Generic Name: Basaglar (insulin-glargine)
Basaglar Reviews
For Diabetes, Type 2 "I agree with the vast majority of reviews here and elsewhere -- Basaglar is garbage. It doesn't work at all! Before being switched, I was waking up to levels between 80 to 135. Even with drastic increases in dosage, my levels are in the 300s and never come down, even while fasting. This garbage is a placebo -- sugar water. Worthless and dangerous to use. God only knows what kind of damage it's causing diabetics!"
For Diabetes, Type 2 "I was on Lantus, which worked beautifully for me. Like others, I was switched to Basaglar (not my doing). The issue I am having is that my appetite seems to have doubled. In a matter of two months, I went from 188lb to 201lb. I know my diet as a diabetic is a delicate one. I have had no other changes in my meds whatsoever. This has occurred since I started this insulin. I hate it!!! Am I the only one that experienced this issue?"
For Diabetes, Type 2 "I have had Type 2 diabetes for 20 years. I was on Lantus for most of that time. Blood sugars were so well controlled that I was able to stop Lantus for weeks and stay on oral medications (not Metformin, but Pioglitazone and Sitagliptin). My insurance switched me to Basaglar. At first, it seemed okay. However, in 24 hours, my sugar jumped from under 200 mg% to over 500 mg%. Reading the other patient reports and considering my own experience, I would say it is highly likely that the batches of Basaglar vary in potency. Note that in the online report on this insulin, https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cadth.ca%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fcdr%2Fseb%2FSE0451_Basaglar_SEB_Report.pdf vital information has been redacted. So, you can't view the reports on its purity or stability. This was a money-saving gambit by the manufacturer. As an M.D. with 30 years of treating diabetes, I think this insulin is unreliable."
For Diabetes, Type 2 "Well... Those fools at my insurance company have decided they know more than my doctors about medicating my diabetes type 2. They refused my Lantus script after 5 successful years of controlling my A1C. Insurance denied my doctor's pre-approval request 2 times. Basaglar was their replacement drug of choice, so here we go. So far, about 1 year now, and as of today, NO bad side effects. My A1Cs are about the same as before, and everything appears to be fine? (Knock on wood) I have had a heart attack recently and required 4 stents to get me up again on my feet. My cardio team has reviewed my med list and do not think it has any relation to my using Basaglar as opposed to Lantus. I place my trust in my team and will continue to use Basaglar until I am advised against it by my doctors, have a reaction to it, or my insurance decides there is a cheaper alternative? God help us all who live governed by the decisions of a bunch of insurance underwriters as opposed to the knowledge of our doctors."
For Diabetes, Type 2 "This stuff is terrible! It's hard to use, hard to inject, inaccurate dosing, burns at the injection site. Control isn't good either. I hate this and want to go back to Levemir! It's all about insurance companies and money, not what's best for patients!"
For Diabetes, Type 2 "I had to change from Lantus to Basaglar due to the insurance company changing the prior authorization status of Lantus. I am very concerned due to the inaccuracy of the Basaglar KwikPen. Sometimes it gives the correct amount I have dialed in, more often, it is lowering the amount I have dialed in. My morning blood sugar is fluctuating greatly because of this. If you are using this KwikPen, be aware it may not be administering the correct dose. I feel there should be an investigation on the quality of the pen."
For Diabetes, Type 2 "I took Lantus prior to Basaglar, which was chemically similar. Within days, my blood glucose was out of control. Previously, my HbA1c was 6.2. My glucose level rose from a norm of 109-179 to 154-228. Basaglar did NOT last a full 24 hours. Around hour 10, it seemed to wear off, causing elevated blood glucose levels. I developed a nagging, dry cough, swollen legs, and upper abdomen. My doctor applied for a medical exception with my insurer and CVS to return to Lantus. I have to pay a higher co-pay (Basaglar copay is $30 and Lantus is $50 for a 3-week supply. To get a full month's supply, I would have had to pay double that amount). The dry cough has not gone away. Neither has the swelling in my upper abdomen. My blood glucose levels are lower but are no longer under good control as before Basaglar. Very unhappy with the outcome. I filed a complaint with the FDA."
For Diabetes, Type 1 "I was on Lantus for about 8 years and was forced to take Basaglar due to insurance issues. Since the swap to Basaglar, I've already had two diabetic seizures in the last few weeks due to my blood sugar dropping to the 30s in the morning. Yes, my blood sugar was 32 this morning. I cover carbs with Novolog but stopped covering my evening food and before-bedtime snacks so it wouldn't drop, and it still did. I lowered the dose time after time and ate a ton of carbs before bed, and I still almost died. However, it doesn't lower my sugar later in the day. I have to cover my meals with twice the fast-acting insulin as I normally would. They need a lawsuit formed against them for making this stuff."
For Diabetes, Type 1 "I was put on Basaglar by my insurance company, who was refusing to pay for Lantus. I have never been sicker in my life! I take so much more short-acting insulin all day long and wake up in the 200 to 300 range every day. This has to be placebo! It's being forced on us because it is cheaper, but how much cheaper could it be if it is not working!"
For Diabetes, Type 2 "My insurance forced the switch from Lantus, which I have been taking for years, to Basaglar. I started to develop skin sensitivity, rash, and my sugar became hard to control. I also started having heart and breathing problems. The Basaglar also seems to deliver its payload rapidly several hours after injection, causing hard to control highs and lows. I was able to get a card from Sanofi for discounted Lantus. Things are improving, but I feel I have a ways to go to undo the damage done by the Basaglar."
For Diabetes, Type 2 "I have been on Basaglar for at least 6 months, and it was just ok. Now I have terrible heart issues and breathing problems. Will not take this any longer. Someone needs to check into these problems and make sure this drug is safe!"
For Diabetes, Type 2 "I have been on metformin for about 25 years and additional pill meds to supplement for a long time. Dr. recently switched me to Basaglar a little over a month ago. Started at 15 units and have increased to 30. No change. Fasting sugars remain in the 250-280 range and mid 300’s two hours after meals. And this is while also taking 1000 mg of metformin a day. Not happy with this."
For Diabetes, Type 2 "Been on both Lantus and now Basaglar, and with Lantus alone, it controlled my BGL well. With Basaglar, I have barely improved my A1C with it and now need Novolog at big meals to even keep my A1C below 8.0. It seems like Basaglar doesn’t do anything to level out the smaller spikes as Lantus did. I have tried different injection sites, and nothing helps. I could probably inject saline solution and get better results. The FDA needs to re-evaluate Basaglar because it’s not close to being as effective as Lantus."
For Diabetes, Type 2 "With Lantus, my glucose was controlled. Then the doctor gave me Basaglar KwikPen, and the problems started. I find that the pen doesn't deliver the amount that I have selected. Normally, I use 40 units of Lantus. With this KwikPen, I selected 40 units, and the pen delivers different amounts, sometimes it's 35 u, others 37 u, so my glucose went up. Then I decided to mark in the pen 44 u, so I compensated for the amount that the pen delivers. Then my glucose was too low because the amount that delivers was 49 u. Since then, my A1C went up. I'm going to see my doctor in 2 weeks, and I know she is going to nag me because of my A1C, and the exactitude with the pen is compromised. If you are about to switch to this brand, be careful because it doesn't work properly."
For Diabetes, Type 1 "Recently switched from Levemir to Basaglar with a new job and new insurance. Like everyone else, I have no idea how this insulin was approved for T1D use. Seriously baffled. I have the Dexcom G6 CGM, so I'm painfully aware of just how bad it is. Every day I wake up and watch my sugar climb to 250 while fasting. I desperately shoot Novolog well into the late afternoon until I finally reach some normalcy. Even still, I can't eat a salad with four and a half croutons without my sugar climbing to 300, even with dosing well in advance. This is really blowing my mind, I'm pretty sure it's just water. If I don't get Levemir back, the only way I can see myself staying out of DKA is a practically no-carb diet. I'm just out here screaming into the void..."
For Diabetes, Type 2 "Was on Toujeo for years, which worked very well. My insurance dropped Toujeo in favor of Basaglar to reduce costs. For me, it’s much less effective. Morning blood glucose is 20-30 points higher; night is 40-50 points higher even with a 10-unit dosage increase. Basaglar is also 3x dilute, so it requires at least 3x injection volume increase. The injection pens seem to require more force, which causes me to bend needles when I inject in kidney fat pads (can’t inject in belly anymore). I don’t like Basaglar."
For Diabetes, Type 2 "Worst experience of my life! I've always maintained an A1c of 6.5 - 7.2 on Lantus and using the Wal-Mart 70/30, but my insurance quit paying for my Lantus, so I was switched to Basaglar, and now I've had the worst A1c levels of 12.0 and 13.1 just this past week after 6 months! I've been on to my insurance, and finally, they are paying for a portion of my Lantus. Seems I'm not the only one."
For Diabetes, Type 1 "I was taking Lantus for years without any problems or side effects. Then the insurance company forced me to switch to Basaglar. As soon as I started taking it, it was making me sick with flu-like symptoms. I stopped taking it for a few days to see if it was the insulin that was causing it, and it was. The symptoms went away as soon as I stopped taking Basaglar, and then when I started taking it again, the symptoms came back. Basaglar is trash. Pharmaceutical and insurance companies try to tell you that Basaglar is pretty much the same thing as Lantus, but that's not true."
For Diabetes, Type 2 "I started taking Basaglar two months ago. I had a massive headache for two weeks straight, although my sugar went from 250 to 152 while using 12u. Then, after the first two weeks, my headache went away, but my sugar went way back up to the 300s. Went back to the doc, and as per their instructions, I increased the insulin by 5u every 3 days. At first, there was no change. However, when I got to 20u, the persistent headaches started again, my vision blurred, I started to shake, and I broke out in a cold sweat. I had to leave work early for 2 days in a row because I couldn't cope. No pain meds, even Hydrocodone, would help. After reading these reviews and experiencing this myself, I'm not taking this drug."
For Diabetes, Type 1 "This med, Basaglar, is nothing like Lantus. My 12-year-old granddaughter was forced to switch from Lantus to Basaglar 8 months ago. The insurance will not pay for Lantus that she had been using for the previous 2 years. Within a week of using it, we knew this medication was not working and was causing her side effects. Her daytime glucose levels were very high. We had to double her short-acting insulin. At nighttime, her levels are dropping to 40 every few hours. The pen injector malfunctions frequently, jams, and I am convinced it dispenses an incorrect amount of units. I have to wake her up and load her with carbs to get her levels back up 2-4 times each night. If it were not for her Dexcom G6 alarm, I honestly think she would die in her sleep. She has headaches, abdominal pain, back pain, and leg cramps daily. She has respiratory issues ever since starting the med."
For Diabetes, Type 2 "My insurance company switched me to this, and I have gone from my usual blood sugar of 90 to 120 to this morning 435. I have had muscle pain, night cramps, increased appetite, and weight gain. I hate this, and I am on my way to the emergency room because of it. I feel a lawsuit coming on. I think this is an experimental drug, and it’s hurting a lot of people. It's a shame the greed that exhibits itself in the drug industry."
For Diabetes, Type 2 "I have been on Basaglar for about 6 months. I have used other types of Insulin in the past. I find the pen hard to push when I am administering my insulin. I have a pen right now that is defective. I cannot push it to distribute the insulin. It seems "stiff" to turn to number of units I need. I ended up using a new pen. I went to my pharmacy and talked to the pharmacist and he said he could not replace pen that I needed to contact company."
For Diabetes, Type 1 "I've been on Basaglar for exactly 1 week now. Before I was taking Toujeo. In this one week alone, I've been hospitalized for DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis), and now I am experiencing facial swelling and hives. Yesterday I woke up with my blood sugar (BS) at 114 and decided to fast for most of the day to see if that would help keep me stable. Over the full 24 hours, I ate 2 apples and a little bit of quinoa. Before bed, my BS was at 524, which is much higher than it was when I went in for DKA. This stuff is not working, it's breaking me out, and it is making me fear for my life. Today is Christmas, and I am considering not eating at all because I do not wish to go into a coma. Thanks, Basaglar. I'm so frustrated right now, I have to fight to get my old meds back."
For Diabetes, Type 2 "I would say, I have experienced the same as many here.... I was on Lantus, very expensive insurance carrier forced me to take a cheaper drug to enhance their profit margin and not only forced me to buy from their “preferred provider CVS Caremark, but also switch to Basaglar. Since switching my sugar has dramatically increased, especially in the morning for fasting blood sugar. This has forced me to increase my dosage, which doesn’t always work. I just got new insurance and I sure as heck am getting back on Lantus!"
For Diabetes, Type 1 "I was taking Lantus for years when my insurance made me switch to Basaglar. They told me Basaglar is pretty much the same as Lantus and just a cheaper generic version. But I had nothing but problems with Basaglar. As soon as I started taking it I was having flu like symptoms that never subsided. Basaglar is horrible and needs to be taken off the market"
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- Diabetes, Type 2
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