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Insulin to carb ratio

Tony337 said:
Hi
I am an old dinosaur.
When i was diagnozed in the 1970s i was put on a "line" diet.
10g of carbs being 1 line.
It was 3 lines for breakfast 4 lines for lunch and 4 lines for tea.(i'm from up north where we have us tea at 6pm).

I still follow the 10g for 1 unit principle but i tweak it for exercise (less) and weekend (more) but there are too many variables for me to concern myself over.

Good luck

Tony
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Hi Tony

I was also diagnosed type 1 in 1978 and learned about lines like you did.
We’ve both seen many changes in the diabetic World since then but Like you I have always had lines counting in the back of my mind. 1 unit of Insulin per 10g of carbohydrate.
I use an Omnipod (pump) and a Dexcom sensor these days and have a Hba1c of 6.8, which I think after 48 years of administering insulin is quite good.
I remember the old days using a big glass syringe, which I stored in a blue container full of metholated spirits and injecting 4 times a day. We’ve come a long way since then hey?

Paul
 
Paul McMullin said:
Hi Tony

I was also diagnosed type 1 in 1978 and learned about lines like you did.
We’ve both seen many changes in the diabetic World since then but Like you I have always had lines counting in the back of my mind. 1 unit of Insulin per 10g of carbohydrate.
I use an Omnipod (pump) and a Dexcom sensor these days and have a Hba1c of 6.8, which I think after 48 years of administering insulin is quite good.
I remember the old days using a big glass syringe, which I stored in a blue container full of metholated spirits and injecting 4 times a day. We’ve come a long way since then hey?

Paul
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Hi Paul
You are 100% correct we have seen advancements aplenty.....
For me the libre was the game changer as after i got it i analysed the data to the nth degree and was able to be basically more accurate in eating injecting and understanding the effect walking has on insulin sensitivity.
My own hba1c is 5.7 or 39 and my libre predicts 5.5 or 37 for my next.
Whilst now aged 57 i embrace most new tech i still MDI as i've never liked the idea of a pump.
I cannot say why and am due to change insulin after easter (levemir is being discontinued) and may well turn to a pump if thing go wrong.

I still marvel at the 4mm needles as back in the 70s they were like harpoons!

I wish you well

Tony
 
Tony337 said:
Whilst now aged 57 i embrace most new tech i still MDI as i've never liked the idea of a pump.
I cannot say why and am due to change insulin after easter (levemir is being discontinued) and may well turn to a pump if thing go wrong.
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Its a game changer - the leap forward is not simple (more tech to learn) but the improvement in quality of life is amazing (and they are not difficult to get along with - I actually found them less intrusive than injecting in public etc)

Worth considering as the benefits are huge if you put the time in to learn how it all works - I was reticent and pushed it away until 'things went pear 'a few to many times (I think about 14 years ago when I started) - wouldn't go back, and the HCL now is sooooo much better than just a pump as it took the 'idiot' out the loop (me)
 
New to me, Never seen insulin vs carbohydrate before. I base my insulin intake on my blood Glucose level, with a base level of 15 units for a BG of 8 +/- 5 units for every +/- BG 1 ie: BG 7 10 units insulin BG 9 20 units insulin.
 
I have 3 different ratios through the day. I have no pancreas at all after surgery 4 years ago, so that makes keeping my BG in range more difficult.
I have a 1:7 ratio at breakfast
1:10 at lunch
1.12 evening meal
Anyone else use 3 different ratios?
 
I too need different levels of insulin during the day. In fact I often eat my ten carb every day breakfast offering of berries and full fat yoghurt in the evening as well. And rarely need insulin at all. My main meal is usually eaten around two pm. If I ate it at midday my insulin ratio doubles.
 
Hi,

I’m on MDI (T1 headbutting 50 years diagnosed as a kid with this.) & what I’ve discovered my insulin to carb ratio can depend on what my basal is doing? Among other noticeable personal variables. (I do basal check.) ;)
Lantus for me can seem to be more potent in the evening when it’s actually (on paper.) meant to be tailing off or out.

Been asking for a pump for years.
Novorapid works great for me any time of day.
 
Jaylee said:
Hi,

I’m on MDI (T1 headbutting 50 years diagnosed as a kid with this.) & what I’ve discovered my insulin to carb ratio can depend on what my basal is doing?
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One of the 'fun' things with T1 and insulin use is that the Insulin Sensitivity Factor (ISF) changes for lots of reasons, time of day, stress, daylight, cold etc etc.

Lots of us can get by with a single one, but every now and then we find it alters and that means hights and lows - some of us have multiple ISFs throughout the day.

In the pump world (or at least in loop I use) I have Dynamic ISF - so it alters based on current sensitivity monitored from my CGM and insulin delivery, and the past 7 days of data.

The ISF goes up and down during the day, but means the loop doesn't overreact when I eat something.

AAPS Documentation

Android APS (AAPS) is an open source app for people living with insulin-dependent diabetes. It is an artificial pancreas system (APS) which runs on Android smartphones.
wiki.aaps.app wiki.aaps.app
 
static192 said:
Hi everyone was woundering whats everyones insulin to carb ratio at moment i have to inject like 1.9 units to every 10 grams of carbs im a male and 87kgs 5ft 9 more fat than muscle lol.

Reason asking other diabetics there carb ratio i know everyones differnt unique quite interesting to see everyones carb ratio
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57 year old having had T1 since the age of 15 I'm 5fy 8" and 82kg, my ratio was 1.1U for every 10g of carbs obviously you can't do anything other than full units, but more recently having changed my background insulin to Tresiba and leveled that off nicely I'm doing a ratio of about 1.5U of novorapid per 10g of carbs, still tweaking it a bit though too, always a bit of a gamble as to round the dose up or to round it down to the closest integer
 
SteveO68 said:
57 year old having had T1 since the age of 15 I'm 5fy 8" and 82kg, my ratio was 1.1U for every 10g of carbs obviously you can't do anything other than full units, but more recently having changed my background insulin to Tresiba and leveled that off nicely I'm doing a ratio of about 1.5U of novorapid per 10g of carbs, still tweaking it a bit though too, always a bit of a gamble as to round the dose up or to round it down to the closest integer
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For Novorapid you can get a reusable pen taking penfills. The Novopens Echo and Echo+ can administer half units which may be useful for you.
 
Antje77 said:
For Novorapid you can get a reusable pen taking penfills. The Novopens Echo and Echo+ can administer half units which may be useful for you.
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Thank you, that is really helpful, certainly gives me some ammunition for next time I see the diabetic nurse, I get so frustrated as my healthcare team seem to be so clueless on the subject, maybe it should become a pre-requisite that a diabetic specialist should actually be living with diabetes and not just learn about it in classrooms/webinars and the like then we all might get the chance to manage the condition better with what better tools are available... Please excuse my frustration
 
EllieM said:
my pump will inject as little as 0.05 units....
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Oh my gosh really, that must be getting some great results I would imagine, I've been on the list for an insulin pump but still waiting next appointment to discuss it is in 4 months time in January 2027 but only providing I get approval aparently, I've only had the condition for some 43 years but the indications are good particularly with that morning 'foot on the floor' phenominum and times where novorapid (in date and kept cool and fresh injection site) just seems to do absolutely nothing to my BG for some 6 hours+ or so fairly regularly
 
SteveO68 said:
Oh my gosh really, that must be getting some great results I would imagine, I've been on the list for an insulin pump but still waiting next appointment to discuss it is in 4 months time in January 2027 but only providing I get approval aparently, I've only had the condition for some 43 years but the indications are good particularly with that morning 'foot on the floor' phenominum and times where novorapid (in date and kept cool and fresh injection site) just seems to do absolutely nothing to my BG for some 6 hours+ or so fairly regularly
Click to expand...

Have you thought of trying Fiasp or Lyumjev?
 
becca59 said:
Have you thought of trying Fiasp or Lyumjev?
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Thank you, my healthcare professionals have never mentioned an alternative to novorapid despite me trying to put my issues across, I feel un-heard and dismissed for most of the time, it's definately now the subject I'll be bringing up at my next review in 9 days for sure
 
SteveO68 said:
Thank you, my healthcare professionals have never mentioned an alternative to novorapid despite me trying to put my issues across, I feel un-heard and dismissed for most of the time, it's definately now the subject I'll be bringing up at my next review in 9 days for sure
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Are you being seen by a hospital team (endo, diabetes specialist nurse) or by a GP?
 
Antje77 said:
Are you being seen by a hospital team (endo, diabetes specialist nurse) or by a GP?
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I've seen a hospital consultant once early this year possibly triggered by the fact that levimir was being discontinued with the next appointment in January regarding the possibility of a pump but beyond that it's the GP's diabetic nurse team I see otherwise, not had the full hospital visits for very many years they just stopped making appointments for me and instead the GP practice got in touch
 
It is recommended as a Type one that you have access to a hospital team. Even if it is just being able to contact a DN who is working with diabetics all the time. Not one in a Gp surgery who sees all different types of patients. That is how I get anything altered. I ring or email and leave a message. They ring me back. If changes are made they write to my Gp to get them to change the prescription. GPs are not specialist or up to date enough. I also talk to or see my consultant once a year. My yearly visit to the Gp is for bloods, feet etc. They freely admit I have more knowledge than they do.
 
becca59 said:
It is recommended as a Type one that you have access to a hospital team. Even if it is just being able to contact a DN who is working with diabetics all the time. Not one in a Gp surgery who sees all different types of patients. That is how I get anything altered. I ring or email and leave a message. They ring me back. If changes are made they write to my Gp to get them to change the prescription. GPs are not specialist or up to date enough. I also talk to or see my consultant once a year. My yearly visit to the Gp is for bloods, feet etc. They freely admit I have more knowledge than they do.
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Thank you so much, I've never had any contact details for a hospital diabetic nurse, it seems like I've somehow fallen off the system, my next GP review is in a few days so I'll push for hospital contact details for sure what you are saying about the GP nurses aligns perfectly with my experiences with them it's all making a bit of sense now why I'm finding my healthcare support so frustrating
 
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