Lantus side effects

I have been on Lantus & Humalog for about 3 years. I am a 75 yr old male T2 and the only other meds I currently take are Toprol XL and aspirin. After reading all these Lantus postings, I decided it was time to quit Lantus just to see what happened. Like one other person said, "all of a sudden the fog lifted"! I am a different person. I can now sing in church (after 3 days off of Lantus). Before this, I did not have enough breath to sing. When I was on Lantus I had many sleepless nights, suffering from RLS and leg pain. Now I am sleeping the entire night through. These benefits are the tip of the iceberg, I just feel better all over. Needless to say, I am injecting more Humalog now to make up for the absent Lantus but that will not be a problem. Please understand I am not advocating this for anyone else, I am simply reporting what happened to me. I see my doctor in a couple of weeks and can't wait to share the news with her.

Pain in right shoulder blade gets short of breath when out to the clothes line and walking

Have had terrible headaches since the first injection of Lantus. I have not had headaches until this. The headaches started at 4 am the morning after the first dose. These headaches last most of the morning. Dr. said to increase the units and the headaches got much, much worse. Then he said to back down the dose and I immediately had relief from the headaches, but then they returned even with the lower dose. Over the four weeks I have been on Lantus, I have only had about five days without headaches and sometimes they come with slight nausea.

I have been on Lantus for about 6 months. I have had TERRIBLE leg and foot cramps. I have chronic insomnia and hardly sleep at all. Can I just stop and go back to oral meds? Last night I spent almost the entire night in the bathtub, trying to relieve the leg and foot cramps. All day I am tired and just want to take a nap. In addition, I feel shaky all the time. HELP!!

I have just started taking Lantus Solostar. I'm usually not allergic to medications, but this time I have developed diarrhea. The condition worsens soon after my meals, there is some amount of cramping throughout the day. Imodium helps, but only on the days I take it. The only way to avoid diarrhea is to skip doses of insulin or to have Imodium everyday.

Lantus has turned me into an ogre!!! I'm getting on the pump:)

My husband and I were both prescribed Lantus in December 08 and since then we have both experienced weight gain; back pain; gas and bloating.

My physician is now consulting to determine another medication as the weight gain (from an increase in our appetites since taking Lantus) is making us both very uncomfortable. I have also noted a shortness of breath, and because of all of these side symptoms a little depression.

The Lantus is not controlling our blood sugars and they have become at times out of control even though an increase in dosage has been prescribed.

As with Byetta, we find this medication to be very irritating by causing stomach cramps and HUNGER.

I have type2 diabetes and as i've read in so many of the postings of side effects that bloating was a big problem. I had this same problem. My physician immediately prescribed Lasix (furosimide - $4.00 at Walmart) and Spironolactone. These are both diuretics. I take the Lasix twice a day and the Spironolactone once a day. The Spironolactone protects against Potassium loss that comes with diuretics. My feet up to my knees were huge. At one point I couldn't even see the ends of my toes. The pain was horrible. After staring these, I lost 60 pounds in two weeks of fluid!!!!! Please talk to your physician about these. They gave me the relief that I needed. A. in Austin

I LOVE LANTUS!!! I was diagnosed as Type 2 Diabetic in December 2008 when my blood sugar was 550 and I weighed 265 lbs. I am a 51 year old 6'tall woman. My physician prescribed 55units of Lantus am and again pm. My blood sugar now is between 80 and 110, and my weight is 180lbs. I take Lasix and Spironolactone for any swelling and have felt great ever since. I'm sure i'm very fortunate, but I must stress to be under the watchful eye of your Physician. Yes, there are other hormones that help with blood sugar levels, but please understand that it depends on the type and severity of you diabetes. I also can't understand anyone who has been told by two different physicians that she needs insulin but won't believe them. These physicians have nothing to gain financially from this. I just hope you have good insurance. If Lantus isn't right for you, fine, but PLEASE get professional guidence if you have Diabetes. The internet is NOT always the most informed source of information. A. in Austin

i have lantus far last three months.the side effect i experienced is weight gain .i need advice,how to control it

I have been on lantus for a while..the first few months were perfect...good HbA1c's. Then all hell broke loose...my sugars started fluctuating, HbA1c always above 8%, added 15 kgs...especially around my abdomen and am always bloated. Am really tired of people asking when am due..and am not even pregnant..just on LANTUS!!!

I have been taking 100 units of Lantus at night for the past 4 months. I have gained 25 pounds, my legs and feet are swelled up, my joints in my fingers hurt, my right shoulder hurts like it has been injured but it hasn't, I have days where I can sleep all day and then sleep all night without a problem, my A1C is 9.1, I have the most painful cramps in my calves and feet, I feel like I am 100 years old and I am only 42.
Houston we have a problem.

I have been on Lantus for about 6 months and my asthma has gotten so bad I can barely breathe. I know it is the Lantus because I stopped all my other new meds but it and I still can't breathe. I hate to stop it because my blood sugar is doing great!!

My doctor added Lantus to my medicine regimen including Byetta 10, Metformin 1500 twice a day. On the Byetta I lost 35-40 lbs very easily. The moment I added the Lantus I was bloated and over a 2 months I had gained back all the weight I had just lost. When I asked my Doctor about the bloating and weight gain she said she didn't think it had anything to do with the Lantus. But I was losing weight until she added the Lantus! I don't think that's just a coincidence. What should I do? Should I go to a doctor who specializes in diabetes instead of my family doctor who I love dearly?

i have been using lantus for about 1 year.i have bloating,sweating,depressed,short of breath,belching,sugar gets low,does anyone have these problems?my email is *******

I too have experienced muscle weakness (especially in the legs), cramps, bloating, weight gain, skipped beats, rapid heart beat, swelling, diarrhea, insomnia and high morning blood sugars. Each time my dosage is increased, the more negative side effects occur. I'm not sure about this drug. What would happen if I reduced or stopped the dosage?

I HAVE USED LANTUS FOR PROBABLY 9 MONTHS NOW.I HAVE BEEN SWEATING REALLY BAD AND I HAVE HAD SHORTNESS OF BREATH AND IT SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE.I HAVE ALSO BEEN DEPRESSED.

I have had severe weight gain. 30lbs in one month of bloating. The doctor put me on Demedex for water retention. I have been on that for a week now and it has made no difference as of yet. This is ridiculous. I have so much swelling in my legs and feet that it feels like they are submerged in buckets filled with concrete. Yes my blood sugar has lowered significantly...but I am more miserable now then when my sugars were over 300. Is there anything else out there that is better than this?????

Kidney stones pain,swollen feet and lower legs,joint aches. taking 200 units a day
100 am and 100 pm

I was on lantus a year and a half ago and had no problems and in fact after 3 months was able to go back to regular diabetic pills.

A couple of months ago I went on lantus because my sugar was out of control again(turns out I had osteo mylitis in my toe--under a docs care as well for my wound)--I had surgery and continued with insulin, and then on 20 units of lantus--my neuropathy was excaberated by the Lantus--every joint that had the neuropathy --toes ankles fingers wrists and even my lower back increased a thousandfold. The burning was so intense(causing nausea and exhaustion) and it was put down to an increase pain of arthritis, but I never had been diagnosed with it this severe and this intense-- I was rocking in pain when my nurse was here--at first it didn't add up until I forgot to take my Lantus for a few days and the pain finally dissipated to my *regular* neuropathic pain. I too feel better since stopping the Lantus.

I was on lantus a year and a half ago and had no problems and in fact after 3 months was able to go back to regular diabetic pills.

A couple of months ago I went on lantus because my sugar was out of control again(turns out I had osteo mylitis in my toe--under a docs care as well for my wound)--I had surgery and continued with insulin, and then on 20 units of lantus--my neuropathy was excaberated by the Lantus--every joint that had the neuropathy --toes ankles fingers wrists and even my lower back increased a thousandfold. The burning was so intense and it was put down to an increase pain of arthritis, but I never had been diagnosed with it this severe and this intense-- I was rocking in pain when my nurse was here--at first it didn't add up until I forgot to take my Lantus for a few days and the pain finally dissipated to my *regular* neuropathic pain.

-shooting pain in legs, feet, and toes before i go to sleep causing me to not be able to go to sleep
-shooting pain in lower back, stomach, breasts
-stomach swelling... feel bloated
let me know if any of you get these symptoms if you are on lantus.

I was excited to get going on Lantus. A lady @ dinner one night said she was doing great on it and I was ready. Metformin gave me legs cramps. I gained weight on Prandin. Actos was awful. So I was ready because I needed to get those morning sugars down -- really I need a new job where I'm not at extreme anxiety to go to! My first shot at Lantus I got excruciating headaches. I hadn't had a headache in a long time. So I stopped and I got a headache the next day -- a lot of colds and flus around -- but then they stopped. I ended up waiting longer than I had planned to get back on Lantus and I was in good shape. When I offer up prayers for my nephews in the morning I offer up whatver pains I have. Two weeks ago, I went to offer up my pains -- and I had none. I restarted Lantus that Monday. I got a headache but got rid of it with some advil, coca-cola and head rolls and continued on pretty good, without pains, and with good morning blood sugars. Then I got really upset about something that Thursday night. I didn't take Lantus but cried all night and all day. I took Lantus on Friday night. Saturday I went shopping, did a bunch of errands and just before dinner I started getting a backache and then my IBS really kicked in and completely froze up on my left side giving me the worst cramp I had had in ages! I finally did a yoga move and it subsided but I was wiped from the pain. I missed Mass the next day and walked around in these little shoes all day. Then on Monday @ work, my foot cramped, left foot, like it hasn't in a long time. And I still can't make it better even with stretching and icing and etc. Passing bowel movements has been very difficult. I've had blurry vision. So, from how I feel from "no pain at all" two weeks ago to barely being able to move today, I'm stopping the lantus and I would like to "fire" my doctor. Don't they do their homework? I'm really quite upset about her not doing her homework and possibly pushing this "new lantus" or whatever or however old it is. I have read it hasn't been thoroughly tested -- is that still true? OH,and as I am typing going, I better stop because my hands and arms hurt, those are other symptoms as well, my hands hurt, my wrist hurts, and I have a big knot in the left shoulder blade which won't go away. Many of these side effect / symptoms seem to mimic fibromyalgia to me. I asked my doctor but of course she didn't know. So I think Lantus seems to bring on the fibromyalgia symptoms and I had those all under control. I'm going to San Fran in a couple of weeks and this better be all cleared up because I have to go alone.

I have been on Lantus for about a month and I started having leg cramping on both legs which is really driving me crazy. It starts at the thigh area and travels down the whole leg. It feels like the beginning signs when one gets a Charlie horse. It is not letting me sleep at night. No matter what position I try to sleep.

I have been on Lantus 40 units 1x per day and I too have had excruciating back pain that runs from my neck down to my waist and in both shoulders. Also I have a cough too which started with a cold but the cold went away and the cough did not. I also have woke up in the middle of the night sweating and shivering never had this before either. When I asked my doctor about this he said oh sounds like fibromyalgia WTF?? Never had this pain before or any of these other symptoms and it starts right after starting a new med(Lantus) I might not be an md but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that it is the Lantus causing this . Why don't doctors want to admit that every drug has some side effects and I am starting to thing insulin has the most.

I think my blood sugars are actually doing fairly well on Lantus this time around. I'm using the solostar delivery system vs the whole needle thing. My main issue is that I get diarrhea especially when I am being the most compliant this in itself has made me be uncompliant and skip doses and then I don't have the diarrhea anymore HUH?!?

restless legs at night, severe leg swelling especially in the evenings, itchy rash on legs, possible eczema ( I have never ever experienced until Lantus), insomnia...I can't string more than 3 hours of sleep together at one time, wake up with cold sweats and confusion, really bizarre dreams, weight gain (rapid), severe cough, terrible back pain....sometimes standing for more than 10 minutes kills me.....Is it just me or does Lantus smell horrible?

I've used Lantus since may of 2004. I gained approximately 20 lbs in about 2 months and experienced the following: nausea, feeling cloudy, dizziness and headaches a few times a week. My blood sugar is always between 80 to 120 probably 8 out of 9 glucose tests. I didn't take Lantus for one week and after 24 hours all of the negative symptoms were gone. However, my blood sugar was higher between 140 to 200 but I felt 100 times better. I'm going to attempt to get stronger pills than the 60 mg of Starlix I am taking and/or different insulin.

I've been on Lantus for about a year now and never tied things together till reading this. Ive had horrendously blurred vision though the eye doc says my prescription hasn't changed. I have bad bad backaches, and though my A1C is right at 6....my morning blood sugars run 130 to 185. At no other time of day is my blood sugar over 110. I don't understand this. WHY would a bedtime blood sugar be 75-90 at 9 pm.......and at 3am is over 140? Its like the Lantus does nothing. I just don't like the side effects with this stuff.

Has anyone taking Lantus had a ringing in the ears and a slowing down of their bowel movements because I have since taking it.

I HAVE BEEN ON LANTUS FOR A MONTH AND A HALF. MY SISTER HAS BEEN ON IT FOR 3 OR MORE MONTHS. WE BOTH HAVE THIS SHARP PAIN ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF OUR SCOLDER BLADE. I JUST WANTED
TO KNOW IF ANY OTHER PERSON HAS THIS PROBLEM.
MANY THANKS

I have just started on Lantus (this weekend), and immediately started to suffer from severe heartburn. It is possible that I have a hiatus hernia, but had very little in the way of symptoms prior to using Lantus. The effect was so bad last night that I was unable to sleep at all.

I have been on NPH Humulin and Humalog for 10 years, and Actrapid and Protophane for the 20 years prior to that.

I have also noticed blurred vision, bloating, stomach cramps and severe muscle aches since I have once again been on Lantus. I have rheumatoid arthritis as well as diabetes, but had been off of Lantus for a while because my insurance's copays were too high. At that time, other then my blood sugar staying in the 300's, I felt so much better. My neuropathy is bad when the blood sugar rises, but since back on Lantus, I feel horrible.

For the person with excruciating back pain I have had a similar experience. I was taking it for about six months and had decreased stools then had kidney stone like symptoms so I stopped taking the medication and have not had the problem since that time.

A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WEIGHT GAIN AND SWELLING-
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO PLEASE IF ANYONE HAS ANY SUGGESTIONS LET ME KNOW. I HAVE ONLY BEEN USING LANTUS A MONTH AND HAVE GAINED OVER THIRTY POUNDS.

THANKS=)

used lantus for year and only side effect i have had was blurred vision....cramps...ED....insomnia

My husband has been taking for about 2-3 wks and is experiencing severe stomach cramps with diarrhea sometimes after he eats. Sometimes just the cramping but always after a meal. As the day wears on (he takes it at night) the cramping becomes less, but then starts all over next day after taking Lantus before bedtime.

I have been using Lantus for about 3 weeks and my eating habits are not an different and I have noticably been gaing weight,

after taking lantus for a little over a month my heart takes off and beats very hard and i also have touble sleeping even with the help of a sleeping pill

Ever since I began taking Lantus I have experience a pulling feeling in my left breast and up to my neck. Also a constant need to swallow with a slight difficulty in swallowing.
I am going to talk to my Doctor this week and ask to be taken off it I think even though my blood glucos levels whilst on it have been very good.

my side effects for lantus is nausea

blure vision been taking lantus for almost a year now. all of the sudden i have blure vision . blood sugar ok

I'AM USING LANTUS FOR TWO MONTHS NOW. BLOATING, SHORTNESS OF BREATH, IS THIS NORMAL?

I stopped taking Lantus for 24 plus and the fog has lifted from my head, my knee is already fifty percent better, I can walk without my cane! I also was having heart rate increases when I would walk to the restroom!
I'm going to report to my primery doctor about the changes I've had after discontinued use of Lantus and also will report to him I'm not alone on the side effects either!

my leg muscles were sseverely weakened by lantus from the third month of use and today i have to relearn to walk

GAs and general stomach discomfort

My wife began using Lantus approximately 2 weeks ago
(11/21/05). Very early on Thanksgiving Morning, she
awoke with her heart skipping beats. She had not experienced this before the Lantus injections. We wound up
at the ER at the local hospital on Thanksgiving morning in
Cranford, New Jersey. The Chief of the ER was on duty and
after hours of blood tests and being hooked up to an EKG,
he told my wife to immediately discontinue the Lantus
injections and return to Novilin 70/30. However today is
12/05/05 and her pulse is still erratic at times.
Has anyone experienced problems with their heart rate
while using this medication? Please let me know.
Thank you!!!
Dan.******

I have experienced insomnia and muscle aches as well. Recently, my endocrinologist informed me that some research is showing that Lantus is appearing to work closer to 20 hours rather than 24, thus possibly causing periods of high blood sugars.

I have been using Lantus for 1 month now and my side effects are bloating, weight gain, and for the first two weeks my vision was affected. I experienced blurred vision and even my glasses would not help. The vision side effect has subsided but the weight gain and bloating is still a problem.

I started taking Lantus last year and have gained 20 pounds since then. this is the most weight I have ever gained. It seems like I'm retaining fluid also. I feel bloated all the time.