Type 2 diabetes and long acting insulin

I have been taking Lantus for years because my blood sugars tend to shoot up while I am sleeping overnight. If I go to bed with my sugars high, Lantus will keep it there. Similarly, if I got to bed with a normal blood sugar reading, the insulin will keep it there. Lantus is less about moving your blood-sugar number than it is about keeping it wherever you get to with short-acting insulin. Were I to use long-acting insulin alone, I would never get a number between 85 and 115, normal for me. An endo once explained it this way to me .... think of short-acting insulin as runner in a footrace. Short-acting is the cheerleader that helps you keep going at whatever "pace" you set.

Thank you 😊

Long-acting is the cheerleader .... sorry for the mistake.

Thank you 😊 I was wondering but honestly I don’t know enough about any of this. I’m just trying to help my sister who is extremely overwhelmed and having trouble getting any help.
Thank you again for your response.

As a longtime diabetic I think of it this way. Lantus and other long acting insulins are a 24 hour base. Sometimes they are called basal. Shorter acting insulins are for dealing with what you eat & drink during the day and to correct high blood sugars that are out of range. They are sometimes called bolus.

Thank you so much. I really appreciate the help

I have been type two diabetic many years, also been on Levemir pen many years. It is long lasting, and I have noticed ( these numbers as example) if I am at 205 at 7 pm, I take 12 units, then next morning I am down to 92, that is okay. At other days the same numbers of sugar and injection I might be 150.
I have noticed it has to do with what is eaten at supper time most of the time.
The instructions say to use for only 28 days and discard the rest. What happens if it is used past that time is unknown by me.
Does anyone know the answer to that? Thanks for input.

The idea is to have “fresh” insulin. There are many types and kinds of insulin delivery systems. It is important to use a system that has an appropriate amount for the quantity you need. Insulin is expensive and you don’t want to have a quantity more than what you will need for a month at a time because you’ll end up having to waste it. The “month” thing is kind of an arbitrary time to help ensure freshness. It is a little like “expiration dates” or “use by dates” or “best by dates” on other products.

Many thanks for the reply on the date and freshness of
the insulin. That helps a lot. Best wishes to you, @cehunt57

It usually takes more insulin for type 2s, because of the insulin resistance. Last year, when I started Lantus (pen) I had to gradually increase the units to see the results that I wanted. I started with 10 units, then gradually increased it over several months to 30 units twice a day. Dividing it into two doses helps me cover the 24 hour period better. I had follow-ups with the nurse the first few weeks.