Initial Insulin adjustments for low carb diet??

[megan]

Hi, I have joined on another posting about this but thought it might be a good idea to start a new thread too....I am starting a low carb routine tomorrow....I have tried before unsuccessfully...I have looked further into atkins and wish to adjust. I am resistent to my insulin. On 200 thyroxine....creon and antidepressants. What I would like advice with is the initial adjusting of insulin to this diet change. I have tried all sorts....the experience is not good.....I wont go into all that now but if this actually helps Nd my insulin requirements go down the I want to be as prepared as I can and try to avoid hypos.....previous reduced carb diets have not done anything, infact in a reguLr healthy diet salad with next to no carb spikes my sugars and thats taking insulin. although my specialist tells me I shouldn't take insulin on a salad with no carbs......but that does t work...infact its disaster...any thoughts id be really pleased for. I have terrible brain fog and get tired very quickly.....cant always concentrate on lots of reading, sorry if im repeating myself....thanks


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[noblehead]

When I went low-carb for a short time I too found I would need a fair amount of insulin for no carb meals, I think it's trial and error on how much insulin you will need following a low-carb diet and only by testing will you know the answer.

As protein and fat break down much slower than carbs I found split doses of insulin was the only way to keep my bg levels within target, injecting a small amount up front with my meal and again 2-3 hours after would avoid prevent a preprandial bg rise before I next ate, hopefully some more experienced members will be along soon to advise you.

 

[mo1905]

Rather than shock your body into a sudden big diet change and to help insulin dose adjustment easier I would make the switch to low carb a gradual one. This will give your body an opportunity to adjust and with regular testing it should make it easier to slowly make changes to insulin rather than make big changes and risk hypos/hypers. Good luck and I hope this works well for you.

 

[megan]

hi thanks for the replys and suggestions....I have done reduced carbs before and generally just good healthy eating habits and nothing makes my sugars any easier to control or helps my weight. I don't know what else to do. so I am now on day two of a version of atkins. its hard to tell what effects it may have on me in how I feel as I feel quite **** most of the time anyway.
at the moment I am tired as normal and a dull headache......done urine test and its high on ketones.....is that the point of this diet or not? how do you tell what are the right ketones for atkins and avoiding ketoacidosis.
so I reduced my basal from 20 morning and 20 evening dose to 18 and 18 to try to attempt to predict avoiding hypos...but so far with next to no carbs in my food I am taking bolus insulin just to counteract the high sugars (which are normal for me too).....so perhaps I need to just put it back to 20 and 20.....following the don't change anything with basal for 3 day rule?
I have also heard about hypometabolism.....some suggest doing through dr having a higher dose of T3 or T4 and doing for a week or two then come off it for a week or so and then back on to try to kick start the body?? anyone done this?
I am resistant to my meds, I am sensitive to hormonal changes (my blood sugars).....creon has made no obvious difference to my IBS and for the most part it is constipation I suffer with and what I eat makes NO difference....believe me......its circumstance changes that do.....any thought s and suggestions?
oh and I am on 200 my thyroxine daily for any one wondering if that's the problem.