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Calculating Insulin Ratios And Time Of Day

O

O_DP_T1

Well-Known Member
Messages
458
Location
United Kingdom
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Are insulin to carbs ratio' based on the actual time of day or how long you've been a awake

Example
Breakfast usually 7-10am I ratio 2:0 1u insulin for 5g carbs
Lunch usually 12-2pm ratio is about 1:5 1u insulin for 7.5g carbs
Dinner usually 6-8pm ratio is about 1:0 1u insulin for 10g carbs

The question is what happens between these timings and how are those ratios calculated?

Example
IF I do Breakfast 6am I ratio 2:0 1u insulin for 5g carbs that will be fine
THEN IF I do a second meal at say 10am do I use the 2:0 ratio or lunch time one of 1:5 or something in between?

thanks
 
O_DP_T1 said:
Example
IF I do Breakfast 6am I ratio 2:0 1u insulin for 5g carbs that will be fine
THEN IF I do a second meal at say 10am do I use the 2:0 ratio or lunch time one of 1:5 or something in between?
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You just have to test it and see what works for you, I'd try the 1 unit to 5grams and see what happens, if not enough next time try the 1 unit to 7.5 grams, it is rather unfortunately all a bit of trial and error. Though obviously if you ate at 10am and then at 12 midday again you'd still have insulin in your system.

PS. For 1 unit to 5 grams the ratio would normally be written 1:5 (or 2:10 if you really want), 1 unit to 7.5 grams would be 1:7.5 or 2:15 (if you want to use whole numbers), and 1 unit to 10g would be 1:10 :) a ratio with a zero on one side doesn't make sense :)
 
The 2:0 ratio essentially ends at 12:00pm, so you would use the 1:5 after that time...

what is that the actual ratio [insulin resistance] at 10am, who knows.......it would be possible to work it out I suppose, but its not really required as insulin dosing isn't that accurate.....compared to the human bodies normal ability
 
I have 3 different time blocks set 00:00 to 10:00 - 10:00 to 17:00 and 17:00 to 00:00
So depending on what time I eat thats what my Aviva Expert works my bolus out on
 
It's not an exact science, it's simply how our bodies respond to insulin at different times of the day, it's based on trial and error as once you've ruled out the impact of your basal, your carb bolus should ensure you are back within your target range before your next meal, if you're not then your ratio needs a tweak.

Edited it add: it also changes periodically with the weather, weight, stress, hormones, exercise etc.
 
O_DP_T1 said:
thanks all

@novorapidboi26 how do we know that the breakfast ratio ends at around 12pm?
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That's not a set time, its just the time you have chosen to have lunch.......

when you test at dinner time or whenever the lunch dose runs out, and you see the result, its the lunch time ratio that is adjusted.....

from when you wake till 12pm, you have concluded that 1unit deals with 5g of carbs from 7am-12pm, so you could argue anything in between 7am and 12pm needs that ratio as well....

I don't feel I am communicating very well here....ha ha....

ultimately our ratios are based on the time of day and not how long we have been awake.....
 
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