Sarah Howard
Sarah Howard (nee Tackett) has dedicated her career to supporting the T1D community ever since she was diagnosed with T1D while in college in May 2013. Since then, she has worked for various diabetes organizations, focusing on research, advocacy, and community-building efforts for people with T1D and their loved ones. Sarah is currently the Senior Manager of Marketing at T1D Exchange.
Sarah and her husband live in NYC with their cat Gracie. In her spare time, she enjoys doing comedy, taking dance classes, visiting art museums, and exploring different neighborhoods in NYC.
Wish I could but my pulmonary function tests aren’t good enough.
Yes. But I’m still having trouble managing my blood sugars. The manufacturer of Afrezza was supposed to be coming out with a gadget that tracks how much you have inhaled and when. I really need that. I’m not good at writing stuff down. But, now the launch of that gadget has been delayed indefinitely. I need to write them a letter telling them hurry up. I don’t want to go back to slow acting Humalog. 😬
Gamechanger
Yes I have used inhaled insulin for a couple of months and totally loved it. But unfortunately I developed a problem with shortness of breath that most certainly was related to inhaled insuI have a terrible problem with allergic reaction to many chemicals as well as auto-immune diseases:
Type One diabetes since age 22 – I am 73 now, Hypothyroidism since age 15, and I was recently found to have AntiphospholipidSyndrome at age 72.
Yes and I love it! I have problems with finding sites I can use to inject insulin. I am unable to use my abdomen at all and only one are plus find a site for a cgm. This allows me to use my inner thighs for long acting and buttocks or one arm for cgm.
same
Afraid would damage lungs
Where’s the data to show that after 9 years on the market
I only used it very briefly when I needed a pump vacation but I simply HATED it. I felt like I had no control so went back to shots instead. (Thankfully, I’m back to pumping)
No
Have never seen or heard of it.
No, my insurance won’t cover it.
No. I have not used inhaled insulin. I wonder what advantage it would have over my Tandem Pump with Control IQ?
In any case, I have asthma and COPD, and wonder whether it would exacerbate my condition?
Hi Lawrence!
Yes, it might be a problem for the asthma and COPD.
They do a lung test before letting you use it, so you might not be able to, for lack of better phrasing, pass that test.
Thank you KarenM6
I’d love to have in on hand for occasional use with super high BGs but it’s not covered by my insurance and I doubt that my health care provider would see the need since high BGs are (fortunately) pretty rare for me.
“Clinical Inertia”: HCPs doing what they’ve done for years. Unwilling or unable to change course.
Sadly patient left behind.
Injectable insulin and AID systems is only getting about 40% of T1Ds to an A1c of under 7%. Maybe it’s time to change insulins and try something new for the other 60% of T1D’s?
Have been on this for 5 years and have less hypo than I ever did with a pump system. A1c consistently under 6.5% with ~80% TIR.
Tried this with Tresiba during a pump break, and turned into my “pump retirement!”
It was a good 14 years wearing a pump 24/7…I do not miss it.
Similar answer here.
same
I asked. My Dr. said she would never recommend inhaling a protein
Medicare doesn’t pay for inhaled insulin when you are on a pump. It lowers glucose rapidly. Wish I could use it. My friend is in a research study and is having good luck with it.
Love it, use it mornings and whenever I need to reduce BG promptly. Running out of good sites after 50 years of injections
Tried it once. Burning sensation in my nose. Not eager to use it again.
I did use it and loved it… it brought a high down so quickly, I was just amazed!
I had trouble with a couple of other times, though, and need more training to use it properly. It’s in the works, but I’ve been slow about getting the training because life got so super busy for me.
I am looking forward to getting back in the groove with this insulin!
I’m MDI, and been using Afrezza as needed, for those stubborn highs and those moments when I sit down to eat, and realize I forgot to pre-bolus – I’m sure that doesn’t happen to anyone else – haha. Or even for spur of the moment foods, like when I’m shopping in Costco, and try some of the free samples. Sure wish the Mfgr. had better lobbyists, to get it covered under more Insurance plans.
My Endo would not let me try it.
I was in a 1-year clinical study for it in the early 2000s. It worked well enough, but I didn’t like the tickle and coughing it created. I felt like it was great for someone really not wanting to take shots (pumps were not a common option then).
Can’t with asthma
I have it for really high sugars which I very rarely get (250 or over). It dropped my sugar so quickly though that I dropped into the 40’s. Scary as I didn’t know when I would stop dropping. Now I will take more grams of carbs than normal when I see that I may drop below 70 when using afrezza. Unfortunately it doesn’t come in a smaller dose than it does as it would be way better for me.
It’s sad to see the resistance with both patients and medical society. Afrezza is a godsend. But it does take adjustment and a change in thinking. Once you get it down it is a huge blessing. I have very volatile BS and slow absorption from 30 years of pumping. It is off-label but very easy to divide the cartridge’s for lower does which works well for me. I use it to supplement the pump and works well with Control IQ. I hope others can be willing to take the time and to adjust their concept of insulin dosing.
I would love to try it, but was warned against it due to having asthma.
As I stated above, there were aftereffects, some lung irritation. We were required to do a lung test before and after the test.
I was part of a group of pumpers testing Mankind Inhaled Insulin at least 25 years ago. We only use it for Blousing not Basel that cane out of our pumps. Too many restrictions and limited dosage per pipe. At that time the test did not support using it.