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Shocked and failed!

Soapybubs87

Well-Known Member
Messages
96
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
So i have always been told to watch the sugar and carbs in food and calculate insulin on carb in take...i have never been told that protein affects my sugars..untill coming and joing here which makes sense the amount of time i give what i think is appropriate for my carb intake (or have a low carb neal) yet hours later im at a 17mmol sugar afyer having 7 ubits of nova!! I use the 1 unit per 1 carb system now im thinking im going wrong i am still waiting for my dafne course (will chase them up tomorrow) im due to see my consultant in a few weeks my last hba1c was 74 (it was down from 84 before that it was 63) im not sure if the reason it was 74 was due to a lot of hypos over the 3 months, how much insulin should i be thinking for protein..at this rate i will be living off cucumber and water haha
 
Unless you are following a low carb diet every day, for every meal, you should not need to allow extra insulin for protein. You have posted about having hypos more than once. If you take insulin for protein when you don't need it, you will definitely cause hypos. How much carbohydate are you eating ?
 
There is a free online carb counting course from the NHS here - https://www.bertieonline.org.uk - might be worth a look while waiting for DAFNE.

Gluconogenesis, where the body turns protein into glucose, is a effort for the body to do. It won't bother going to all that effort if it can just get glucose from carbs. If you are eating a reasonable balanced diet with a reasonable carb content then there is no need to bolus for protein because the body won't bother going to all the effort of turning protein into glucose if there is readily accessible carb glucose available.
 
Unless you are following a low carb diet every day, for every meal, you should not need to allow extra insulin for protein. You have posted about having hypos more than once. If you take insulin for protein when you don't need it, you will definitely cause hypos. How much carbohydate are you eating ?
I dont hypo as much now i was using my nova rapid wrong i was taking it 2 hours later checking my sugars tgey were still up so id have more to bring them down not realisibg that the 1st dose was still working and therefore clashing and hypoing since educatibg myself i realised my mistake carb wise i tend to aim so i have between 6 to 8 units if im having just a buttie for lunch i will have 6 if im having a heavy tea time meal i will go for 8
 
That's definitely a step in the right direction. It sounds like the Dafne course would really help you. Matching your carb intake to the units of insulin you take is the real key. Forget about the protein - just enjoy it. If you monitor your BS levels you can see if they are going up or down. If you stick to the same amount of carb daily, eg. keep to a similar amount for breakfast every day, have a similar amount of carb at lunchtime each day, you will get a clearer picture of what is going on. I would forget the low carb for the moment. You need to be able to count carbohydrate very accurately to do that if you're on Insulin. In your position I would try the Bertie course. There's a list of carb values of different foods you can download and print out for reference. You've nothing to lose and everything to gain.
 
Ohh never heard of that will habe a look thank you! I was just worried when i was reading about everyone talking about protein and raising sugars because of my eye complications i need to be so careful and i thought i may have been damaging myself without knowing that was my biggest worry
 
hey @Soapybubs87
my advice is to try and be kind to yourself , slow down and do your best to take each day as it happens ( not easy I know with longer term eyesight worries )
for me I never worry about the protein in my meals unless I am eating very low carb meals
so for my average evening meal ( around 40-60 carbs ) I would not look at the protein.

I would only look at the protein if I were having say....... an omelette with mushrooms , onion , and cheese ( less than 5 carb)

I know we are all different and you must examine your own needs , but do try to look medium term in getting some results ( 3-6 months )

all the best !
xx
 
You mention you take 1 unit of insulin for every 1 unit of carbs? Is the not exceptionally low ratio?
 
You mention you take 1 unit of insulin for every 1 unit of carbs? Is the not exceptionally low ratio?
This is what i was told by a consultant year ago so have just stuck with it, i have an app on my phone that if im bot sure about a meal i will type it in and it will calculate the amount of carbs and how much insulin i need (inckudong any correction doses) ive just been left to it blackpool isnt very proactive in diabetes care
 
1u to 10g of carbs (1 carb unit) is pretty standard stuff @JoeT1
Haha yeah thats what i meant it might be different for othere insulins but since the days of drawing up actrapid and the mixing in yur monitard (seems bizzard doing that now) ive always been on leve and nova
 
hi @Soapybubs87
I had a quick look online and the following hospital runs DAFNE courses in your area..

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Victoria Hospital


hope this helps !! :)
 
hi @Soapybubs87
I had a quick look online and the following hospital runs DAFNE courses in your area..

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Victoria Hospital


hope this helps !! :)
Hi hun, ive sent in my form back in july but the waiting list is so long ive still not heard anything, im back at work soon (had a hypo and left my stuff downstairs and fell going to get it and spraines my knee) so ive been off this week and will be off next week so their office is by my department so going to bob in and see whats happening, thank you for researching thats very kind
 
Hi hun, ive sent in my form back in july but the waiting list is so long ive still not heard anything, im back at work soon (had a hypo and left my stuff downstairs and fell going to get it and spraines my knee) so ive been off this week and will be off next week so their office is by my department so going to bob in and see whats happening, thank you for researching thats very kind
awwww bless ya !!:( how annoying is that when summat happens like that when you are busy just trying to sort the hypo.
( I had a hypo about 9 years ago where I collapsed on to the pavement and dragged my boss down with me who broke her wrist --oops :eek: )

we are still best of friends though.:)

ahhh -- that is good you are in the right place to chase them -- good luck !!
 
awwww bless ya !!:( how annoying is that when summat happens like that when you are busy just trying to sort the hypo.
( I had a hypo about 9 years ago where I collapsed on to the pavement and dragged my boss down with me who broke her wrist --oops :eek: )

we are still best of friends though.:)

ahhh -- that is good you are in the right place to chase them -- good luck !!
Hahaha! Sorry shouldnt laugh i just spoke to them now glad i did as they told me that i can do the weeks course and my boss has to allow me the time off and they would write me a supporting letter...it is terrible the nhs when it comes to staff and disabikities she said she will get waiting lists to ring me monday so fingers crossed
 
that is excellent news @Soapybubs87 - go you !!!!!!!!!!!! :)

while you are on this run of great results ( sorry bad joke with your knee :D ) -- why not try your DSN and ask about a Libre trial :)
 
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