April 26, 2004
Daily Care, Other
Question from Bloomington, Illinois, USA:
My five year old has had type 1 diabetes for three years. He receives Ultralente shots in the morning and night and Humalog shots after each meal. We check his blood sugar four to five times a day (tight control therapy). We were in U.S. for the past five years and now we are going back to settle in India. The doctors and patients in India that I talked to, follow an older regimen–mixed insulin shots twice a day, meals at pre-determined time and blood sugar checked once a month at doctors office. I am very much concerned about deviating from my child’s current regime. Please let me know whether the “tight control therapy” is used in India? How much does it cost monthly (no health insurance in India)?
Answer:
If you visit a pediatric diabetes specialist at one of the university centers or those in the bigger Indian cities, you will find very knowledgeable Indian pediatric diabetes teams and specialists who can help you carry out intensified treatment just as you are doing now. Lantus insulin may be a better alternative than ultralente as Lantus is somewhat more predictable and with fewer peaks than ultralente insulin. You should discuss this with your current team.
SB
Additional comments from Brenda Hitchcock:
We do not know what the cost will be in India.
BH
