# How long does Novorapid stay working?



## pottersusan (Dec 6, 2015)

I've been told Novorapid hangs around for about 4 hours. I'm beginning to think that it hangs around for longer during the night. Given its time to start acting varies tremendously for me during the day, it seems quite possible.
Thoughts please.


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## Pumper_Sue (Dec 6, 2015)

I understood it to last for 5 hours.


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## grovesy (Dec 6, 2015)

I suspect that in some it varies.


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## Northerner (Dec 6, 2015)

I think it partly depends on how big the dose is and where it is administered. I generally inject doses of between 5-10 units in my behind and they tend to still to be active until 5 hours have passed. However, smaller injections administered in the belly might only last 3-4 hours.


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## vikki (Dec 6, 2015)

It only lasts apx 2.5 hours for me ,basals last 9 hours guess my body says shove off insulin LOL


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## pottersusan (Dec 6, 2015)

So yet again we're told different things by the experts  and our bodies react differently 

I must admit that I hadn't though of the size of dose making a difference or the site. My cannula always goes into my abdomen (being careful not to say stomach ) so that shouldn't make too much difference.

I'm asking 'cos the DF is being stroppy about being woken up in the middle of the night. She ought to know the answer, but she's no help at all . I think, for me it's the size of dose late in the evening hanging on much longer than I expect. My basal is fine. It's just when I eat it goes pear shaped


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## Pumper_Sue (Dec 6, 2015)

pottersusan said:


> My basal is fine. It's just when I eat it goes pear shaped


What do you eat to cause things to go pear shaped?


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## Robin (Dec 6, 2015)

Takes half an hour to start work, and is nearly all gone 3 hours after injecting, so active life of 2.5 hours for me too.


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## pottersusan (Dec 6, 2015)

Pumper_Sue said:


> What do you eat to cause things to go pear shaped?


Practically anything! I do a lot of my eating in the evening and I think it all stacks up - I think I need to change my ratios slightly


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## trophywench (Dec 6, 2015)

So - how much IOB is there when you go to bed - and - are you certain it isn't your basal that needs knocking down a bit instead?


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## pottersusan (Dec 7, 2015)

IOB? not met this one - insulin on board?
Ive been working really hard on getting the basal right and am there at the moment, but who knows about tomorrow?! I think it hangs around late evening/early morning for at least 6 hours! With a slight tweak, the DF and I did have an undisturbed night.


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## Pumper_Sue (Dec 7, 2015)

IOB should be visible on your pump after you bolus, look in settings and see where it is


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## everydayupsanddowns (Dec 7, 2015)

I always used to *think* it was quite short lived for me between 3-3.5 hours, but more recently with various sensors I have certainly seen activity between 4-5 hours. Tricky thing is that it only takes a teeny tiny bit of 'basal being out' to magnify that or remove it entirely. And my basal never seems to stand still for much more than 2-3 weeks at a time! 

In the end I hav reset my insulin duration from 3 to 4 hours and it seems to be working  little better, but iob suggestions from Artoo are still a bit hit and miss to be honest, and I suspect they always will be!


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## Robin (Dec 7, 2015)

I was the opposite, I assumed a 4hr duration  because that's what it says on the tin, until I got my Libre and realised anything after 3hrs was definitely having to wait for the next bolus to come along.


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## Pumper_Sue (Dec 7, 2015)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> Tricky thing is that it only takes a teeny tiny bit of 'basal being out' to magnify that or remove it entirely. And my basal never seems to stand still for much more than 2-3 weeks at a time!


Perhaps we should set up a club called the drifting basals?


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## trophywench (Dec 7, 2015)

Neither of the Roche pumps I have had (Combo or Insight) has an IOB facility (except for corrections, when using the meter - a la 'Expert' meter)  so it's just knowledge by the User.  How long ago did I have my last jab of fast acting scenario same as MDI - so how long has it still got to run?


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## pottersusan (Dec 7, 2015)

trophywench said:


> Neither of the Roche pumps I have had (Combo or Insight) has an IOB facility (except for corrections, when using the meter - a la 'Expert' meter)  so it's just knowledge by the User.  How long ago did I have my last jab of fast acting scenario same as MDI - so how long has it still got to run?


Aha! that explains why I cant find it, having a Combo.
The medics forget that I haven't got many years of experience behind me like most T1s. The basic things that I've not been told are many and varied. Plus sometimes they obviously think I'm imagining things - but I have evidence to back up my questions.


Pumper_Sue said:


> Perhaps we should set up a club called the drifting basals?


If it just drifted it wouldn't be quite so bad! Sometimes it changes like the wind Its a while since a major change - so am keeping on my toes...


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## everydayupsanddowns (Dec 7, 2015)

My requirement fell by approximately 25% seemingly overnight week before last - took a few days of low-chasing to catch up


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## Pumper_Sue (Dec 7, 2015)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> My requirement fell by approximately 25% seemingly overnight week before last - took a few days of low-chasing to catch up


Funny enough mine is doing that now and it's a complete pain in the *rse


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## trophywench (Dec 7, 2015)

I've been having hypos late afternoon/ early evening for a week or two, last week after keep putting it off, I decided I really must tackle basal testing during the afternoon, and bingo it stopped so I didn't.  Now it's back.

Susan - I reckon esp with a pump - you can definitely say nearer 5 hours.  Plus FWIW I have never experienced a 'sting in its tail' like some get with Humalog, with N it's much more a gradual tailing off over the last 2 and a half hours for me.  And the Roche meters/pumps, even when calculating the IOB for correction doses - haven't got it right - always tells me there's shedloads left right up to 3hrs 45 after I jab it (because I haven't altered it from 4 hours since because I ignore the IOB anyway and do my own thing, it doesn't matter - or at least, doesn't seem to)  I know it's wrong because if there was as much left as it says, it would get rid of whatever I ate.  It's a flippin nuisance really, cos then if I think Oh I'll have eg an apple 2 hours after a meal, and there was a correction for higher BG in the bolus for the meal, it will say there's some of that left and knock it off the bolus it calculates.  So consequently, I often don't bother to test and just bolus straight into the pump, for exactly what I need for the apple.  After I eat it, I turn on the handset, go to My Data so it picks up the bolus from the pump, then amend that entry to add the carbs for the apple - otherwise at bedtime, it will think I have spare IOB cos it will think the apple bolus was a correction.

JHC!!  to quote Holden Caulfield - why do I bother having a frigging pump!!!  (Yeah yeah - basal requirements ....)

But you are right - it's only because I knew what I was doing before I had the darn thing, that I've been able to do this in the first place - I wouldn't expect you to know, how could you?

But - anyway! - as blinking always - YMMV !!


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## pottersusan (Dec 7, 2015)

trophywench said:


> But - anyway! - as blinking always - YMMV !!



I think we should have a post to explain internet slang . It won't be written by me


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## trophywench (Dec 7, 2015)

Your
Mileage
May
Vary

(IYSWIM, ROFL !)


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## pottersusan (Dec 7, 2015)

Thank goodness for Google


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## everydayupsanddowns (Dec 7, 2015)

We put one together for forum users in the Newbies section some time ago which might give you some pointers
https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/acronyms-and-abbreviations.16567/


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## pottersusan (Dec 7, 2015)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> We put one together for forum users in the Newbies section some time ago which might give you some pointers
> https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/acronyms-and-abbreviations.16567/


I feel like 1st cousin to Methuselah 
I still don't know what IOB stands for


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## Phil65 (Dec 7, 2015)

As others have said. Fast acting insulin varies from person to person, I reckon mine peaks at 2.5 hours maybe 3 max.


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## Pumper_Sue (Dec 7, 2015)

pottersusan said:


> I still don't know what IOB stands for


IOB stands for insulin on board


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## Pumper_Sue (Dec 7, 2015)

Phil65 said:


> As others have said. Fast acting insulin varies from person to person, I reckon mine peaks at 2.5 hours maybe 3 max.


That's completely different to how long the insulin is active for.

I use animal insulin and it peaks at the 2 hours but duration is 6 - 6 1/2 hours


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## trophywench (Dec 7, 2015)

Well you correctly guessed IOB Susan - so I didn't translate!

Sorry but like a lot of things eg YMMV and IYSWIM, they're used on all sorts of forums (Motorbikes, cars, motorhomes, shooting etc) plus ones that happen to be relevant to their subjects, same as here.

For all I know - you've been a leading light somewhere on t'internet for the last decade.  (eg a girl on the other DSF ran a Smart car forum for years! LOL)


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## everydayupsanddowns (Dec 8, 2015)

pottersusan said:


> I feel like 1st cousin to Methuselah
> I still don't know what IOB stands for


Tee hee! Oops, I hadn't spotted that it wasn't part of the list - it is now


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## pottersusan (Dec 8, 2015)

everydayupsanddowns said:


> Tee hee! Oops, I hadn't spotted that it wasn't part of the list - it is now


Thanks 
I didn't do texts before smartphones so didn't learn all those shortcuts and this is the only forum I visit regularly. The DF couldn't help either


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## Phil65 (Dec 9, 2015)

T


Pumper_Sue said:


> That's completely different to how long the insulin is active for.
> 
> I use animal insulin and it peaks at the 2 hours but duration is 6 - 6 1/2 hours


The duration of my Novo Rapid is little more than 3-4 hours.


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