Ratios

[lilibet]

Morning all

Just a quick question
Am currently on Novo and Levemir and before moving to b/b was on fairly low doses of premixed insulin (well low enough to the point where it took a year to reach levels of change over)

Now i was very low carb and I think this was partially responsible for my low doses so when changing over clinic thought I was still in honeymoon/insulin sensitive. I never thought I was but since moving over I was wondering about ratios as for someone with BMI 23 I can prob take insulin to match an 18stone builder at times!

Now diabetic urban myth seems to have us ALL on 1 unit, 10 gram carbs but Ive never had good results with this and am more like 2u for 10 grams. Though of course this varies regularly depending on whether the Sun is in Taurus, or a frog jumped off a lily pad in Peru, or something :roll: I try not to get all machismo about it but 5units insulin for 10g bit of toast in the morning does worry me somewhat. Though, tbh honest my mornin ratios on the mix were double that from evening so suppose it does make sense. Also, basal is spot on so not out of wack which could explain ratios (though suspect levemir is running out by morning and maybe propping up the morning with novo a bit?)

I have a half unit pen and often round down by 0.5 unit at night , cause not exactly 1.5 to 10g CHO but not 2u to 10gCHO either.

All hba1c's have been in 5% since diagnosis, cept 1st one post diagnosis so I am told not to worry by endos.

However sometimes I have what I can only term as real serious IR- whereby I can take 3u novo and see NO DROP in bg. Cause overall control is good (by their standards, still horrible spikes etc) they dont think I should worry

So- what are other peeps ratios?
Do others get IR type behaviour from their body at times?

 

[noblehead]

Hi lilibet,

The 1 unit per 10g of carbs (1cp) is just a starting point to establish a insulin/carb ratio, from here you can increase/decrease insulin accordingly. I, as with most people have a different ratio at each meal-time throughout the day, how I wish this wasn't the case, but as with all things diabetes, nothing is simplistic.

Nigel

 

[CarbsRok]

y

 

[totsy]

my ratio is breakfast 1 unit per 15g, dinner is 1 unit per 20g, tea is 1 unit per 10g, supper 1 unit per 10g

 

[lilibet]

Thanks

I know this seems daft but I wonder why we are all so different when the fundamentals are the same (pancreatic deficits ). Appreciate other endocrine concerns come into it (specially for us ladies) as well as weight, generally physiology b ut still....

Did think about trying Apidra but when novo works it works in my favour because its mostly spent in me by two hours which means I can slightly OD (if you see what I mean) and prevent spikes but have no hypos.

Other times, I would be as well injecting water. Endos arent puzzled by it, cause overall control is good but tbh I dont want 75% 'reasonable' control. I just cant accept that this is all there is as far as treatments go (pump aside). However a bit reluctant to change to Apidra or whatever in case it all goes to heeeeeeeeeeellll (again). I dont do well with higher numbers on my meter - though, does anyone?

 

[noblehead]

Hi lilibet,

What people can't except is that we are all different! We might all have the same condition, but we react/respond to different medication and diets, that's what makes us unique! That is why we must adapt a lifestyle and diet that is best suited to our own individual needs, rather than follow those that may work for others, but not necessarily for ourselves. That is my belief, and one I stay true too!

Nigel

 

[terribarry]

Hello,

I am a type 1 diabetic for over 20 years now. I've been on an insulin pump for over 12 years. My ratios change continually. I think a part of the change is due to my activity level, what I am eating (portion size). I've also noticed that each person has trigger foods, for me it was corn chips, like Fritos, they really increase my bg. I think the ratio also changes depending on how much fat was included with the carb. My ratios are 1 unit for 15gms carbs. But with the pump I am able to count the carbs and sometimes if my bg is higher or lower adjust the amt of carb for my bolus. The pump can be an awesome tool for diabetics. I can actually skip a meal and not pass out from insulin overload!

 

[JANROU]

Have you noticed if its 'like water' when you inject into certain areas? Could be that there is some scar tissue.

 

[Picci]

Hi everybody, I've been type one since the age of ten, 31 years now. I used actrapid and monotard for years, and it was so easy for me to work out. 10g of carb raised my blood 10 mmol, and 1 unit of rapid lowered me by 1 mmol! A dream, and very few changes had to be made.
Since going onto novorapid and levemir I have a battle with ratios, I am fed up with the mathematics involved at each meal, esp if I'm in a restaurant and trying to test and inject under a table!! Each meal is so different, without consistency, so I have no long term pattern. At the moment (I'm not as accurate as some of you, to make my life easier) I have 2 units per 10g for breakfast; 1.5 units per 10g lunch; and 1unit per 10g for my evening meal. Extra units to correct me work differently throughout the day too...My years of 1;1 ratios were a dream and so consistant...and EASY to work out!
Keep smiling!! :lol:

 

[lilibet]

am fed up with the mathematics involved at each meal, esp if I'm in a restaurant and trying to test and inject under a table!! Each meal is so different, without consistency, so I have no long term pattern.

Oh God, thats me picci!. Todays lunch was almost identical to yesterdays, starting bg was only 0.4mmol apart from yesterdays, took 0.5 units more today than yesterday and BAM.......

About 2mmol higher 5 hours later than I was yesterday

I just cant help thinking that theres got to BE MORE THAN THIS!!
The prob Ive got, is explaining this with an hba1c thats never been out of the 5's since diagnosis, so they think Im either fastidious to the point of psychosis, or making it up :evil:

 

[LittleSue]

Do the changes in your insulin requirements correlate with your monthly cycle? Not just that week, but a pattern over the whole month. That affects some more than others and can play havoc, but medics dont seem too clued up on it. DAFNE showed up the pattern for me, before that things seemed totally random, but I think had gone on for years already.