout the day but isn't sufficient to control post-meal blood sugar.
If you have type 2 diabetes, you may be able to avoid taking mealtime insulin if you cut back your carbohydrate intake to less than 20 grams of carb per meal and continue taking Lantus once a day as your basal insulin. However, if you stop taking insulin, it's important to test your blood sugar after meals to make it isn't rising excessively. If your pancreas is no longer producing insulin or producing only minimal amounts, you may need to take a small amount of humalog even if you keep your carb intake low.
Answered By dLife Expert: Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE
Certified diabetes educator and registered dietitian living in Southern California.
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