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Haley Maddox
All of type 1
My type 1 · Insulin delivery

My insulin delivery

The five ways I take insulin, what each one is, and how they fit together.

Coll. Haley Maddox · Oct 2026Next: My tech setup →
Just a reminder
My diabetes care is managed in close partnership with my care team. This page shares what works for me. It isn't medical advice. Talk with your own doctor or diabetes care team before you change anything about your care.
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At a glance

InsulinDelivered byWhat it isKey detail
HumalogRapid-acting mealtimePodOmnipod 5Tubeless pump. I run it in manual mode, boluses onlyPod lasts up to 72 hours
PatchCeQur SimplicityWearable patch for mealtime and correction doses2 units per click
PenHumalog Junior KwikPenMealtime insulin penDoses in half units
AfrezzaInhaled mealtimeInhalerAfrezza inhalerInsulin powder, breathed in at the start of a mealAlone for a meal, or with less Humalog for dessert or part of a meal; one or two 4-unit cartridges
LantusLong-acting backgroundPenLantus SoloStarOnce a day, dials in 1-unit steps8 to 14 units, set by my last 2 days of exercise

Three insulins, five devices. Humalog goes in three: the Omnipod, the CeQur patch, and the KwikPen. Afrezza is its own insulin, and it's only inhaled. Lantus goes in a pen only. Tap a tag to jump to that device.

I take 10 to 25 units of mealtime (bolus) insulin per day, through whichever device I'm using. Lantus covers the background.

Timing

How long each one works

Afrezza, Humalog, and Lantus action over 24 hours Afrezza starts in about 12 minutes, peaks at 35 to 55 minutes and lasts 1.5 to 3 hours. Humalog starts in 15 to 30 minutes, peaks at 1 to 2 hours and lasts 4 to 6 hours. Lantus starts in 3 to 4 hours, stays level with no peak, and lasts up to 24 hours. 03 h6 h12 h18 h24 hHours after the dose Afrezza: peaks in under an hour, done by 1.5–3 h Humalog: peaks at 1–2 h, lasts 4–6 h Lantus: level, no peak, up to 24 h
AfrezzaTo start~12 minPeak35–55 minLasts1.5–3 h
HumalogTo start15–30 minPeak1–2 hLasts4–6 h
LantusTo start3–4 hPeakNoneLastsUp to 24 h
Typical timing. Line height shows the shape over time, not dose or strength, and timing shifts with the injection site, exercise, and heat. Source: ADCES danatech insulin chart.

Omnipod 5

ActiveHumalog · Pump

A tubeless insulin pump. It's a delivery system, not an insulin: I fill each pod with Humalog. In automated mode it talks to a Dexcom CGM and adjusts insulin based on glucose readings.

  • The pod sticks to the skin and inserts its own cannula, so there's no tubing.
  • Each pod holds 200 units and lasts up to 72 hours.
  • Works with the Dexcom G7 and FreeStyle Libre 2 Plus.
  • Controlled from a compatible phone or the Omnipod 5 Controller.
  • The pod is waterproof up to 25 feet for 60 minutes. The controller isn't.
  • Me: I run my Omnipod in manual mode, not automated mode, and only use it for boluses. That's why I keep Lantus as my background insulin. It's a less common combination, but it's the setup my care team and I built around how I live, and it works well for me.

Source: ADA Consumer Guide: Omnipod 5

CeQur Simplicity

Humalog · Patch

A small insulin patch worn on the body for mealtime and correction doses. You squeeze its buttons to give a dose. Like the pod, it's a delivery system I fill with Humalog.

  • Each click gives 2 units.
  • Holds 200 units of U-100 insulin and is worn for up to 4 days.
  • No tubing and no pens to carry.
  • For adults 21 and older.
A tan CeQur Simplicity insulin patch on my stomach, above the belly button, with a Mo/PM label and a 2U marking.
My CeQur Simplicity, labeled with the day and time I put it on.
More to come: the FDA has cleared CeQur Simplicity for up to 7 days of wear, up from 4, and a 1-unit version of the patch alongside today's 2-unit one. Neither is on CeQur's site yet.

Sources: ADA Consumer Guide: CeQur Simplicity · CeQur Simplicity FAQs (4-day wear) · MassDevice: 7-day wear and 1-unit clearances (June 2026) · CeQur press release (June 2026)

Humalog Junior KwikPen

BackupHumalog · Pen

A prefilled, disposable mealtime insulin pen from Lilly, filled with Humalog (insulin lispro).

  • Doses in half-unit steps, for finer adjustments than a standard pen.
  • Me: I use the shortest, thinnest pen needles, often used for kids: 4 mm, 32 gauge, like the BD Ultra-Fine Nano.
  • Each pen holds 300 units.

Source: diaTribe: Humalog Junior KwikPen

Afrezza

Alone or with HumalogAfrezza · Inhaler

A rapid-acting insulin powder you breathe in at the start of a meal, using a small inhaler. It's the only insulin on this page that's inhaled, not injected.

  • Comes in single-use cartridges of 4, 8, and 12 units. Larger doses use more than one.
  • A lung function test (spirometry) is needed before starting, then again after 6 months and yearly.
  • Me: spirometry was almost a blocker. My care team was able to get a spirometer from their pediatrics department and sent it home with me.
  • Not for people with chronic lung disease such as asthma or COPD, and not recommended for people who smoke.
  • Each inhaler can be used for up to 15 days.
  • Me: I can take it on its own for a meal, but I often take it with less Humalog to cover dessert or a certain portion of a meal. I keep just the 4-unit cartridges and take one, or two when I need more.
A cup of ice cream on a table, with my Afrezza inhaler and an opened blister pack holding a blue 4-unit cartridge beside it.
Dessert at Millie's Homemade Ice Cream, a local Pittsburgh favorite, with my Afrezza inhaler and a 4-unit cartridge. My pick: Chad's Vanilla.

Source: Afrezza prescribing information (Drugs.com)

Lantus

Lantus · Long-actingPen

A long-acting background (basal) insulin, insulin glargine, from Sanofi. It covers the body's steady insulin needs between meals and overnight.

  • Taken once a day, at the same time every day. Me: I take it in the morning.
  • Starts working in 3 to 4 hours, has no peak, and lasts up to 24 hours.
  • The SoloStar pen dials in 1-unit steps.
  • Me: 8 to 14 units, based on how much I exercised over the previous 2 days, and the season.
  • Adjusting: if glucose rises or falls more than 30 mg/dL overnight, with no food or correction in play, the background dose is likely off. I go up or down about 1 unit, with my care team's guidance.
  • Me: if my glucose drops more than 30 mg/dL overnight, I take 1 unit less. I see this most in my overnight lows after exercise: my body is at rest and isn't raising my blood sugar on its own, so that dose is likely too much Lantus.
  • Me: I use the shortest, thinnest pen needles, often used for kids: 4 mm, 32 gauge, like the BD Ultra-Fine Nano.

The 30 mg/dL rule comes from basal testing guidance. The 1-unit step is my own routine. Sources: Gary Scheiner, diaTribe: basal adjustment · Basal basics (DiabetesEd) · BD: Ultra-Fine Nano 4 mm · Lantus prescribing information (PDR) · ADCES danatech: Lantus SoloStar

Sources