Basaglar and Headaches: What Users Say

• Kee...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 23, 2018

For Type 2 Diabetes "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."

• Mad...
• August 9, 2019

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."

• Leh...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 25, 2018

For Type 2 Diabetes "Don't buy this and waste your money and/or Medicare benefits. Get a sample first. I injected 40 units at 9 PM the first night. By 9:30, my eyes were swelled shut and my throat was swelling shut. Called an ambulance and was treated for anaphylactic shock. Released the next day with a red, black, and blue welt at the injection site and a handful of Tresiba samples (which was what I had used prior to insurance trying to save a buck). Tossed all the Basaglar samples out except the one I used in case the FDA should want it after I filed my MedWatch report. A horrid drug, was obviously rushed past the FDA with under-table handshakes. Shame on them. Two days later, still shaky with an unending headache!"

• che...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 8, 2020

For Diabetes, Type 1 "I've been type 1 for 20 years and been on Lantus the majority of the time. My insurance switched me to Basaglar 4 months ago, and I've gained 20 lbs. I also have had headaches, and I already suffer from anxiety and depression, but my depression seems to be a lot worse. DO NOT RECOMMEND!!! If I could give it a 0 out of 10, I would!"

• Pre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 7, 2018

For Diabetes, Type 1 "As with many others, experiencing headaches, anxiety, dizziness, feeling in mental limbo, tired, though some symptoms clear by afternoon or late day. My problem is that the endocrinologist I was seeing just since February quit at the same time he put me on Basaglar because Lantus was making me itch all over. I had side effects from all meds, so my family doctor sent me to him. Hope to see a regular doctor soon who also has diabetes. Maybe she can help? Only good note is that my points are down. Scary that someone checked the 'tube' on four or five and nothing came out. Sad to be a guinea pig or test subject. I'm older and only diagnosed in the last four years. Very disheartening to have this malady."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 16, 2021

For Type 2 Diabetes "My doctor placed me on this medication three months ago, and I immediately began noticing that I was having trouble staying asleep at night and waking with a dull headache every morning. I also noticed occasional and always unexplainable perspiration on my face and scalp. After about a month of use, lower leg swelling and shortness of breath was added to my symptoms. Upon calling my doctor, I was advised to 'stick with the Basaglar' and that it would 'get better.' And so, I tried. Then I began noticing my weight rapidly increasing and rushed to see my doctor in person. He wasn't there, but his PA immediately said that Basaglar is the culprit for all my ills, including the weight gain, and took me off this terrible med. We are now searching for something that will work in its place. The loss of quality of life just wasn't worth the small amount this medication lowered my A1C."

• Her...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 29, 2020

For Type 2 Diabetes "Well, I have tried this a few times, every time I do, it makes me sick!!! I have been down for 3 days now because of it! I feel like I can't breathe, and I'm shaking really bad, and headaches as well. My sugar dropped one day to e46, and I feel sick, sick! Today I chose to stop it again because my sugar used to be 6, and I'm 8.8 now, but the doctor is going to have to figure something out! It's messing with my anxiety, my chest hurts as well, and sweating and heat flashes! The tremors make me feel old as anything because I'm shaking like an old woman! Does anybody else know how long it made them feel sick for? Last time I took it, it was days to make me feel better when I stopped it. Hope it helps someone else! Definitely can't forget about shortness of breath or feeling like you can't breathe with chest pain!"

• MMP...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 19, 2020

For Diabetes, Type 1 "I switched from Lantus to Basaglar. Had headaches for the first two weeks, which I never get, and terrible peaks and drops after injecting Basaglar. Don’t know whether it is due to the mechanism or the insulin. It needs to be re-evaluated for safety of use..."

• Pat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 8, 2021

For Type 2 Diabetes "I was recently switched from Bydureon to Basaglar, and that mess raised my blood sugar, never lowered it, and gave me headaches. Now I eat red grapefruit, which lowers my blood sugar instantly, and no more meds for me. These meds are so bad for you before they heal you. Home remedies work better, my blood sugar was 216, grapefruit took it down to 163."

• Jay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 26, 2020

For Type 2 Diabetes "Using Basaglar for about a month now and getting good results. Levels are in normal range at 12 units, but I have side effects of ringing in my ears all day, but worse at night after injection. Also, a dull headache and some shoulder pain that's not too bad yet. As dosage increased, ringing gets louder. However, it does work for me, and my insurance only covers this brand. Since I have only been on it a short time, I will have to wait and see if side effects get better or worse."

• dcg...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 18, 2022

For Type 2 Diabetes "I was on Lantus for 2+ years, and it had worked well. I was switched to Basaglar due to insurance no longer approving coverage for Lantus. Since switching, my blood glucose is higher than it was when on Lantus, plus having issues such as stomach pain, leg cramps, insomnia, tinnitus, headaches, etc. The Basaglar pens are often faulty and don't dispense the correct dose. I've already called the manufacturer twice with pen issues, and all they do is go through troubleshooting, then tell me the pen is okay to use. The dial does not feel right when I dial the dose, and I've even physically marked the pens, and I can tell it's not always dispensing the correct dose. I know how long a pen should last, and I'm still using the pens with the Basaglar 2-3 days after my pen should be used up. I'm going to beg my doctor tomorrow to help me get my insurance to put me back on Lantus. Not only does the Basaglar pen not work right, the drug itself is NOT equal to Lantus, no matter what the manufacturer says."

• KRa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 20, 2020

For Type 2 Diabetes "Just started Basaglar and have increased tinnitus, a screaming in my head. Also, I am experiencing insomnia taking this. Headache also."

• Pat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 23, 2021

For Diabetes, Type 1 "Terrible drug, couldn't sleep, gave me really bad leg cramps, headaches, blood sugars went up and down!"