Basaglar for Diabetes, Type 1 User Reviews (Page 2)

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 3, 2021

"I'm a foster mom to a 4-year-old with Type 1 diabetes. This pen is horrible!! Since he has OHP, the insurance switched from Lantus to this POS because of cost. Every night it's a fight to get the correct amount to come out, and we don't even know if he is getting the correct dosage because of how the pen is. The pens need to be fixed, we can't keep guessing if he is getting the correct dosage. And to make things worse, it hurts him even more because of how hard it is to push the button. His numbers have been all over the place because this med doesn't work as well as Lantus."

• Anonymous
• April 21, 2020

"I have used insulin pens in the past. I must say, this is the worst pen ever! I have been to my pharmacy twice, could not replace them. Even though we spend a lot of money for our medicine, the pharmacist did try to make it right. She called the company, and whatever they did, I started receiving my insulin from the pen. Now this month, same thing as last month. Hard to turn, no insulin will come out. I am a serious type 1. You should not have to do a special trick with the pen needle to get insulin out. I asked on Facebook. Others have the same problem! What good are the pens if the insulin does not come out?"

• Pre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 7, 2018

"As with many others, experiencing headaches, anxiety, dizziness, feeling in mental limbo, tired, though some symptoms clear by afternoon or late day. My problem is that the endocrinologist I was seeing just since February quit at the same time he put me on Basaglar because Lantus was making me itch all over. I had side effects from all meds, so my family doctor sent me to him. Hope to see a regular doctor soon who also has diabetes. Maybe she can help? Only good note is that my points are down. Scary that someone checked the 'tube' on four or five and nothing came out. Sad to be a guinea pig or test subject. I'm older and only diagnosed in the last four years. Very disheartening to have this malady."

• Mom...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 21, 2020

"My daughter came home from the hospital after being diagnosed with diabetes 1, using Lantus. Our insurance won't cover it, and she was switched to Basaglar. We have used 5 pens, and each night she is in tears because the dose knob is so hard to push. We are fighting with the insurance to get Lantus, we never had a problem with the pens. I could understand 1 pen being defective, but not 5 from different boxes. Basaglar pens are not made well."

• t1d...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 12, 2018

"replying to already in use. I used up the last of my Lantus and my blood sugar levels were in my Dr's range. I took my 1st injection of Basaglar and ate normally. The next morning my BSL were over 300 and I was like, what! I took my Humalog and tested every 2/3 hours. My BSL went down and I took my Basaglar again and ate normally like I would, no big meals. BSL went down after taking more Humalog and the next morning again my BSL were around 300. Again, tested every 2/3 hours and went after 3 days, I called my Dr with my BSL, now waiting to hear back. I tried to figure out if my meter or my insulin was bad. I've had bad vials of insulin, so when the pharmacist says you can't get bad vials, they're so wrong. Now I'm having the same problems with my new insulin. I'm hoping they call tomorrow and either get me back on Lantus or up Basaglar. I got new pens, so I'm gonna try them tomorrow. I think Basaglar just isn't working for me. I'm thinking Basaglar isn't for TID. Anyone else having the same problems?"

• Cor...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 18, 2021

"I hate this insulin. Because of insurance, I was forced to change from the Lantus I was on that worked great. I’ll go to bed with perfect numbers and wake up high. Not just a little high, like in the 300s. For someone who is working very hard to keep her diabetes under control, I cannot describe this insulin as anything other than garbage."

• Ano...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 28, 2022

"My insurance company sent me a letter telling me they wouldn’t cover Lantus but wanted me to switch to Basaglar. This insulin is terrible in my opinion! I pay lots of money for what my doctor prescribes, and I constantly need more and more insulin. I feel like this is a scam for diabetics to take advantage of our money as it is already so expensive for our condition! This isn’t right! Why does our insurance companies tell us what insulins we need? Why is this not between the doctors and their patients? Now I’m having trouble managing my sugar. My A1c is off. I am trying to get enough insulin because this horrible insulin, in my opinion, doesn’t work for my body as well as the one that was working just fine. Why am I forced to switch medication? I feel like I am forced to try medication for a particular reason without being told? I think all of us who got these letters are owed an explanation."

• Goo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 20, 2017

"I've been type 1 diabetic for over 50 years. I've seen lots of changes, most of them an improvement. However, Basaglar is not an improvement over Lantus for me. It is supposed to be bio 'similar' (whatever that means), but my experience has not been a good one. Basaglar is unpredictable and has caused me much stress and anxiety because my blood sugar is all over the place and my insurance company has given me no choice. My last hemoglobin A1c was 7.2 on Lantus. I'm going for blood work today. We'll see. A1c may be decent, but my quality of life is not. Constant hypoglycemia at night and adjusting dosage ends up with high BS. I feel terrible!"

• Jad...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 17, 2020

"I am a type 1 diabetic and have been for many years. Have used different insulins. I was forced to start taking Basaglar when my insurance would no longer pay. I had never experienced the side effects that this insulin causes. It causes depression and anxiety. Also, it takes forever to work. I have to take twice as much, and blood sugars are still twice as high. Please take this off the market. The diabetes is enough, we shouldn't have to have meds for it that don't help. Instead, make matters worse!!! Oh, and also, pins malfunction all the time!!!"

• Nic...
• February 7, 2018

"My insurance made me switch from Lantus to Basaglar just because Basaglar was a measly 15% cheaper. It did not work for me at all. I don't understand how this drug was ever approved for type 1 diabetes. My blood sugar readings went from being predictable to a complete tailspin. I tried to control it with my fast-acting insulin (Novolog), and not even that worked! Complete nightmare. I contacted my doctor's office with blood sugar readings, and they put in an emergency authorization request for my Lantus. The only reason I didn't have to go to the hospital or end up in DKA was Lantus. Bottom line: if you are a Type 1, try it at your own risk and make sure you still have some of your old long-acting insulin for backup just in case."

• Kim...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 17, 2022

"I used to have excellent control while taking Lantus. Then, like most diabetics have said, insurance switched me. I’ve been taking Basaglar for about 5 years, and every day, I have to constantly try to bring down my numbers. I should have stopped taking it many years ago since my energy level suffers. I wish we could all sue Basaglar for not working and stop insurance from ruining our health. Basaglar seems to be like sterile water! I have an appointment in 4 days, and I plan on getting back on Lantus so I can finally feel alive again."

• Nat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 2, 2021

"My insurance switched me to this insulin, and ever since I've been taking it, I have extreme low blood sugars in the middle of the night. One night it got down to 15, and my mom called 911. Other times, it dropped to 40, and I've never had hypoglycemia to this degree as I've had since taking this medication. I'm severely depressed and have anxiety, which I've never had before. I also feel sluggish and tired all the time and have no energy to do anything. This is garbage insulin, and I need to go back to Lantus, which has been working for me for the past 17 years. I'm very frustrated and feel so defeated by all of this! Take this off the market!!"

• Lad...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 2, 2021

"As soon as I switched to this formula, my highs and lows were so erratic. I had lows, then over 300 constantly. Stop telling us what insulins we can use based on price. This Basaglar stuff is garbage. I literally just tossed out 2 vials and opened a Lantus."

• Nor...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 13, 2018

"My insurance company switched me to Basaglar, and my blood sugar (BS) readings went up. I increased the dosage from 30 units of Lantus to 40 units of Basaglar, and now my BS is where it should be. I have no idea why my insurance company switched me-maybe some insurance clerks found a way to save some money!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 6, 2020

"Started using Basaglar and have crashed 2 times, 1 day after using it. Had to call 911 as it made my blood sugar drop from 169 to 40 in 1/2 hour. Never had that happen before with Lantus and never had to call 911 for low blood sugar. Will just be taking Novolog unless my insurance agrees to let me use Lantus."

• MMP...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 19, 2020

"I switched from Lantus to Basaglar. Had headaches for the first two weeks, which I never get, and terrible peaks and drops after injecting Basaglar. Don’t know whether it is due to the mechanism or the insulin. It needs to be re-evaluated for safety of use..."

• Rac...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 26, 2021

"I have been diabetic for 24 years and have used Lantus for about 20 years until my insurance said this winter that it would not cover it. I was changed to Basaglar and told that it was “basically the same,” but it's not!!! In 8 months, my A1C has jumped to a 10% from a 7-8%. My blood sugar drops really low in the morning without real explanation, and then it creeps up to ridiculously high levels no matter what I eat. I am very low carb and I exercise, but nothing helps. I am also unable to lose weight, and I feel terrible. This medication is a disgrace!! If you can even call it that. I am glad to see that I’m not alone in having these issues."

• Roc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 13, 2017

"My insurance made me switch from Lantus. I am still trying to gauge how closely 1 unit of Basaglar = 1 unit of Lantus, but I have other issues with the pen. For one thing, the numbers are really hard to read. Lantus numbers were very dark and easy to see. I also don't like the silence with the injection. It clicked on Lantus, and I could hear it was going in. The worst thing is that with the start of every new pen, it hiccups and then engages, so I don't get a full dose. I will start pushing out some of the insulin first and then start over from now on."

• Dia...
• June 27, 2021

"Type 1 diabetic for 59 years. I have been on every insulin ever made over the years. Insurance switched me from Lantus, which worked very well for me. Basaglar is a poorly manufactured product - constant air bubbles in pens (which require wasted insulin as I tap and release trying to get rid of them). Have to be careful dialing up doses as it doesn't seem to deliver correct amounts. Have constant lows in the mornings and a strange drop around 10:30 at night. I have a G-6 which alerts me to this nonsense. I have found that I am developing a bulge on my left thigh. I don't think the insulin is absorbing properly. I had switched to injecting on the left thigh (side)."

• Dai...
• October 28, 2020

"I’m a 40-year brittle insulin-dependent diabetic on a sliding scale. Been using the Basaglar pen since 2018. Had no problem besides the pen itself, until the past week. I’ve had to double my Novolog for each meal and had to increase my Basaglar by three units. Don’t know what’s going on? Control number D210703A, Exp. Date 04/2022, Serial No. 007881921625. Anyone else having the same problem? Love to hear from you. Thanks...."

• Cal...
• August 13, 2020

"Since using this insulin, I cannot bring my BS down with my R insulin. I am on a diet of less than 20 total carbs per day and did not previously have this problem. I dosed 6 units of Basaglar last night, and I have had to take 4 injections today of 20 units each, my sugar will not stay down. There is something very wrong with this Basaglar 'insulin,' and this will be looked into."

• Ms3...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 19, 2022

"My experience with Basaglar will affect me for the rest of my life, and not in a good way. Of course, I doubt there is a doctor that will say results are due to this horrible 'biosimilar' creation, but I developed heart failure from Basaglar. All started when I went to see a doctor in an area I had just moved to. Without any discussion or notification, they put me on Basaglar, no change in the number of units that I needed to take. I was on it for a month before I started to feel my worst. Then I looked closer at the medication and realized it was not Lantus, which I had been taking for years. I gained 40 pounds. I could not sleep in my bed anymore because I couldn't breathe. My feet were swollen drastically. I could not make it up 13 steps without having to stop multiple times because I could not breathe. I was a very active person before all of this. After multiple trips to the doctor and a change in doctors, they found that my ejection fraction was 15%. Normal is 55-75%."

• Ton...
• August 28, 2020

"So I have been on Basaglar for 2 months, and as far as the effectiveness of the insulin, it isn’t the best, but it isn’t terrible either. What is the true downfall of Basaglar is the injecting mechanism. For example, Tresiba has a mechanism that helps push the insulin out of the pen into your body. Basaglar is completely manual, and you must push on the pen forcefully to get the dose out. It may not seem like a big deal, but if you have been a diabetic for years, you’ll realize that you might need extra help from your pen to push that insulin past all the scar tissue. In closing, the main reason I wrote this was because I just did a dose, and no less than 1/4 of the dose was wasted because the pen mechanism is an absolute abomination. Other than that, it’s okay."

• Sou...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• July 11, 2022

"Due to a shortage of Lantus, I had to get Basaglar as a replacement. 3 days in and it is awful. My sugars go up at night (alarm on my phone), so I took 2 units of Apidra. 2 hours later, I'm at 2.9. Alarms again. The pen is awful, it doesn't 'click' when you inject, so I can't count the units I'm actually getting. No comparison to Lantus. I absolutely can't stand this stuff. Stay away from the cheap stuff is all I can say."

• Bas...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 10, 2020

"I have been a Type 1 diabetic for 43 years and have been using Basaglar in conjunction with Humalog for the past 3 years, and it works perfectly. My A1C has consistently been around 6.5. My use of Basaglar has been to set a baseline for 24 hours. I take the Humalog prior to eating. My lows can always be traced to not having enough carbs to counteract the insulin. For those experiencing problems, please talk with your physician and see if there needs to be dosing changes."