Week 2: Your Blood Sugar Log
Your efforts to balance your food choices, exercise, and Lantus®
should be leading you to your goal: improved blood sugar control.
Keep Up Your Blood Sugar Log
To help achieve blood sugar control, regularly check your blood sugar levels, write
them down in your log, and bring this information with you when you visit your doctor.
If you haven’t begun already, you can use our blood sugar log to keep a record of
your results.
Download Your Blood Sugar
Log
What Does a Blood Sugar Log Really Do?
With a completed blood sugar log, you'll have a picture of your body's response
to your treatment plan, which may include diet, exercise, and other diabetes medicines.
This will help your doctor better understand how your treatment is working.
For example, if your readings are higher than what your doctor recommends, you may
need to:
Reduce the amount of food you are eating
Increase your physical activity
Ask your doctor about adjusting your treatment plan
Where Should My Blood Sugar Goal Be?
According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), most people with type 2 diabetes
should have blood glucose levels within this range:
Before meals or upon waking:  |
2 hours after the start of a meal:
|
70 - 130 mg/dL
|
Less than 180 mg/dL
|
The ADA also recommends an A1C result of less than7%. While your blood glucose results
at home tell you what your blood sugar level is at that time, A1C measures your
average blood sugar levels over the past 2 to 3 months and gives you and your doctor
an overall picture of how well your treatment plan is working. Of course, you should
talk to your doctor to see which blood sugar and A1C levels are right for you.
Review Your Blood Sugar Log and Look for Patterns
Review your blood sugar log often to see how diet, exercise, and stress are affecting
your blood sugar readings.
If you start to find a pattern where your levels are out of range, you should let
your doctor know. You’ll need to work with your doctor to learn what these patterns
mean. Your doctor will then adjust your treatment plan so that it works better for
you.
Remember, managing your blood sugar is about using information to determine how
well your current plan is working for you and whether or not your doctor needs to
make adjustments. And keep in mind: no matter how well you’re following your plan,
your blood sugar levels won’t always be perfect. If you feel like you need someone
to talk to about it, you can always contact someone in your healthcare support system.
Do not take Lantus® if you are allergic to insulin or any of the
inactive ingredients in Lantus®.
You must test your blood sugar levels while using insulin, such as Lantus®.
Do not make any changes to your dose or type of insulin without talking to your
healthcare provider. Any change of insulin should be made cautiously and only under
medical supervision.
Do NOT dilute or mix Lantus® with any other insulin or solution.
It will not work as intended and you may lose blood sugar control, which could be
serious. Lantus® must only be used if the solution is clear and colorless
with no particles visible. Do not share needles, insulin pens or syringes with
others.
The most common side effect of insulin, including Lantus®, is
low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), which may be serious. Some people may
experience symptoms such as shaking, sweating, fast heartbeat, and blurred vision.
Severe hypoglycemia may be serious and life-threatening. It may cause harm to your
heart or brain. Other possible side effects may include injection site reactions,
including changes in fat tissue at the injection site, and allergic reactions, including
itching and rash. In rare cases, some allergic reactions may be life-threatening.
Tell your doctor about other medicines and supplements you are taking because they
can change the way insulin works. Before starting Lantus®, tell your
doctor about all your medical conditions including if you have liver or kidney problems,
are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding or planning to
breast-feed.
Lantus® SoloSTAR® is a disposable prefilled insulin
pen. Please talk to your healthcare provider about proper injection technique and
follow instructions in the Instruction Leaflet that accompanies the pen.
Click here for Full Prescribing Information for Lantus®.
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The health information contained herein is provided for general educational purposes
only. Your healthcare professional is the single best source of information regarding
your health. Please consult your healthcare professional if you have any questions
about your health or treatment.